Aleron: Chosen Champions Book Three, page 7
“Oh, I wish we could come,” Henry said. “I love when Bailey makes Logan’s eye twitch. Have you seen my brother? I wanted to say goodbye.”
“Bailey took him to see if they could convince Jamie to ride with them. I probably should have tried to change their mind, or at least rescue Jamie.”
“Nah,” Sawyer said. “He’s stressing. It’ll be good for him to be around people he doesn’t have to impress. Some of these people are so uppity.”
“That they are,” Aleron said. He was glad their group had few of the more senior members of their society. Helena’s hand was no doubt involved in that as well. He’d have to thank her when they got to her estate.
Bailey didn’t drive like a maniac, exactly, as they made their way to Helena’s, but he did convince everyone to make a golf cart conga line. It was honestly the most ridiculous thing Aleron had ever seen in his life. They snaked their way back and forth across the road while Gloria Estefan’s “Conga” blared through Scout’s iPhone.
The conga line continued after they parked, and as a group, they snaked their way in one giant line up the driveway to the party. Jamie laughed so hard he doubled over, and he gave Bailey an enormous hug when the dance ended.
Spencer had held on to Aleron’s waist and followed his movements with the others, but the moment they stopped, he tugged Aleron aside. “Is this a strange griffin custom?”
“No, it’s a strange human one,” Aleron laughed.
Helena’s setup was a little more formal than Eduard’s, but the concept was the same. Appetizers and fun drinks and mingling. It didn’t escape Aleron’s notice that Scout and Coal had positioned themselves on opposite sides of the giant white tent. But while Scout was meeting and greeting with someone he obviously knew, Coal stood against the edge of the crowd and glared.
“What’s his issue?” Ashley asked, appearing suddenly at Aleron’s elbow with a plate full of shrimp cocktail. She held out the plate, and he grabbed one, then popped it into his mouth.
“Not sure,” Aleron said. “Dragons are moody.”
“Yet hot. It’s a dangerous combination.”
“Truth,” Aleron said.
They shared a wicked grin.
“How is it dangerous?” Spencer asked.
“Oh, sweetie,” Ashley said as she shoved her plate into Aleron’s hand. “That’s a hard one to explain. Come on. Let me take you to the buffet.”
Spencer followed her across the room, which left Aleron an occasion to locate his cousin. They’d seen each other the night before but only for a moment. He kissed both Helena’s cheeks before giving her a good look.
“You’re twinkling. What mischief are you up to?”
Helena laughed. “There are other reasons I twinkle besides mischief.”
“Well, either a certain lovely lady did very naughty things to you moments ago or—”
Helena flushed, and Aleron knew he’d found his answer. “I might have been a little tense. I’m not tense anymore.”
Aleron cackled. “That’s my girl.”
“How’s Jamie? I was concerned this would all be a bit much?”
“He’s good. Bailey appears to have taken him under his wing. I need to make sure he knows Jamie isn’t up for adoption. I don’t think our uncle would approve.”
“Undoubtedly. Besides, our uncle has other things on his plate right now that are far more concerning.”
Aleron thought back to his meeting with his uncle and the unseelie king. If Augustus was really concerned enough that even Helena knew, their problem might be even more complicated than Aleron realized.
He hated the quick flash of fear, and that he immediately sought to find Spencer in the crowd. With all the security his uncle had implemented for the wedding, he shouldn’t be worried about his pack. They were no doubt safer here than at their own warehouse.
It didn’t stop him from wanting to reach out to the oracle just to be on the safe side. A little reassurance would go a long way to helping make sure both his pack and family were safe.
7
SPENCER
The following night, Spencer stared nervously at the enormous ballroom filled with elegant tables and flowers and candlelight. His tie seemed to grow tighter around his neck, and he’d never wanted to be at his cabin in the woods more than at that moment.
“Breathe,” Aleron whispered.
Even though Spencer hadn’t understood the estate crawl thing at the beginning, he’d ended up having a great time the day before. And since the party had ended at Aleron’s, with Reginald’s assistance, he’d been able to sneak away to the library for some quiet time.
There were plus sides to attending events like this, though. Even Spencer understood the advantages of networking, and his curious mind had him speaking to people he might never have the chance to talk to again. To think he’d even had a conversation with the actual Chosen One… It boggled the mind.
And he had Sawyer’s number now, too, not that he usually had access to a cell phone, but still. It meant something. However, having to sit through the very formal rehearsal dinner seemed to push things a bit too far for his already overloaded senses.
Aleron grabbed his hand and squeezed. “It’s okay. We’ll go straight to our table, and I’ll make sure your back is to a wall. We’re sitting with our pack, so it’ll be fine.”
Spencer wished the words were more reassuring, but they calmed him the smallest bit. One of the tuxedo-clad servers led them to their table, which was along the wall, as Aleron promised. After helping him into his seat, Aleron took the one beside him. Bailey sat on his other side with Logan beside him, while the rest of the pack filled in the remaining seats.
A large flower arrangement sat in the center of the table. It was so tall that it didn’t block his view of the others. It held so many flowers, though. One of Spencer’s sister witches had a beautiful cutting garden that he helped her with occasionally. He couldn’t fathom the amount of flowers it had taken to create the number of centerpieces filling the room.
“Better?” Bailey asked, leaning into his side.
Spencer nodded.
“Yeah, I don’t like big crowds much either,” Bailey said. “Aleron made sure we had a table along the wall. We’re all so hypervigilant these days.”
Spencer glanced across the table at Taj and Gideon, who looked as uncomfortable as Spencer felt. Knowing the fierce vampire warrior and his mate weren’t any more at ease than him helped ease Spencer’s nerves a little further.
“Now listen,” Bailey said, loud enough that he had all the pack’s attention. “I want close attention paid to the food. Tasting notes, people. Remember how I’ve trained you and focus on the mission.”
Spencer actually found a reason to smile. “I’m good at this game.”
“I know you are,” Bailey said. “Fancy chef food served in multiple courses. I want to know what’s in everything. No detail shall be missed.”
“I like your food the way it is,” Will said.
Ashley nodded her agreement. “What I wouldn’t give for a big bowl of potato soup right now. I bet this is going to be one of those dinners where everything is tiny and you leave hungry.”
“You’re probably right,” Aleron said. “Not to worry, though, because I might have arranged for homemade pizzas for when we get back to mine.”
“You, sir, are a god among men,” Logan said. “Sorry, Gideon, but Aleron’s my new favorite.”
“Until you need a sword,” Gideon said.
“True. Okay, you’re both my favorite.”
“Why can’t I be your favorite?” Scout asked.
Ashley scoffed. “You’re the teacher’s pet, and everyone knows it.”
Coal made a little huff of agreement that drew Scout’s focus. The entire table quieted at the anger on Scout’s face directed at their dragon packmate.
Logan cleared his throat, drawing the pack’s attention. “We’ll be talking about this later. For now, let’s move on and enjoy the evening. We’re here to celebrate, and I swear if you all don’t behave, we will not be having pizza later.”
“Oh damn. He just totally dadded us. Daddied us? He’s our daddy. Daddy Logan.” Will looked around in a panic. “Oh my God, why aren’t any of you stopping me? Make it stop.”
Ashley and Heather giggled uncontrollably, and within a few seconds, the rest of the table was laughing as well. Although Spencer didn’t understand what was so funny, he found it amusing that the threat about pizza settled the pack’s nerves.
Spencer glimpsed one of the black-uniformed security guards moving through the room. They were unobtrusive but were clearly performing some sort of duty rotation. He’d listened to a few of Gideon’s talks about security, even though it wasn’t a primary interest of his.
He glanced at Aleron, who didn’t seem aware of their movement at all. He was probably used to it. Most of them were. Logan had strict protocols for pack security, and as their guest, they had expected Spencer to abide by them as well.
It was certainly odd to not be allowed to go anywhere on his own. Spencer normally spent his time in isolation at his cabin. He could go days, if not weeks, without speaking to another human being, much less asking for one to accompany him anywhere. Honestly, he’d been so fascinated by his research that he hadn’t left the warehouse much, anyway.
Now, though, feeling the crowd around him, seeing the constant security, and knowing firsthand how real the threats against them were, Spencer wondered what he was actually doing. There had to be rune experts more suited to the task. Yes, Gideon had called him as a first choice because they’d known each other for some time, and trust was something Gideon absolutely needed. His mate was in danger, after all.
Now, though, Taj was safe and with the pack, and time was of the essence. They needed to figure out the runes, and Spencer had made exactly zero progress on interpreting them. Even Sawyer and Henry, who’d been working on them as well, couldn’t figure out exactly what Nio had been trying to accomplish.
They needed someone else, someone with more knowledge and experience. The players involved in this were some of the most powerful in the realm: the head of the griffin clan, who everyone considered the supernatural leaders in their realm, the king of the newly formed unseelie court, and the Chosen One himself.
Spencer found himself caught up in a cycle of events entirely out of his comfort zone. Yet here he sat, at the rehearsal dinner before the wedding of Augustus Eastaughffe, while the heads of some of the most powerful clans in the world sat at tables around him.
Bailey leaned over and nudged Spencer’s arm. “I feel like I’m about to do something that’s going to ruin the entire night. What if I, like, use the wrong fork or break a piece of china or something?” The worry in Bailey’s voice matched Spencer’s own anxieties. He didn’t belong here. Only Aleron seemed at ease surrounded by all the grandeur of the event.
“I don’t belong here,” Spencer whispered his own fear.
“Same,” Bailey agreed. “But it’s important to Aleron, so we’re gonna do our best, right? Because this is just a weekend, and then we get to go home. Although I plan on figuring out a way to talk Logan into buying some golf carts. We have zero need for them, but come on, our little golf cart conga line was fun.”
“I preferred the trolley,” Spencer confessed. “Although I’m not sure why anyone would have use for one. It made me think of those big double-decker buses you see in the movies.”
“Right, like in New York. Seeing the sights.”
They both jolted when Will appeared between them and knelt. “Okay, so maybe it’s me, but I feel like there’s an epidemic of anxiety happening tonight.”
Bailey nodded. Spencer agreed as well.
“Well, first off, at least neither of you referred to Logan as daddy. Can we all agree, that as far as embarrassments go, I’m in the lead for the worst of the evening?”
“Oh, you totally are,” Bailey agreed.
“Although Logan was acting in a very father-like way with his threat,” Spencer said. “So I’m not sure why it’s so embarrassing.”
“Bless your sheltered heart. You clearly do not have access to the same websites I do.” Will leaned his head against Bailey’s shoulder and appeared to be pouting.
Spencer frowned. “I prefer books. My cabin does not have internet access.”
“Of course it doesn’t,” Will said. “Can I come visit sometime? I might panic after a few days of being cut off from the world, but it might be nice, too.”
“Sure,” Spencer said. “I don’t have enough room for the entire pack, though. It’s only one room and a bathroom.”
“Oh, we could camp maybe. Sleep under the stars or something.”
Bailey nodded. “We’ll talk about it later. For now, get back in your seat. They’re serving the appetizers. We’ve got this.”
Will returned to his seat, and Bailey chatted with Logan and the others.
Aleron leaned into Spencer. “You okay?”
“Nervous,” Spencer confessed.
“Yeah, this is a lot. The wedding tomorrow is going to be off the charts over-the-top. Funny thing is, everyone here just has to take one look at them to realize Augustus has never been happier. Jamie is so happy he’s actually glowing. All the extravagance is a backdrop. Their joy is the actual point of all this.”
Spencer glanced toward the head table, where Augustus and Jamie had their heads together, whispering to each other with wide smiles on their faces. “It is really beautiful to see such love,” Spencer said. He gulped and glanced at Aleron, suddenly remembering Aleron had compared the way they’d looked at each other to the way Augustus and Jamie did.
Aleron met his gaze and did the sexy little smile that caused Spencer’s stomach to flip. “True love is one of the most precious gifts the magic of our world provides. So many of our kind finding their mates gives me hope that the magic of our realm will be healed soon. It’s a precious gift, and one we should cherish every minute.”
Spencer agreed. He really hoped Aleron found his mate one day. As a human, it wasn’t really part of his hopes or expectations. Even though some humans, like Bailey and Scout’s father Sam, mated with their kind, most supernatural creatures found mates within their own community. Besides, Bailey and Sam were both assets to their packs. Spencer didn’t think the same would be true of him.
As a server placed the first course in front of him, Aleron’s hand touched Spencer’s thigh. He got a reassuring squeeze, which reminded him to take a deep breath. He liked Aleron, and the griffin had been nothing but supportive of him. The least he could do was help present Aleron’s pack in the best light to the other members of this community, even if he wouldn’t be part of it in the long-term.
He glanced at Aleron again, and the confident look in his eyes gave Spencer another boost. Funny how he barely knew any of them at all, but he seemed to do things so far out of his comfort zone to make them—and Aleron—happy.
The meal proceeded with no further disasters. He even discerned a few ingredients for the dishes that the others missed, which pleased Bailey to no end. It gave him something to focus on, and when the meal was over, Spencer let out a sigh of relief that drew a chuckle from several of his tablemates.
“That torturous, was it?” Aleron asked.
“It was wonderful,” Logan said sternly. He gave his “alpha look” to the others at the table, and suddenly they were all gushing about the experience.
Aleron’s smirk showed he knew better, but he also had a proud smile on his face. “I need to mingle for a few. You all hang out here, and then I’ll rescue you for our pizza party.”
While they mingled, Henry and Sawyer hurried over to their table with a hulking, dark-haired man behind them. Henry and Sawyer came around the table to Spencer, while the scowling one stopped to speak to Coal.
“I have an idea,” Sawyer said. “I think we need a meeting of the minds. Instead of all of us working on this separately, what if we bring everyone together and see if we can shake something loose?”
Henry nodded. “Between me, you, and Sawyer, that’s a start, but we can get Ozias to come too. Plus, Sawyer’s brother Mikey is mated to a manticore who is actually a historian, and Sawyer thinks he might have some new ideas for us. And we can try to get this superpowered mage guy we know to come, but he hardly ever leaves his compound, and you can’t really go there without an invitation—it’s a whole thing—but we’re going to ask him to come even though we already sent him everything and he didn’t have any answers either.”
“Breathe,” Sawyer said with a laugh as Henry sucked in a breath.
“I’m not an expert,” Spencer said. “I don’t—”
“Pfft. You come to this with a great perspective and a lot of book knowledge that Henry and I don’t have. And believe me, we’ve read a lot of books over the past few years, but I think it’s going to take a group of us from different backgrounds thinking it through and just brainstorming.”
On the one hand, Spencer wanted to say no immediately. Group thinking wasn’t exactly his strength. He went into his mind and followed the paths and thoughts that came to him. It wasn’t something he could do in a group.
Even though Aleron said he was off mingling for a few, he appeared at Spencer’s shoulder and put his hand there. It felt like such a protective gesture, and Spencer honestly couldn’t figure out his thoughts where his mysterious griffin was concerned. Aleron’s thumb rubbed over his back, which drew his attention away from both his thoughts and the two young men kneeling beside him.
“Maybe they can look at some of your dead ends and give you some fresh paths to follow. And I can be there with you, so you don’t have to worry if you zone out,” Aleron suggested.
The thought had him extremely nervous, but if it could help, it would be worth it. Even without magic of his own, Spencer could feel the weight of the problem on their hands.
“Okay. Can we meet at the warehouse, though? We have all the boards up already.” And he’d be much more comfortable in a place he’d already settled into.
