Page 28 of Retribution

“I do not get angry at her,” Oak declared as he walked into my bedroom. “Annoyed, yes. But to be fair, she can be infuriating.” He leaned down and offered me a kiss. “I mean that with affection, mo chuisle.”

I half-heartedly pushed at his chest. “Don’t use pet names to soften the blow of insults.”

“It worked.” He shrugged. “I think a party is a good idea. It’s not like she has to leave the manor, plus it will keep her mind busy for the next week or so.”

I squealed, excited that I got approval from at least one of my mates. The most difficult one at that. It was all easy-peasy from here. Justice and Lenin were no fight at all. I struggled to get out of the chair, my new size making movement a lot more of a struggle than I thought possible.

“I’m going to tell – I mean, ask Justice and Lenin. Then I’m calling Michelle and Maggie over to help.”

“Make sure she brings Lacy. I need some practice. Plus, I promised I would teach her the proper way to climb a tree,” Oak instructed before plopping himself down onto the bed. He looked exhausted. He never slept, I swear it. Every time I got up to pee, he was awake, asking if I was okay, if I needed anything, if he could help me in any way. He was a nurturer, but I would never mention that to him; it might ruin whatever tough-guy reputation he had worked so hard at building.

“How’s the kid doing?” I asked as I stood in front of him, one hand on my stomach and the other on my back.

“Improving. Lacy said two words the last time she was here. It was glorious.”

“I wouldn’t tell Maggie; she’s been working hard on getting her to speak and nothing.” I rubbed my hand over a tender spot the baby had just kicked.

“Fates, no! She would be furious!” He laughed.

“Rightfully so.” I patted his thigh. “Do you know Ellis’ favorite color?”

He scrunched up his nose. “Probably black like his soul.” He saw my unamused face, “Green. It’s green. At least it was as a kid.”

“Forest green,” Sterling added as if I would make a lime green theme.

“Got it.” I strolled to the door. “I’ve got this covered, boys!”

Lenin and Justice’s room was two doors down. Actually, it was Lenin’s, but Justice seemed to always be in there, so I don’t know why I bothered giving every guy their own space. Just like my vampires always end up in my room every night. Does anyone value personal space these days? I knocked on the door and waited. They didn’t answer, though I suspected they were in there.

Invitation or not, I pushed open the door and slipped in. “You didn’t answer my knock.”

My wolf growled, though I couldn’t see past Lenin’s large body caging him against the wall. Lenin answered first, “Are you here to join us, Kitten? We can accommodate.”

What he meant was I was fucking enormous. Massive. No longer able to pretzel my legs behind my head for the sake of a good fuck. “Just because I can’t touch my toes doesn’t mean I need extra accommodations.”

“You do not need to touch your toes. I can touch them for you,” Lenin offered, and damn it. Why was he so sweet to me all the time? What would it be like to get someone like him truly mad? I hope to one day find out because, damn it, the sex would push us into another orbit.

“I came to ask permission,” I started, and before I could finish, Lenin cut me off.

“Yes.”

“You don’t even know what I wanted permission for.” I sighed.

Lenin’s hands flexed against the wall, and his eyes rolled for a moment. “It does not matter. I will give you whatever you ask.”

“You’re making it too easy. Sterling at least tried to argue.” Another growl from Justice, and I suspected he disproved of me mentioning Sterling while both he and Lenin were naked in front of me. “If you could stop growling at me for a moment . . .”

A wet pop broke the silence around us before Justice replied, “I do not speak their names in my room.”

“Actually, this is Lenin’s,” I pointed out.

“She is correct,” Lenin confirmed.

I could feel the vibrations from Justice’s body from here. “I will hear no other names while I am intimate with my mates.”

“To be fair, I’m fully clothed and five feet away,” I corrected.

Justice ducked under Lenin’s arm and strolled toward me, his lean body and perfectly sculpted muscles on display. He stopped in front of me, his eyes falling from my face to my stomach before raising back to meet my gaze. One single hand rose to rest against my body before he bent down and laid a single kiss where his child lay.

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