Chapter 127

“Come on,” Luca murmurs, smiling down at me, and when I open my eyes I can’t help but smile back. “Let’s get inside – they’re probably eating Daphne alive in there.”

“Oh, no they’re not,” I say, dismissive of the idea and unwilling to go inside just yet, relishing this moment alone with my mate. I leaning closer against him for a warm moment, enjoying the hard muscle of his chest against my cheek, knowing that Ben and Rafe and Jesse are being perfect gentlemen inside. Or, at least, Ben and Rafe are, which should be enough.

But Luca gives me a nudge, and when I look up at him, he wrinkles his nose at me. “Come on, gorgeous, let’s get you some of that champagne.”

“You trying to get me drunk, mate?” I murmur, smiling.

“Oh, absolutely,” he growls, dipping his face closer to mine for a quick kiss. And I laugh, but look over my shoulder, newly eager to get inside and see what my parents have set up for us. “Come on,” I say, grabbing Luca’s hand and turning to tug him inside, wanting him to see it. Because the train car – it really is something special.

As we duck through the door and I place my backpack on the little luggage rack next to the door, I do my best to tuck my anxieties about the missing Jackson away, not wanting Luca to feel any of it. Because I am excited to be here with him, and with the rest of my family and friends, and none of them deserve to have their excitement spoiled by me worrying about where my second mate is.

But I have to admit – it’s very difficult. Because where is he? Did he seriously choose two weeks of solitude over winter break with me, just because he’s overwhelmed?

I put a determined smile on my face, though, shoving these worries away as wave Luca into the beautiful train car, enjoying the way that his mouth hangs open as he turns around, taking in the gorgeous woodwork, the red leather and velvet seating all around. But even as I smile at Luca, my eyes catch on Rafe, who stands by the window with his arms crossed, watching me with a raised eyebrow.

Rafe and I don’t have a mind-link, obviously, but I can read the question all over his face. He’s intuiting that I have definitely noticed Jackson’s absence, as he has, and he’s asking me silently if I’m okay.

I give my brother a short nod and a shrug when Luca’s back is turned because what am I supposed to do about it now? Go to pieces, and ruin everyone’s good mood? Rafe holds my gaze for a long moment and then nods once, steady. And in that, I know that he’s telling me that he hears me, and he understands, and that whatever he needs me to do – he’ll do it.

And I beam at him, loving my brother anew for his secret, steady empathy, for his willingness to already be there.

Bolstered, I turn my attention back to the room, taking a further step in and deciding to dedicate myself to this moment, and to turn my mind to Jackson when I can. Because there’s already enough here drawing on my attention.

“This is amazing…” Luca murmurs, his eyes wide as he finishes looking around at the long row of windows on both sides of the car that allow us to look out over the countryside, the rich warmth of the wood-paneled walls. A little overwhelmed, he sinks onto a plush velvet seat by the window, leaning his arm against the adjoining table and staring over at the bar at the far side of the room where – of course – Jesse is already pouring drinks, Daphne at his side being helpful and setting out the glasses.

Behind Jesse is a set of glass-lined refrigerators and cabinets that display an insane amount of delicious food – far too much for the six of us to eat and drink on the journey to the Capital. But mom’s hand is all over it, and I can see that it’s her gift to us, her hearty congratulations. She’s stocked all of our favorites, after all – all the sandwiches we like, all the treats, all the things we like to drink.

Only wine and beer, I note with a grin, because she wants us to show up to the capital sober enough to walk. But, she also wants us to have a good time.

“Do you like it?” I ask, stepping closer to Luca with a smile and running a hand through his hair, unable to keep from touch it.

“Um, obviously,” he says with a laugh, grinning up at me and slipping a hand around my hips. “Do you seriously travel like this all the time?”

“This,” I say on a sigh, trying to sound as snobby as possible and make him laugh. “Or the private jet, or the helicopter, if we’re only going short distances – but the bar cart on the helicopter is just terrible –“

Luca bursts into laughter, as I hoped he would, and pulls me into his lap, wanting me close. I press a kiss to his cheek, nudging him with my nose a little, so incredibly happy to be here. “Do you mind if I talk to Daphne?” I whisper, my eyes darting over to her behind the bar where Jesse is finishing up pouring out champagne. “I want to make sure that she knows that we’re okay –“

“Of course, Gorgeous,” Luca says, frowning at me a little, like he’s ashamed that I felt like I had to ask. He loosens his arm around me. “You don’t have to –“

“I know,” I say, interrupting and looking at him quite seriously. “But Luca, it’s not like we haven’t had our own challenges these past two days too –“

He smiles at me, at the understatement of it all, and I can’t help the matching smile that takes my lips.

“I just don’t want you to think you’re not important to me,” I murmur, pressing a warm hand to his cheek and sending a great deal of warmth down our bond. “Or that she’s more important, or –“

“I get it,” Luca says, nodding to me and pressing a kiss to my cheek. “We’re good, Ari – go check in with your friend! Friendships are important!”

A great deal of love swells in me at Luca’s support and I hug him tight for a moment, so grateful for him. Because there’s something in me that knows that he came off as the selfish one in this whole thing – that he was the one to first say he wanted me to give up Jackson, that he wanted a timeline on me making my choice between them.

But really, overall, Luca has been so supportive of me at every turn. Hell, he was eager to have me even when he thought it meant changing his entire understanding of his sexuality. He just…loves me, and wants me to himself like everyone else with a mate does, and he isn’t shy about voicing that. But when it comes to what I want, and what I need?

At every turn, Luca has been on my side, even if it takes him a moment to get there.

I’m just so, so lucky to have him in my life.

“Love you,” Luca murmurs, holding me tight for a second before he lets me go. And I beam at him, pressing another kiss to his mouth before I stand up and move over to the bar. Ben – angel that he is – takes two glasses of champagne off the little tray next to Daphne and carries them over to Luca, wanting to keep him company.

“Hi,” I say, almost skipping to Daphne’s side, where she hands me a glass of champagne and gives me a shy smile.

“Hi,” she replies, laughing a little.

“Be careful with that,” Jesse calls to me with a studied frown, peering over Daphne’s shoulder. “I poured this champagne, and checked to ensure the bottle was sealed before I opened it, but Daphne may have slipped something in that when my back was turned –“

Daphne groans, covering her face with her hand and shaking her head, even as she laughs a little at Jesse’s teasing.

“You could wake up on the floor of this train twenty-four hours from now, or absolutely anywhere else, completely under Daphne’s control –“ Jesse continues in mock-seriousness, grinning at me now that Daphne can’t see.

“Will I never live this down!?” Daphne calls, her face still buried in her hand.

“Oh, when you’ve given him ammunition like this?” Rafe asks, laughing and stepping close, taking his own champagne glass from Jesse. “Daphne, this is enough for years worth of teasing. He may spin this one out until the end of time.”

Daphne sighs, dropping her hand to look up at the Prince and the Duke with a little good-humored exhaustion.

“Greatest midwinter gift I’ve ever been given,” Jesse says, grinning at her and lifting his glass of champagne in her direction. “I’m eternally grateful, Daph.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she murmurs, flapping a hand at him, “saves me from having to buy you a sweater, doesn’t it?” We all laugh as the train chugs along, our little car rocking softly from side to side as we go.

“To Daphne,” Rafe calls out, raising his champagne glass. We all do the same, everyone smiling – even Daphne, who blushes a warm and pleased red. “Who has knocked us all out with her poison, yes, but especially with her warm presence and rich company. We’re so pleased you’re here, Daph.”

And as I raise my glass to my friend, I don’t miss the way that Rafe smiles at her.

It’s a smile that I’m not sure I’ve seen before on Rafe, a very…rare sort of smile. That he perhaps saves for a very rare sort of girl.

Anxious, my eyes dart to Ben, who I see…

Well, I see that Ben doesn’t miss it either.

And that his own smile looks more forced than it usually does.