Page 10 of Vibing Unity

He sighed. “He deserves some poking. You aren’t the only one he was a rat bastard to, Tams. For real. He was… Fuck, the Prince of Darkness deserves some shit for this. The git truly does for all the shit he’s put on us.”

I couldn’t even deny it. I let it go though because I had enough faith in Julian he’d be mature about this. “He hasn’t said anything since. I mean, comments like he was annoyed at the time-out. Wow, I’m so hot for that. Yeah, our embarrassment and causing a fucking earthquake ruined his getting laid. I’mswooning.”

I bitched as I kept eating, putting some of the good stuff on Julian’s plate for him and saying what to get more of as I did. I also told him that I’d tried to talk about this with Neldor. I actually had, mostly saying that I had concerns about—well, I hadn’t wanted to talk about the first time. That wasn’t who I was.

I was a runner. But I’d wanted to smooth it over and say I’d felt connected to him the second time. It had gone better.Something. Just something especially after the embarrassment and everyone knowing.

And he ignored me.

He talked over me.

He repeatedly said he was annoyed he couldn’t get laid when we could still have sex with our wings out. Fine, he didn’t say it like that but… Basically.

Yeah, that didn’t really put me in the mood.

Sure, I was still getting sex and a lot of it and he hadn’t had it for years because we were mates—something I didn’t ask him to do since we weren’t together—but even if we were just sex, no one wanted to feel cheap. Or easy again after he’d said it before.

That was where I was.

“You’re valid, Tams,” he said when I was finally done and all the plates were empty.

I raised an eyebrow when more plates arrived.

“You were a bit focused on what you were saying when I ordered some more,” he told me, smiling at the server as he set it all down. “I wrote out the rest we’d like to take to go to our friends for the party we’re heading to. And then I can take the bill, thanks.” He handed over thelistof food, the server not hiding his shock well.

Yeah, we got that a lot.

I pulled out my phone and texted Taeral that if he hadn’t taken Katrina to this place yet, that he should. And if he wasn’thaving sex with her yet, this would seal the deal because Julian had brought me here and he was getting all of the sex.

“You really just sent that to Neldor’s godsfather,” Julian chuckled, shaking his head.

I winced. “I didn’t think of it like that. I just like fucking with him. He’s so Iolas without the whole in love with my mother weirdness. He’s like my uncle…” I tossed my phone down, my fun ruined.

“Hey, you’re doing okay,” he whispered. “It’s a lot. I’d be losing my mind if I found out my da had an older sister and there was this kind of drama and we’re not the royal fucking family, Tams.”

Taeral: Good to know, and I’m tempted to tell Neldor where you are for poking at me since he’s here ruining my date with Katrina grilling me on what he did wrong to upset you when I have no idea and do not have a crystal ball. So if you could tell me so he can fix it and I could get back to my date and not be involved in both of your sex lives, I would greatly appreciate it.

I laughed. That was the funny I needed, showing Julian who laughed as well.

Julain took my phone and responded—with my permission. We paid the bills and collected all the leftovers before we headed out… And remembered that he lived with Neldor.

And I didn’t want to go back to my house after what happened.

“You own like fifty houses, Tams,” Julian reminded me. “Where do you want to spend winter break?” He frowned. “Actually, didn’t you have a plan for this already? I think Hhora mentioned something. No, Darby did?”

I winced, remembering something about that too. Before I could even say anything, he had his phone out and connected a call.

“Park City, Utah,” Darby said on the other end of the line, his tone amused. “She owns a twenty-five-million-dollar compound there, and she’s finally getting her white, white Christmas she’s wanted. Lucca is teaching us to snowboard. Yourweddingwas going to be there, and that was how we controlled the guest list—”

“Oh, okay, I thought it all went out the window when eloping did,” I grumbled, remembering it all now. “I know where we’re going then. We toured the house when…” I sighed.

When we’d looked at it for eloping and a cute small ceremony.

That hadn’t lasted long. Now we were having an informal one and potluck at the castle, but—the guest list had completely spun out of control. Julian was fine about it, but I was still salty.

“Tams, I like us having a winter holiday there just for us better,” he said gently. “Our honeymoon will be there.” He gave me a soft kiss before focusing on the call. “We’ll be there with fresh Chinese.”

“Good, I’m starved since I’ve been here waiting.”

---