Cute to the Bone Read online

  She was cloaked in her hair, and he was standing at ease across from her. “So, who goes first?”

  He bowed, “Ladies first.”

  She smiled. “If you want me to stop, simply use any food reference of your choosing.”

  “A safe word?”

  “Correct.”

  “Kiwi.” He smirked. “I hate them, so that will do for an indicator.”

  She nodded, and then, she made a quick ball of light to put near him. It dimmed as she set it on the floor. “If you need to, kick it, and it will turn on.”

  “Right. What is going to happen?”

  “My shadow will come out without the light I use to restrain her. It is rather like your beast, a creature within.”

  “I see. Very well, I look forward to meeting her.”

  “She feels the same.” Sireno inhaled, and then, she let the shadow spill from her skin, raise her hair, and lash around the room in tendrils. Transparent darkness flicked out in an expanding corona of dark ribbons.

  Sireno could see Aeric. He watched her with intensity and focus, more curious than appalled as her shadow continued to emerge and slowly cross the fifteen feet that separated them.

  He remained interested and attentive as she let the shadows out, and they touched his skin before she had had a proper chance.

  The tendrils of shadow wrapped around him and lifted him off his feet, sparking his eyes to widen. He was covered in shadow a moment later, and she pulled the tendrils back. He was gone.

  In the spot he had occupied, his beast stood on its hind legs and looked at her with wide, liquid brown eyes. Her shadow nearly squealed and lifted him carefully, bringing him to Sireno. She held him and stroked his soft fur, smiling at him as her shadow retreated into her, wanting to relish the enjoyment.

  Sireno scratched under his chin and watched to see what contact he enjoyed. When he turned his head into her hand, she crooked her fingers and scratched lightly. He made an adorable humming sound, and she held him close.

  When she remembered that this was the man she wanted, she set him down and stepped back. He resumed his human form, and his hair was sticking out in every direction. She stepped toward him and straightened it. “Sorry about that. I got kind of enthusiastic.”

  He smiled. “It was fun for me, too.”

  He wrapped his arms around her waist, and their lack of clothing was suddenly far more than functional.

  She leaned in toward him, “So, we didn’t scare each other away.”

  He murmured against her lips. “No, we didn’t.”

  She slowly stroked her hands over his chest. “Then, I suppose it is up to us to check and see if everything else is suitable for a very long life together.”

  “Well, not everything. There are things that we will need to settle later. After the balancing ceremony.”

  She grinned. “Are you confident that we won’t explode on the dais?”

  “Pretty sure.”

  She shrugged. “I am willing to try if you are.”

  He kissed her, and the discussion was over.

  Sireno felt a tingling warmth starting in her extremities and working its way inward. The magic contact between them was throwing a lot of static energy, but this was different.

  She touched him and ran her hands across his skin, and the tingle became sharp bolts of energy before settling into a deep throb. The throb moved up her arms and legs until it settled in her belly.

  She focused on the feeling and felt her shadow. Shit! There were three of them in this dance.

  Her shadow was participating but not being aggressive. That was a good thing.

  When she wrapped her hand around Aeric’s erection, her shadow was there. When she pushed him back onto the bed and straddled him, her shadow kept her weight off the bed for the perfect position. The moment that her orgasm struck, her shadow flared wide, and the room went dark.

  Sireno opened her eyes, and she was on her side with Aeric curled around her. She licked her lips and cleared her throat. “That was... interesting.”

  He chuckled and kissed her shoulder. “It was. Is it just me, or were we not alone there?”

  “Oh, she was definitely there. She has never done that before. I think she likes you.”

  He shivered. “Thank goodness. I know I said I wasn’t freaked out, but I was slightly freaked out.”

  She laughed. “You would have been dead if you hadn’t been. I rarely even look at myself when she emerges.”

  He paused. “Is that difficult for you?”

  “She is me. She has my face, but there is so much power in her that it is frightening. If I let her go, for just a moment, she could take out a city block.”

  “You hold that in the whole time?”

  “All day every day. I like doing the jobs that I am contracted for. She gets out and gets to exercise, and when I pull her in through me, I have more control. I am putting my mind into her. That is what got you out of that trap.”

  “So, you take turns being in control. It’s nice that you play well with others.” Aeric stroked her arm.

  She smiled. “Well, she was here when I was born. We had to make friends quickly. My dad helped with that.”

  “How is it that your parents were forbidden to marry, but there was so much visitation between you and him. Don’t get me wrong; I am all for it; it just seems odd.”

  “Oh, because of the shadows. It added a level of difficulty to things when I first manifested it, so my dad was called in immediately, and his shadow helped mine manage life in a hybrid body.”

  “Like twins.”

  She smiled. “Something like that. I am wondering what our balancing will do to her and to you.”

  He chuckled. “I am not worried about it, but I do wonder what the mixing with a quokka will do to you?”

  That struck her, and she giggled. “Okay, how soon can we do this?”

  He laughed and leaned over to kiss her. “As soon as they can make the arrangements.”

  “Will your family come?”

  He nodded. “Of course. Yours?”

  “Of course.” She chuckled. “We had better get dressed and make the arrangements then.”

  He chuckled. “I would ask for a few minutes, but we are about to have the rest of our lives.”

  She looked at him with what she knew was a twinkle in her eye. “And we still have to take a shower.”

  His grin sent a thudding through her soul, and she was fairly sure that she would be able to wake up to this man for the rest of her life.

  When they twined together under the waterfall cascade of the shower, she was sure of it.

  Selari and the guardians sat down with them, getting a list of their families who would need to be at the ceremony. They nodded, and Teal grinned. “We will have them here in four hours.”

  “Where can we get formal wear?” Aeric asked it.

  Selari smiled. “I can sort that for you. Clothing is easy.”

  Tony nodded. “I will get the balance mage here and prepped as to your particular situations.”

  Sireno asked, “Is it Melwiss?”

  He blinked. “Yes. She is training one of her children as her apprentice, but she has decided that practical knowledge is the most important, so she’s working on complicated cases again.”

  Sireno looked to Aeric. “We are complicated?”

  Teal nodded flatly. “Yes.”

  Aeric chuckled. “That would be you there, Sireno.”

  Tony cleared his throat. “Actually, you are a quokka prime. There are only a dozen quokka shifters in the world, and you are stronger than all of them. You are the epitome of the quokka shifter, so you are part of the complication. Primes don’t blend well.”

  Sireno leaned back and said, “Hah!”

  Aeric was stunned. Tony stayed to talk to him, Teal went to make the calls, and Selari ushered Sireno off to a side chamber where a copy of her body was made of energy and moss for
the dress to be formed on. When that was done, Sireno was dismissed to go and get some breakfast.

  Tony and Aeric were still in deep discussion, so she filled her plate and sat down at the distant edge of the table so she wouldn’t intrude.

  She had only vaguely heard of the primes of the shifters. There was one alive at a time, one per type of shifter, and they had increased power and health for their lifetimes, as well as the ability to negotiate or act as magistrate for any of their kind. Splitting that kind of power would be difficult, and that is why Melwiss had to be involved.

  She finished her breakfast, got coffee for herself and Aeric, then filled a plate for him and slid it in front of him. “Eat.”

  He absently picked up toast and started to munch.

  Tony looked at her. “Did you know he was a prime?”

  “I suspected something. His beast can put the fey in thrall, and it doesn’t feel like it is just because he’s adorable. There is a compulsion there.”

  Aeric looked at her. “Really?”

  “Yes. Don’t worry about me. My shadow keeps my head clear. I just think you are adorable. But Limak froze in place, and that is what I was referring to. He’s the kind of guy to kick puppies, so being smitten was out of character.”

  “I see. I can say that I hadn’t really noticed. I don’t use him when I work, so...”

  “So, it hasn’t come up.” She squeezed his hand. “It’s fine. We will be in it together in a few hours. We can figure it out from there.”

  He grinned. “I like the idea of that.”

  “Good. I am going to help you get in touch with your shadow if that is how things manifest. One of us might come out with dominant physical traits and the other the magical traits.”

  “Wait.” He looked her in the eyes. “I might get pointy ears?”

  “Yes. Sorry. And they are going to be underfey ears, so they will impinge on your ability to wear a motorcycle helmet.”

  He blinked. “I am sure we can get something custom built.”

  She grinned. “I knew there was a reason I wanted you.”

  Tony snorted. “I think you two will be fine.”

  Selari emerged from around the corner. “Aeric, I need your body.”

  Sireno chuckled, and she waved at him to go. “It is relatively painless. She is really very gentle.”

  He was wary, and she chuckled, drinking his coffee.

  Tony gave her a serious look. “Do you know what it is to be a prime?”

  “I do. It is a combination of judge and on-duty ambassador, mixed with guardianship of all of those who share our beast.”

  He sighed in relief. “Okay. Good. You get it.”

  “I do.” The idea occurred to her. “He hasn’t gotten a call because he is on the wrong continent.”

  “Correct. He has no means to move to them. I am thinking you can help with that.”

  She grinned. “I am thinking that I can.”

  Chapter Eight

  Sireno walked to the rear of the Meditation Centre with her family escorting her. The gown that Selari had crafted for her had earned her two gallons of honey from Sireno’s mother’s hives.

  She was a creature of light and shadow, soft grey fabric glittered in the light, and the endless draped beads that cascaded from her shivered and swung with every step.

  She walked between her parents, their arms linked to hers, and her siblings were carrying her train, lifting the ten feet of fabric off the ground to help her movement.

  Aeric was on the podium and waiting for her, smiling wide as she came into his view, and then, his eyes got wider as he took in her family.

  Her father and mother were both striking, and their features had combined favourably in their children. Aside from her mother, they were all over six feet tall and had skin or hair in varying shades of grey.

  They were a stunning group, and watching the gathered fey and shifters staring at them, Sireno chuckled. They were a walking advertisement for blending genes, which is what the Crossroads was about.

  At the dais, she stopped and kissed her father on the cheek before doing the same to her mother. When she had hugged each of her siblings, she stepped up to meet Aeric, and he took her hand.

  They waited for a moment, and Dira stepped forward with a mage wearing elegantly patchworked clothing. Dira kept her hand on the shoulder of the young girl who followed what had to be her mother.

  Melwiss smiled back over her shoulder. “Watch carefully, but stay with Dira. This is going to get a little weird.”

  The young mage nodded seriously and lifted a notebook and pen that she seemed to have materialized.

  Melwiss grinned and stepped onto the dais. “So, you two have found each other. It’s about time. They have been trying to throw you together for three years.”

  Sireno raised her brows. “Apologies. We moved in our own time.”

  Melwiss held her hands up and flexed her fingers. “No matter. You are here now, and you are the next thing to balanced. Dealing with the extras is what is going to make this painful for you. Are you ready for it?”

  Aeric nodded. “I am.”

  Melwiss smiled at Sireno and arched her brows. “And you?”

  “I am.”

  “Good.” Melwiss’s hands snapped out and grabbed their hands, untethering their magic and spinning it through them.

  Sireno kept her gaze locked with Aeric’s as they had everything they were stripped from them by the balance mage, and when they had nothing left, it began to come back.

  Time spun away, and Aeric’s eyes remained the dark brown that she loved as she felt her shadow return with something in tow. Whatever had come along was constantly giggling.

  She looked at Aeric and slowly smiled. “Is it always that happy?”

  His eyes widened. “Yes; is it always this serious?”

  “Yes.”

  She let go of Melwiss, and Aeric did the same, kissing her mate in front of the suddenly cheering crowd.

  Melwiss slammed her hands into their shoulders. “I am just sealing the magic so that it doesn’t undo itself. You will still want to have sex in the next twelve hours, or the magic will force the matter.”

  Sireno looked at Melwiss, “So it’s final?”

  “As soon as you sign the registration documents, yes.”

  She kissed the mage on the cheek, and then, she hauled Aeric down to where Teal and Tony had the documents. Sireno signed, and when Aeric did the same, there was a burst of magic, and it was coming from her parents.

  She looked at Teal. “Can they get balanced now as well?”

  Tony laughed. “They have to register, but as soon as they are in our records, they are good to balance.”

  Sireno kissed Aeric on the cheek and said, “Be with you in a minute.”

  He laughed, and when she darted over to her parents to explain the situation, he trailed after her.

  Her mother grinned, and her father laughed. They both went to follow the guardians.

  Her sister asked her, “Where are they going?”

  “They can get balanced and bound now, just like I did.”

  Her brother beamed. “Really?”

  “Yup. With me linked, they are free.”

  Her sister frowned. “So, their freedom was contingent on you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why?”

  Sireno knew the answer. She had seen the mage’s decree. “It was complicated.”

  Her sister scowled, but then, her expression softened. “It has to do with Dad, doesn’t it?”

  “Yup, but thanks to the Crossroads and Aeric, I have proved them wrong.”

  She nodded. “Good enough.”

  Her parents came back, and she looked at them. “I will take care of Mom’s outfit. You can take care of Dad’s.”

  “Dad is in his formals.”

  Sireno grinned. “So, dust off imaginary dandruff or polish his boots. Anything to keep him busy w
hile I get Mom into fighting form.”

  “What are you going to do?” Limira asked.

  “Just a bit of this and that.”

  She quickly filled Aeric in on her plan, and he nodded and went to explain things to his family. They were all milling around together and staring at her. She waved brightly and then kidnapped her mother to get the brownie’s touch on a new gown.

  Sireno found the loop on her skirt and lifted it so that she could escort her mother to the Grotto.

  “Sireno, what are we doing? The ceremony grounds are back that way.” Her mom looked nervous.

  “I am just going to give you a rapid makeover. You only get mated and balanced once, so we want to make it count.”

  Selari met them at the door, and she was worried. “Was something wrong?”

  “No. We have another wedding to prepare for. My mom and dad are finally making it legal.”

  Selari’s eyes widened. “Excellent. This is a rush job?”

  “It is. I will give you a charm, and you can summon more honey at will.”

  Selari looked at Sireno’s mom. “Come with me and strip.”

  Sireno gestured to her own gown, and her mom grinned.

  “Coming.”

  It took fifteen minutes and a lot of enchantments, but Doriano Mithas entered the balancing grounds with her daughter carrying her train. Tomsin ran forward and offered his arm to their mom, and their sister stood next to their dad. He was looking at the crystal and black gown that his mate was wearing, and his heart was in his eyes.

  Sireno looked at Aeric, and she hoped that her own joy was in her eyes. For her entire lifetime, these two had been unable to reside under the same roof. They shared children and interests, and even some business dealings, but the stricture had bound them. This was the day that their love could exist in daylight.

  Her mother moved on automatic, stepping up to the dais and walking to take Saruko, lord of the shadow fey as her husband.

  He took her hand and kissed it. Sireno wiped a tear from her cheek.

  Aeric came to her and put an arm around her. “This means a lot to you.”

  “It means everything. Because of me, they missed out on a life together. This might balance the scales a little. I hope.” She murmured it as Melwiss finished what looked like a milkshake and stepped back into her previous position.