Chapter 86

presses a

I usher Daphne into the room then, where she’s warmly greeted first by Rafe, who brotherly kiss to her cheek – making her blush and then by Jesse, who kisses her hand like a Duchess, making her laugh.

“Hi,” Luca says, stepping forward with his hand out, his dimples on full display as he greets. my friend. “I’m Luca Gra-”

“Oh, no need,” Daphne interrupts, smiling at him as she presses his hand. “I know who you all are –

Luca Grant, Ben Ternicki,” she peers around Rafe to where Jackson is hiding, “Jackson McClintock.”

“Impressive,” Rafe says, raising his eyebrows at her. “How do you know all that?”

“Well,” she says, grinning at my brother, “your dad pays me a lot of money to keep all of this information ready in my mind,” she says, tapping her temple with her forefinger and making me grin. “Honestly, I could probably rattle off all of your measurements, too.”

“Oh really,” Jesse says, a wicked grin on his lips as he leans forward. “And who amongst us has the largest…inseam.”

–

I groan, tilting my head back, wrapping my arm around Daphne’s honestly, that’s precisely the kind of joke I told him not to make –

“Oh, Jesse,” Daphne says, tilting her head and pouting her lips a little in mock pity as she steps forward, patting him consolingly on the shoulder. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

The entire room bursts into laughter, Jesse laughing especially hard with delight at my clever friend. I tug Daphne away to the couch, glancing at Jackson to see him smiling as well, though I can tell that he’s still uncomfortable.

“Did you bring us wine?” Rafe asks, taking the bottle from Daphne like a gracious host and raising his eyebrow at it. “You trying to get us kicked out, ma’am?”

“Oh, I figured,” she says, laughing just a little, “perhaps for later? For a little toast, just to say thanks for having me over?” She shrugs, anxious. “I mean, one bottle split between…” she

takes a second to count, “seven? Honestly, no one’s getting drunk off of that.”

Rafe concedes the point and thanks her graciously for the gift, placing it on the side table of his own little chair as the dumbwaiter’s bell rings. He and Jesse go off to get the food while Luca settles in on Daphne’s other side, chatting with her while I take a second to glance over at Ben and Jackson, who settle onto the floor on the other side of the coffee table.

Ben. I’m pleased to see, is being very warm to Jackson, as I knew he would be. A little thrill of happiness passes through me because Ben he’s really wonderful, isn’t he?

We’re so lucky to have him here with us.

Hope he makes it through the Examination, my wolf says suddenly, pacing anxiously in soul.

I go still at the thought.

my

The Examination – it’s scheduled for next week, and even though we all know it’s coming inevitably along, we’re all anxious about it. There have been no hints – absolutely none- about what it will entail.

But Ben – even beyond the Examination – is he even doing well in his studies? He’s been working out alongside Jesse and Rafe just like me but…has it been enough?

Is there more I could have done?

“Right, Ari?” Luca asks, and I turn, suddenly distracted.

“Hmm?” I say, glancing once more towards Ben, still worried, but my Princess instincts take over and I turn my mind towards my guest, wanting her to feel at home.

“I was telling Daphne she should come to the City for midwinter,” Luca says, smiling at me, and I burst into a grin as I look between them.

“You should!” I say instantly. “I would love it – I can introduce you to so many people, and we can go shopping –”

“Excuse me,” Luca says, pretending to be offended as he presses his hand to his chest, “I invited Daphne to come see me at midwinter, at my fight. Not to hang out with you.”

Emergency calls only

* .096%

D96% 15:38

“Oh, boring fights aside,” I say, flapping a hand at him, “she’s my friend, Luca.”

“The fight’s not going to be boring,” a voice says, and I turn in surprise to see Jackson sitting with his arms looped around his knees, clearly listening in on our conversation with Ben at his side. The room

falls quiet even as Rafe and Jesse come back, laying plates on the table as we all give Jackson our full attention.

“No?” I ask, raising an eyebrow, perhaps the most shocked of us all Luca, of course.

–

except for maybe

“No way.” Jackson says, shaking his head and meeting Luca’s eyes. “It’s going to be the show of the century there hasn’t been a fight against the Atalaxians in decades. Not only do we get to kick their ass, but we get to see what fighting techniques they’re developing over there.”

I turn to Luca then, a little swell of pleasure running through me to see his lips starting to curl into a smile on one side. “Do you like boxing, Jackson?”

“Of course,” Jackson says, his eyebrows going up like it’s obvious.

“Why didn’t you say anything before?” Luca’s curiosity has a hint of suspicion to it, though I wonder if only I can hear it since we’ve gotten so close recently.

“Did you give me much of a chance?” Jackson aska, his voice quiet, a little curl in the corner. of his own lip.

I burst into a grin, turning back to Luca, who just laughs. “Well, then you’ll have to come too,” he says, nodding quickly before turning back to Daphne and chatting with her more. I grin at him over her shoulder, grateful that he’s come to what feels like a bit of a truce with Jacks.

When I I turn to my other mate, I to find his eyes already on me.

can come, you know,” I say softly to Jackson, though I know his Alpha hearing picks up on it despite the fuss in the rest of the room.

“We’ll see,” he replies, quiet. Jackson nods once, and then turns his attention back to Ben as Jesse hands him a plate of food.

Dinner and the rest of the evening passes beautifully, just as I hoped it would. I’m replete with happiness as the hours pass, as everyone begins to relax into casual conversation and a great deal of laughter. Daphne, I note, blushes every time Rafe talks to her at first. But as the evening goes by, she calms, letting her personality show more and more.

in a way

Jesse, to my surprise, brings it out of her the most. He teases her at all the right times, never

that makes her feel self–conscious but always in a way that makes her laugh. Then, Jesse very casually opens about a thousand conversational doors for Daphne to tease him right back. He takes each and every one of her ribs with a great deal of genuine pleasure, beaming at her, and I can’t help it as I smile between them.

all Jesse he wants everyone to think him the heartless playboy, doesn’t he? But in the end, he really wants tonight is for Daphne to feel warm and happy. I sigh, considering that my cousin really is a good guy. I wonder, passively, why he tries to hide it.

As the evening progresses, Daphne finds a moment to lean hard against my side, taking a deep breath as Rafe gets up and crosses to the fireplace, joining in the boxing chat with the rest of the boys.

“I’m having so much fun,” she breathes, glancing at me before looking back at all of them. “Also, well done here, Ari!”

“Hmm?” I ask, pleased by the compliment but having no real idea what she’s talking about.

“Your collection,” she says, gesturing towards all the boys by the fire. “Seriously, some cuties here a lot of girls would pay a great deal of money to be a fly on this wall –

–

“And here you are, on my couch,” I say, laughing and wrapping an arm around her shoulder, giving her a squeeze.

“Very glad to be on this couch,” she says, and then she wrinkles her nose at me, lowering her voice. “How are things going with Luca?”

I bite my lip, grinning at her, which is apparently all she needs. Daphne squeals lightly with pleasure, grabbing my hand. Ben laughs when he hears her, though the other boys don’t respond. He grins, shaking his head at me, but darts his eyes towards Jackson. I nod, letting him know I understand.

“Ben says noveldrama

we’re being too girly,” I whisper, dropping Daphne’s hand and giving her a little

Emergency calls only

push on the shoulder so that she scoots away a bit.

D96%

15:26

“Oh,” she says, her face falling a little. But then she glances back towards Ben. “So, what’s his deal, anyway?”

“Ben?” I ask, glancing towards him with a grin. “Why, are you interested?”

“No,” she says, coking her head to the side and considering him. “He’s not my type, but… well, Luca, I understand why he hasn’t hit on me. And Jackson seems very shy but…Ben….”

I tilt my own head to the side, considering it and realizing that she’s right.

And I consider, perhaps for the first time, that Ben has never hit on me either. I mean, I get that he’s not going to like every girl that walks into the room but…

What, really, is Ben’s deal?