Chapter 34

I resisted the urge to yank at the neckline of the dress, even though it took every ounce of willpower to not to. The dress that Mitz had gotten all teary eyed over, and guilted me into wearing, was the most uncomfortable contraption I’d ever worn in my life. I stood there, staring at the mirror wondering who the hell the chick was looking back at me. Okay, so I looked good, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.

Mitz and her crazy friend had done something with my hair that made it look soft and wispy. I still doubted wispy was a real word. Of course, it had hurt like hell to have them both attack my head like it was a life or death quest. Now my hair had been curled, teased, pinned and sprayed and the end result was I looked…regal with curls hanging down and the rest all bunched up on top of my head. Who knew this was possible?

My shoulders were bare, hence the wanting to hike up the low neckline or bodice as I’d been corrected by Mittz. The bodice was too low. I was told it was entirely necessary to have my tattoo showing very plainly. Fine but what good shoving my boobs up did for my back I had no idea.

I was thankful that the color wasn’t pink or this other peachy color Mitz’s friend had tried to hoist off on me. It was a royal blue and that was the only thing I liked about it. Well, okay I like that it wasn’t poofy too. I had worried they were going to stick me in something that made me look like I was wearing a lampshade from the waist down. Instead it was gathered at my waist and fell straight down from there.

Lifting the edge, I looked down at the shoes again. I had refused the life threatening four inch heels that looked like nails with sparkly straps attached to them and insisted something that was dark blue and that actually covered my whole foot, explaining it would be more beneficial. Couldn’t have the long-awaited huntress making her grand entrance by falling on her face, now could we?

Taking a deep breath, I held it and looked at the overall picture again. Yeah, I did look damn good. Even the earrings were kind of cool. Mitz had explained I was to wear one of Chase’s emblems and one of Troy’s so I had a moon dangling in one ear and sun in the other—which set things off balance just enough that I was comfortable with it. The necklace was a on a fine silver chain and had both emblems on it as well. I was informed they had been crafted for me and me alone hundreds of years ago. How did someone refuse something like that?

A knock on the door had me finally turning from the mirror. “Come in.”

Quinton peaked in the door and then froze. He pushed the door open and just stood there staring at me. Taking a deep breath, he turned and spoke to someone in the hall. “We’re going to need more guards.”

I frowned, not sure why he would say that, but before I could question it, Rafael stuck his head in the door and whistled.

“Damn.” He gave me his best player smile.

Okay that, I understood, especially coming from Alterealm’s very own playboy. I smiled and looked down at myself. “It’s not too much?”

Quinton finally stepped in, he looked really great in his black tux. “It’s too much alright, but not in a bad way.” Taking my hand, he spun me around slowly. “We’re going to have to flank you through the whole thing so no one paws at you.”

I patted my thigh and smirked. “Let them try.”

Rafael shook his head. “Let me guess your cute little knife is strapped on?”

I snorted. “Only time I don’t wear it is when I’m naked.”

He cleared his throat. “Shall we go?”

I tensed. “If we have to. Walk slow dammit, these shoes are the dumbest idea yet.”

As we headed into the hallway, Quinton tucked my hand in his and grinned at Rafael. “Our brothers are going to pass out when they see her.”

Raf nodded. “Michael better have the camera handy.”

I looked from one to the other. “What are you talking about? How did you two get elected to escort me?”

Quinton patted his chest. “I found you. First dibs was mine.”

I rolled my eyes and looked at the other man, he smirked. “I won the toss.”

“The toss? With who?” I decided men were still boys no matter how many hundreds of years old they grew to be.

“Arius.” Rafael said with a big grin, “and he wasn’t pleased.”

Deciding there was too much testosterone suddenly choking me, I changed the subject. “So where is this being held and how many are going to be there?” I knew it was almost dusk, which meant both sides were up.

“At the big pavilion. It’s not used much anymore, but back in the day it was for festivals and celebrations.” Quinton glanced at Raf, they both had a longing look on their faces. “Everyone from both sides are invited, unless they’re imprisoned or guarding those that are.”

I swallowed. Everyone? Why had I thought it was only close family and friends? “Any protocol I need to be aware of?”

“Hey, little one, this is your night. If you want to dance around naked and throw food that’s your right.” Quinton tensed and looked down at me. “You won’t though, right?”

I swallowed the smile trying to come out. “Throw food? Never.”

He raised one eyebrow at me and then stopped while Raf opened the outside door. When we stepped through the large arch I froze and stared. A large fancy carriage with four huge horses was waiting for us. Was I in a fairy tale and had been transformed into freaking Cinderella and no one had told me? Beside it stood Tim and Welsley all dressed up in tuxes as well.

Tim smirked and raised both eyebrows at me. “My queen,” he said softly and bowed his head.

My stomach clenched, knowing I was going have to suffer through all the formality for the duration. The only thing to get me through was knowing when it was over I was off to hunt down a certain scum magician.

Welsley bowed his head and then straightened and gave me a curious look. “I am surprised you don’t have a knife strapped to your waist.”

I gave him a big grin and winked. “Nope, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have one somewhere.”

He gave Quinton a strange look. Quinton laughed. “She is the huntress, remember?”

Shaking his head, Welsley opened the carriage door and motioned for us to get in.

By the time the carriage came to a stop my nerves were wound so tightly I wanted to tell them the whole thing was off. Wouldn’t a mock battle or something be more appropriate to announce the arrival of their huntress? I thought so, of course Quinton had only laughed and hugged me when I suggested it.

Glancing out the window my heart jumped up to sit in my throat. The pavilion was an enormous covered area the size of a football field. And under it were hundreds of people. Just focus on the hunt afterward, I told myself as we stepped out onto the ground. Pasting on a phony smile, I nodded to Quinton and then looped my hand through his and Raf’s elbows.

Talk about being put in the spotlight. We walked slowly down a path as the people parted on both sides of us. It was all a blur to me, one face after another. Looks of shock, admiration and amazement were on all the faces we walked by. I had never been so uncomfortable in my life as I was at this very moment.

At the end of the long wall of people was a platform with a long table. In front of the table stood the other six brothers, and the only thing that made me feel just a little bit better was they all looked like they’d been hit in the back of the head, shock very plain on all their handsome faces.

I looked slowly down the line and stopped at the two standing in the middle. Both wore the same blue I did, which made sense now on some fashion level I didn’t quite get, but I got enough to know I wished I’d picked the peach just so they would be dressed in peach too.

On both of their faces was a look I would never forget either. Where the men standing beside them at least had half smiles on their face, neither twin did, instead they both had this shocked, almost horrified look on their face.

I watched Victor elbow Troy, who jolted like he’d forgotten where he was. Turning his head, he said something to Chase, who gave him a blank look and then snapped out of it and nodded. Both stepped down the stairs together and started walking in my direction.

I must have tensed because both Raf and Quinton paused in step and looked down at me. I watched the kings carefully, both of their eyes had changed and for some reason I began to feel like prey instead of the honored guest.

“Is it safe to hand her over to them?” Rafael inquired quietly.

Quinton glanced from his brother to the two walking in our direction. “They’ll behave in front of this half of the population.”

I caught the half part and was happy the whole hadn’t shown up. “They’ll behave or I’ll beat them upside the head,” I whispered as softly as I could.

Rafael chuckled and lowered his head. Quinton just sighed. The twins were right in front of us by then. Both bowed in only a way they could have pulled off in unison. When they raised their eyes up to mine, they were both still glowing.

Quinton and Rafael dropped my hands and stepped back so Troy and Chase could take their place. Glancing from one to the other I raised my eyebrows. “You guys look pretty good all cleaned up.” We started walking again.

Chase squeezed my hand on his arm. “You look amazing, kitten, my heart still hasn’t settled down.”

I smiled, having no clue how to take a compliment like that. Troy didn’t offer any words but he kept looking down at me more than anywhere else, so I took that as a compliment too.

“So, can we go now?”

Chase grinned and nodded to some people we walked past. “Oh no, kitten you have to dance with all of us first.”

I swallowed. “All of us who?” I said between my clenched teeth while still trying to smile.

Troy leaned down so his head was closer to mine. “The royal family,” he whispered next to my ear.

I looked up and watched as Quinton and Rafael were taking their place in the lineup. I had to dance with all eight of them? Seriously?

We started up the steps. “What are you thinking, kitten?” Chase sounded suspicious.

I looked up at him out of the corner of my eye. “How painful it is to have a metaphysical tattoo removed.”

Troy laughed and then looked over at his brother. “I think I’m insulted.” He grinned.

Chase moved past me to stand beside Arius. “Well, it could be worse, we could have a huntress that likes all this stuff and wants to redecorate our homes.”

I stepped to stand in the middle of them, smiling for real this time.

Troy lowered his head long enough to answer. “Mitz would have us all in frills then for sure.”

When he straightened, the whole crowd started clapping. Apparently, I’d just been accepted as the Cross Over Huntress of Alterealm. I looked right in the front row of people to see Mitz standing there with tears rolling down her face as she clapped. My heart jerked inside my chest, dammit, I was meant to be here.

****

The dancing with the royal family was spread out over the course of two hours. Yep, they made me wear this outfit and shoes for two hours. Some or all of them were getting beat downs during the next practice, that was for sure.

Dancing with Victor and Michael was kind of like dancing with my father, if I even had one it would have felt that way at least. They were both stiff and movements were precise. It was a good thing they knew what they were doing, because whatever dance we were doing I had no idea and just flitted along in my stupid heels like I knew what I was doing.

Quinton tried to crush me in that big brotherly way, but I laughed and breathed a little more when we did what could have loosely been called dancing. Of course, any turns made, he just picked me up off the floor so I didn’t have to decipher which way we were turning next. We had barely stepped off the floor when he pulled me back out for a second dance. I didn’t know if this was even allowed, but he was grinning the whole time.

I wasn’t sure if there was a certain order things were meant to go in, but each time Troy or Chase had started toward me and one of the others had stepped between us and held out a hand. I had to wonder if the non-ruler siblings had conspired to keep me out of reach of their monarch brothers, if the grins passing from one to the other meant anything.

A few of the elders in the large crowd came up to speak with me after each dance. It was a bit of kick to have people speak to me with such respect, this sort of thing I’d never done, but could get more than used to. Arius suddenly appeared in front of me with a huge grin on his face. I glanced around his shoulder to see Chase shooting darts with his eyes at his brother’s back.

Taking Arius’ hand I let him lead me to the dance floor. When we got there, he knelt down and held out his hand near the floor. It took a few seconds to understand what he was doing, but I lifted my foot. He took off my shoe and then the other one.

“I thought you might be a little more comfortable without them.” He straightened and then twirled me out onto the floor.

When we stopped, I reached up to his shoulders and smiled at him. “You thought right.” The music was slow and easy and he didn’t try for any of the fancy steps his older brothers had. I looked over to see Raf and Michael grinning and looking over at Chase. “So, you boys haven’t by any chance conspired to annoy your kings, have you?

He looked over my head to where most of his siblings stood. “There is that possibility.” His eyes sparkled with humor.

I liked seeing him this way and not the stiff guy he usually was. “Why?”

Turning me with ease that made even me appear graceful, he smiled again. “We’re brothers?”

I laughed. “Yeah that’s a good enough reason.” I smiled at Mitz as he whirled me past and then looked back up at him. “Leone and Rafael in on it too?”

“Of course.” He looked down at me with serious eyes. “This may be the only time I get the chance to speak to you without an audience.” His grey eyes moved all over my face. “Regardless of how all of this plays out, I for one will always be grateful for your existence.”

I took a few seconds to digest that and then smiled up at him. “Thanks. Someday when I can look back and admit all of this really happened I’ll probably laugh.”

“You have far exceeded what all of us thought. Remember that too.” Before I could reply he whirled me around so many times I thought I might collapse if he stopped too suddenly.

Laughing as the music finished. I grasped his arm to stay steady. “Think it’s acceptable if the huntress runs around shoeless?”

He bent down and scooped up the shoes as we walked off the floor. “I think it’s perfectly acceptable.”

People parted as we walked back to the tables. I noticed the look of fear and wariness on their faces as they looked at Arius. Glancing up at him, I noticed he was the cause of the looks with the glare on his face.

When we were back to the table, I stretched up and kissed him softly on the cheek. “You know you’re not as badass as you make everyone think, right?”

He frowned at me. “Just don’t tell anyone.” With a wink, he dropped my shoes beside my chair and walked away.

Quinton leaned down and whispered over my shoulder. “The shoes are the only piece you’re taking off, right?”

I smirked. “Have you ever worn a push up bra?”

His eyes widened. I laughed. “Relax, I don’t even know how they got me in it, so I can’t exactly take it off.”

Rafael suddenly appeared in front of me. He looked over my head at Quinton and smiled. Turning I saw Troy and Chase standing near each other, annoyance clear on their faces. “The gig is almost up boys, Leone better meet us before we get off the dance floor.”

Quinton laughed as Rafael grabbed my hand. “I’ll tell him.”

Rafael was the easiest to dance with so far. He didn’t try to lead me around like a puppet, but adapted his moves to mine instead. Not that I needed any further evidence to know he was a ladies’ man, but that summed it up for me.

Glancing around at the women as we went past them, I looked up at him. “So, is the royal family allowed to dance with others after the ceremony part?”

He gave me a curious look. “Why do you ask?”

I smirked. “I’m sensing a lot of females are envying me right now.”

He laughed as his eyes darted around the audience. “Oh, well this dance is for us only I’m afraid.”

“Poor Rafael, stuck with dancing with someone that is like his sister.”

He snorted and then gave me a soft look. “Little huntress, you can be assured that I do not see you as a sister, in any way shape or form.” His eyes raked over me, lingering on the fair amount of my front sticking up over the dress. He grinned, “but I do know which wells to drink from and which ones will get me shot for treason.” He glanced over at his twin brothers standing talking to several older men. “Those two wouldn’t give a damn if I was the baby brother or not.”

I felt the color rise in my cheeks. “Oh.” That’s about all I could say to his confession.

Reaching down he tipped up my chin without us missing a step in the slightest. “If you by chance were to test the water and find neither to your taste, know I’m the first to step up next.” He winked at me and then released my chin.

I only nodded, not that I would ever do it, but what else was I supposed to do. Looking as we went around the floor again, I caught Quinton’s eye briefly. He was sending Rafael one of those looks that said he knew exactly what was being said and wasn’t at all happy about it. Just what I needed in my new life, more brothers fighting.

As the song started to fade, Rafael leaned down and kissed my cheek. “Leone is on the other side waiting.” He straightened and turned me once more so we were walking back across the floor, in the opposite direction from where the kings now stood.

When Leone stepped onto the floor as we neared him, I didn’t have to ask if he really wanted to dance with me. He looked like he wanted to run the other way. “Is he alright with this?” I asked Rafael quietly.

Raf straightened and looked over at his brother. “Keep him talking.” His playful tone was gone.

I nodded and smiled as we stopped in front of Leone. “If we don’t hurry, I may be tackled by one of those two.” I motioned to where Troy and Chase were.

The pained look left his eyes when he glanced at them and then grinned. “Then we’ll hurry.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me out onto the floor.

The music was slow and easy, so I was thankful no special steps were going to be required, but with the way Leone tensed I wondered if it was such a good thing. “Are you going to be alright with this?”

He looked down at me, his blue eyes moving over my face. “They told you?”

I shrugged. “I was happy someone did, I thought I’d done something to offend you.”

Swallowing, he shook his head. “No. Unless smelling so damn good is offensive.”

I offered a small smile. “I’m trying to smell awful, but I don’t think it’s working.”

He laughed and relaxed a little bit. “I have good days and bad ones. Your arrival just caught me off guard.”

“Yeah well if it helps at all, it all caught me off guard too.”

He hugged me tighter and moved us around the floor. “Just smack me if I start sniffing your neck.”

“I can’t smell that good.” Of course, I had no idea what I was talking about, but Raf had said to keep the conversation going so I was trying.

“Daxx, you messed up three of my brothers when you fed Quinton … I’m afraid you’re like pure gold to me.”

I sighed and gave him a puzzled look. “Is that a good or bad thing?”

“For most a good thing, for me a very bad thing.” With a serious look, his eyes moved over my face again. “I would die to protect you though, never question that.”

Closing my eyes for a moment, I opened them and sent him an exasperated look. “I think dancing with all of you is too much for me to cope with.”

“Why?”

I shook my head and let him lead me wherever we were supposed to step next. “I’m finding out too many secrets.” I frowned. “Which is bad for you guys I could turn bitch and use them all against you.”

His jaw tensed as he stared down at me. “I don’t think you’d do that.”

I sighed. “Yeah, I won’t and that just sucks to know this stuff and have to keep it quiet.”

Laughing, he whirled me around and then pulled me tight against him again. We went past both Troy and Chase where they stood near the edge of the dance floor. The looks on their faces promised retribution. I waited until Leone turned me again and then spoke quietly. “I think your twin siblings are looking to beat on a few brothers.”

Leone glanced around until he spotted them. He grinned wide at both of them and inclined his head. With a chuckle, he pulled me closer and whirled us right by them again. “They wouldn’t harm their enforcer.”

I rolled my eyes in an innocent way. “Maybe not but picking on one of their baby brothers, definitely.”

He raised both eyebrows at me. “You could save us, you know.”

The music started to fade. “I could, but why would I interfere with such matters?”

Stopping, he looked down at me and smiled. “Cruel,” he whispered as he led us right in the very direction the kings stood waiting. “I’ll leave you here, my huntress queen.” With a formal bow, he turned and went quickly in the other direction.

I stopped a few feet from Troy and Chase and grinned at them. Chase bowed his head in a regal manner and held out his hand. Inclining mine in the way Troy always did, I went over.

Just as I went to place my hand in his, Troy grabbed it and twirled me away from his twin. “If you can’t beat them…” He raised his eyebrows at his brother and twirled me further onto the dance floor.

When we settled into an easy movement, he looked down at me with a gentle expression on his face. “Were you in on it?”

I batted my eyelashes at him in an over dramatic way. “On what?”

He grinned slowly. “You were.”

Shaking my head, I tried not to grin. “Not until I was dancing with Arius, then I figured it out.”

“When Quinton did the second dance I was afraid all of them were going to.”

“Oh, I would have put a halt to that.”

He frowned. “You’re not enjoying yourself?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer him without offending him. “If I were in my jeans it would be a blast.”

The tempo of the music slowed a little, he pulled me closer and then picked me up so my feet weren’t on the floor. “If you’re tired I could just carry you through this one.”

I laughed. “It’s not the dancing, it’s this damn dress.”

He set me down and turned us back into a smooth rhythm. “I think the damn dress looks incredible on you.”

At his soft serious tone, I looked up at him. His eyes were bordering on changing and my cheeks flushed in reaction. “Thank you.”

“Did Mitz get pictures?”

Rolling my eyes at him I dropped my head onto his chest. “Thousands at least,” I groaned.

“Good because I think it might be a few millennia before we get you into another dress and I want to remember every detail of your beauty in it.” His voice had lowered.

Lifting my head, I looked up at him. Even with red eyes I could tell he was being sincere, the way they moved over my face. I wasn’t sure if we were still moving or not, I just fell into his eyes.

He rested his hand near my jaw and played with the moon pendant hanging from my ear. “This song is going to end far too soon,” he whispered.

“Then dance with me again.” I tried to look away from his face, but failed. This side of Troy I hadn’t experienced before. He was almost vulnerable.

With a soft smile, he looked away from my eyes. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t let you go even then and my brother king would be injured.”

I blinked and tried to weed through his formal speak. Unless I was completely wrong he had just admitted something. Tonight was the night of secrets. “This is the same brother you tried to pummel into the mats two days ago, right?”

A guilty look appeared in his now hazel eyes briefly before he looked back down at me. “The very same.” With a smile, he pulled me closer and spun us around the floor.

It took until almost the end of the song before I noticed that not once had either of us hesitated in movement. We were in total sync with each other. Relaxing for the first time since I’d put the dress on, I let him guide me where ever he wanted to go. Even when he took us into a complicated move that ended with him dipping down slowly in front of him. The strangest part was I had let him, and managed it gracefully without having to think about it.

He smiled as he pulled me back up with a strong hand on my back. “I now have to hand you over to that man over there with the scowl on his face.”

I glanced over as we moved apart. “The one that looks remarkably like you when you’re in deep thought?”

Raising his eyebrows at me before looking back. “I look like that?”

Nodding, I stepped away from him and let him take my hand. We didn’t go straight to Chase, he stopped and spoke quietly with the man in charge of cueing the songs before turning us back towards Chase. As we neared the edge of the floor, he looked down at me. “My Queen.” He bowed his head regally and then placed my hand in Chase’s held out one.

With a strange smirk on his face, he bowed his head to his brother and moved out of the way.

Chase walked us slowly to the middle of the dance floor. “Best for last, kitten?”

I smirked. “We’ll say that.”

When the music started it was a loud fast disco song. Sighing loudly, Chase glanced over to where his seven brothers stood grinning. “Bastards, every one of them.”

Laughing, I looked over at the man Troy had spoken to, he was smiling but had an apologetic look on his face. Reaching down, he flipped a switch and a soft ballad started playing.

“I will die with a broken heart, kitten, after seeing you look like this tonight.”

His words made my own heart ache. I knew what he was talking about and took a deep breath to say something to change the subject, but that wasn’t what came out. “I’m sorry, Chase.”

He shook his head, his eyes moving over my face with a soft look. “It wasn’t you at all, sweetling. I am the way I am and until I change that, I will be alone.”

“I wondered if maybe things were the way they were because of taking your blood.”

He considered what I said for a moment. “It is possible, there were a lot of emotions bouncing between us.” Smiling with that devil gleam in his eyes, he leaned closer and whispered against my ear. “I don’t suppose I could get another chance without the blood bond?”

“Are you going to give up feeding from women?”

He sighed. “In some ways, I am addicted as Leone was.” A sad look appeared on his face, “and as much as I want you, I don’t think I could stop even then.”

Reaching up I cupped his cheek in my palm. Turning, he kissed my palm and then whirled us around on the floor.

We didn’t speak for the rest of the song. When it stopped, he smiled down at me and then leaned down and kissed my cheek softly. “Thank you.”

With a formal step, he led me back off the floor and then disappeared into the crowd standing around the edges. Quinton appeared beside me and grinned at me. “I’m done dancing,” I told him in a whiny tone.

He nodded. “I was going to say if you want I can sneak you out of here now.”

“Really?” I grabbed the lapel on his jacket. He nodded. “Let’s go then, what are you waiting for?”

Chuckling he lead me through the crowd to the waiting carriage. With it being dark and everyone mingling through the crowd, I thought we would make it without being seen but then Arius peeked from around the corner of the carriage. He grinned at me. “It’s about time; I knew you’d bail as soon as the last dance was complete.”

Pulling up my skirt so I could get in I gave him a bored look. “And what are you doing here?”

He shrugged. “Someone has to guard you.”

Quinton elbowed him and climbed in. “That’s what I’m here for.”

“I’m helping. Just please take me back to the quiet and solitude.” He got in and sat beside me, pulling his tie free from his neck.

A look passed between Quinton and him. I cleared my throat. “Why are you really here?”

Arius sighed. “Troy told us to stay on your heels.”

“You’re babysitting me?”

Quinton pulled his tie off. “No, just making sure you don’t run off to hunt down Marcus on your own.”

Hiking the bodice of the gown up, I avoided looking at either of them. “I wouldn’t do that.”

“Uh huh, “Quinton leaned over so I had to look at him, “and pigs spin webs and lay eggs.”

I gave him my best offended look. “They could, somewhere,” I mumbled.