Chapter 409

My eyes go wide when I see how packed it already is with our family, and our closest friends, and all of dad's advisors including, of course, my grandpa.

A smile bursts onto my lips when I focus on the group of young men in the back comer - all of them dressed in Cadet black.

"Ohhh, that's a sight for sore eyes," Daphne murmurs, slipping in behind me and pressing the door shut, likewise looking over at our boys.

I grin and grab her hand, dragging her over to where they're all waiting. Rafe-wearing his own crown, which shines bright against his dark hair - Jesse, Ben, and Jackson, locking just as I remember them, and Jackson looking a bit relieved, if I'm being honest, to be back in clothes he understands. I look briefly around for Luca, but he's not here yet. Still, there's no time to dwell on it.

Jackson instantly opens an arm to me as Daphne and I cross the room and I dart to his side, wrapping my arms around his waist and bearning up at him. "Hi, I missed you," I whisper, grinning. "Everyone's been torturing me all day looking for your mark."

He laughs a little and runs a fond hand over my cheek and down my neck. "Sorry to disappoint," he murmurs, shaking his head with a smirk. But then his face falls. "But really. sorry - I didn't get you in trouble, did I?"

"No," I say, quickly shaking my head.

"I like this," he murmurs, shifting his eyes to the shining rose-gold circlet on my head, which mom picked - of course to match my hair. "Very pretty on you." He raises the hand not wrapped around my waist and traces a finger around the curve of it.

"Thank you" I say, smiling with very real pleasure. It's not every day, after all, that your mate tells you how pretty you look in your crown. "But, um.."| tum, quickly, my eyes seeking out Rafe and Jesse. I let go of Jackson and hold my wrists out to Jesse and Rafe. "Scent marking, please! Dad's orders."

Jesse just laughs and obliges me, even though Rafe frowns. "Wait, why?" Rafe asks, though he steps forward too when Jesse finishes.

"I don't know," I say with a shrug. "Dad said something about camouflage. Just..obey your king, all right?"

"Whatever," Rafe sighs, following Jesse's routine and glancing over at Jackson. "Sorry, man," he murmurs, "I know you went through a lot of effort to scent her up good-"

Jackson just growls a little, not liking the joke, but I just laugh when he pulls me possessively back to his side.

"So, um," Daphne says, standing close to Ben- who is unusually quiet - tucking her hair behind her ears. "Do we...have any idea what this is about yet?"

"No," Rafe murmurs, clearly anxious about it. "But.." he sighs, looking over at the door to the conference room, "I think it's big, guys. I don't know what it is but... think it's big."

My stomach drops, and by the looks on all of my friends' faces, I can tell that they do as well.

"I come delivering one more little lost cadet!"

I look over with surprise when I hear Aunt Cora's voice ringing out cheerfully. My surprise increases when I see her walking over with her hand between Luca's shoulder blades, Uncle Roger on his other side. She grins at my mate, a little mischievous. "I found him wandering the hall, looking for a plant to puke in."

Luca scowls a little but doesn't deny it, and when I step closer to peer at him I realize that he's hung over as hell. I blink in surprise, because honestly I didn't think he was that drunk this morning - but that must have been the adrenaline clearing his head. Still, the exhaustion, and the drinking, plus barely a few hours sleep?

Luca does...not look bright-eyed and bushy tailed.

"Ah, it's all right, kid," Roger says, patting Luca on the shoulder in turn as my mate steps into our little circle, settling close to Jesse and not looking over at me. "We've all been there."noveldrama