Page 81 of Fighting Shadows

“Is she bothering you, Cupcake?” Dominic's tattooed hand slides around my waist protectively, pulling me into his side.

Mrs. Miller sneers, her scarlet lips pulling back in a snarl, “I’m practically her mother-in-law. I’m not a bother.”

“If anyone is going to be her mother-in-law, it’s me, Beatrice,” Mrs. Moore strides over, her tone exasperated.

“Who says? My son has just as much chance at marrying her as yours does.”

Mrs. Moore laughs loudly, gaining the attention of everyone around her. "What's so funny, honey?” Mr. Moore asks, slinging his arm over her shoulder.

“Beatrice believes that she’s going to be Autumn’s mother-in-law,” she tells him, still laughing, earning a scowl from Sebastian's mother.

Atlas’s dad lets out a booming laugh, the others following, “If Autumn is marrying anyone, we all know it’s going to be Atlas. He’s loved her forever.”

I can’t believe they are arguing about this, like who I marry is any of their business. Clearing my throat, I push myself further into Dominic's side and glare at them all, “IfIam marrying anyone, it will be all of them or none of them.”

“So, Vegas?” Dominic gleefully suggests, earning him an elbow to the gut, “Oof, why Cupcake?” he whines.

“No, Vegas! And none of you have asked me, so there’s no need for this discussion.” I move away from Dominic over to Zander’s side, needing someone sane right now.

Dominic opens his mouth, his left knee bending.

“No. Bad.” Noah scolds, coming to my rescue and hauling Dominic away.

“But she said if we asked-” Noah’s hand clamps over his mouth to silence him mid-sentence.

“Bad!” Aidan shouts; a wooden spoon from beside the grill flies across the patio, smacking Dominic in the side of the head.

“Ow!” he whines, his bottom lip pouting, “ I just want to ask my Cupcake to marry me.”

“No!” all the guys shout in unison, glaring at Dominic.

“Come on, Princess. Foods ready,” Zander says, taking my hand in his and leading me over to the two massive tables that have been set up outside, with twenty chairs surrounding them.

Dominic chuckles with glee as he pulls out everyone's specially ordered plastic plates and matching cutlery from the box.

He hands me and the guys ours first, a broad smile taking over my face asThe Lion Kingplate appears in front of me.

Dominic goes around everyone, a skip in his step, placing down each person's plate in front of them.

Dad’s is first, a similar plate to my own. Dad scowls down atThe Lion Kingplate, the scene where Scar kills Mufasa, and the words‘Long live the King’printed on the plate.

“Is this a threat?” Dad asks, looking at Dominic warily.

“Take it however you want,Dad. I don’t mind a bit of patricide,” Dominic chirps, ignoring the glare my dad directs at him for calling him dad.

Mr. and Mrs. Moore smiles lovingly at their plates of Belle and the Beast fromBeauty and the Beastsince they met in the schoollibrary, Dominic teasing them that he had no choice but to give him them.

Brenn and Aidan both receive fitting plates. Dominic’s logic is that they are dating and need semi-matching plates to match their siblings. Brenn receives a Brother Bear plate, and Aidan gets the bear triplets from Brave to match Noah'sBraveplate with Merida on the front.

Chase is bouncing in his seat next to me, his hair somehow grown out into his eyes once again, “What did I get, Dom?! What one did I get?” he shouts excitedly as Dominic comes over with his.

“I got you, Peter Pan,” Dominic announces, showing the plate to Chase, who squeals with joy when he sees the green-rimmed plate with Peter flying over Hook’s ship.

“I’m never going to grow up!” Chase announces happily, staring down at the plate in awe.

“I hope you never do,” I say, wrapping my arm around him in a side hug.

“I won’t, Ma. I’ll be your little boy forever.”

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