Page 61 of Courting the Tiger King

“What about for Neah?” Wren asked, pacing up and down in the small space between the chairs and the balcony in his chambers.

“Sorry, there’s not much I can do there. Shifters have their own innate magic to contend with, different from that of a human or witch. One of these charms would be next to useless.”Sonnet glanced at Neah, her face apologetic, but Neah just shrugged. She could take care of herself. It was everyone else that she worried about. “Maybe if I’d had more time…”

Wren and Neah shared a look before shaking their heads.

They’d decided not to waste any time in performing the ceremony—both to assuage Wren’s curse and to secure the crown, deterring any further attacks. Or that was the hope, anyway.

Sonnet sighed. “As you wish.”

“It doesn’t give us much time to plan your party,” Gabe mumbled and Skye nodded in agreement. Even Zennon looked put out.

“You have a whole week,” Neah said, rolling her eyes. “Why don’t we just do something all together? Right now?”

Gabriel looked at her like she’d suggested an orgy. “And do what?Chat?”

“As opposed to…?” Sonnet raised one eyebrow and Gabe immediately sobered, murmuring something that sounded likedancing. “By all means, fetch an instrument. Let’s hear it, Gabriel. If you’re any good, maybe we’lldance.”

Perhaps this had been a bad idea.

“How about poker?” Zen suggested and Neah clapped. “Strip poker,” she added and Neah grimaced. “Or maybe I could send for Romi?”

“Is she to be our entertainment?” Skye said dryly and Neah grinned.

“No,” Zennon huffed. “You two still need your ceremonial wear, right? Well, why don’t we get Romi to come and dress you while we all get shockingly drunk?”

Considering hums sounded before Wren looked around at them all. “I hate to say it, but I think that’s the best idea so far.”

One hour and alotof wine later, Romi arrived with attendants from the palace carrying swaths of material and pins.

She’d smiled at Zennon, who’d practically melted into a puddle at the sight, and said, “You can be my assistant.” If byassistantRomi just wanted someone who would stand there and marvel at her while she worked, then Zen was doing a fantastic job.

Wren went first and Neah shuffled up on the couch by the hearth that they’d moved to in order for Romi to have space to work. Comfortable front and centre, she snagged the honey wine from Skye’s hand mid-pour and cackled when some escaped the bottle to trickle down his chin and over his shirt.

“Oops,” she said, batting her eyes innocently as she swallowed her own mouthful.

“You’re lucky you’re going to be queen,” he said, frowning, but she saw the good humoured twinkle in his bright eyes. “I’ve hexed people for less.”

“That’s because you’re an arsehole,” Sonnet said cheerfully from her place on Neah’s other side, taking the bottle for herself and raising it to the room before taking a swig. “You’d think royalty could spring for glasses,” she muttered after swallowing the fizzy concoction.

Romi tutted from the center of the room as she circled Wren, a professional eye running over his form. Neah might have been jealous if there had been any heat in the look whatsoever, but, as it stood, the buxom redhead eyed Wren as if he were nothing more than a design mannequin.

Her talent, however, was unmistakable. She’d been pinning pieces of fabric together, making a loose silhouette, and alreadyNeah could see the vision. The tail coats were long, the fabric a deep forest green that brought out the gold in Wren’s eyes and the warmth in his dark hair, and it wasn’t until Gabriel cleared his throat awkwardly that she realised she’d been staring a littletoohard. Wren smirked as he caught her scent and Neah rolled her eyes and grabbed another bottle of wine to hide her smile.

Her mate looked good, it wasn’t her fault that she couldn’t hide her body’s response to him. Not from shifters with their keen sense of smell, anyway.

Skye opened his mouth, likely to snap back at Sonnet, and Neah held up a hand.

“Please. Just fuck already.”

Skye’s eyes bugged out and Sonnet choked on her sip of wine. “That’s not?—”

“He wishes,” Sonnet rasped, still coughing.

“You wear denial well,” Zen said, looking away from Romi for two seconds to snort at Sonnet.

“Oh yeah? You really want to wade into a discussion aboutromance?”Sonnet glared before smirking at Romi. “Don’t mind us, Romi. We’re just talking about Zennon’s big crush on a friend of ours.”

If looks could kill, Sonnet would be on her way to the Goddess from all the daggers in Zen’s glare.

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