Page 146 of Juliet & Her Romeos

Romeo Hall, Sanctum

“We’re both bonded,” Swan says like he can’t quite believe it.

He’s smiling lazily, tracing the bites on his neck.

Tremors are still running through him.

I snuggle closer against him. “Forever.”

Swan’s calm contentment flows through the bond. It’s a rare and precious thing.

We’re perched on high stools behind the luxurious marble counter in the kitchen.

The crystal chandelier illuminates the room, along with bright morning light from the domed window. The garden and forest outside are still blanketed in thick snow. The mists have lifted, however, and the clouds have cleared.

I wrinkle my nose at the rich scent of chocolate cherry, which is coiling around the warm kitchen.

Is Vito pumping my own scent into the room?

Once Swan recovered with much petting and licking from Benedict after the bonding, Vito shyly told us that he had a surprise in the kitchen for us.

This truly has been a Christmas of secrets and surprises.

Swan and I pulled on our cozy purple dressing gowns over our pajamas, before padding down the stairs after Vito into the kitchen.

I swing my feet happily, studying the slippers that were one of the Christmas presents from Benedict: fluffy, red, and with a cute fox face at the front, with a tail sticking up at the back.

Next to me, Swan is wearing a matching pair as well.

I’d been prepared to elbow Swan to make sure that he smiled and looked grateful for the slippers in order not to hurt Benedict’s feelings. I shouldn’t have worried, however, because Swan looked like he’d been gifted a treasure.

He clutched the slippers to his chest, before dragging them on, excitedly.

Then he pulled Benedict in just as tightly to his chest, before kissing him and thanking him over and over.

Only then did it truly hit me that Swan has no memory of receiving a Christmas present before.

This Christmas, unwrapping gifts, eating delicious meals, and being chosen as a bonded must be overwhelming for him.

As usual, he’s doing his best to hide it.

When he sees me looking at his slippers, he makes his left foot attack my right one.

I laugh, dodging and then attacking back, until we’re both almost tumbling off the stools. Swan catches me, swinging me around and firmly back onto my seat.

“This is the first time that I regret my sweet honey bee didn’t also buy me fox slippers.” Vito drags out a pile of plates fromthe gold veined marble cabinets, before pulling forks out of a drawer.

I waggle my feet at Vito. “You can borrow mine.”

Vito looks horrified. “Fuck, no. That’s Alpha abuse.”

I chuckle.

Then I glance at Swan. “How was it when you spoke to your brother?”

I haven’t asked him about it before because he needed time to process it.

Swan’s face lights up. “Link’s awesome. I knew that he would be. He is my brother after all.”

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