FIFTY
Standing in the doorway of his bedroom, John Matthew could feel a seizure threatening to break through.
As his sister continued to speak, and he felt his head nod, he retreated into that place where the epilepsy was birthed, some kind of tangle of electrical impulses threatening to take over everything—except he was done with that shit. Just as the hum started to rise, he cut it off by force of will.
Not. Gonna. Do. It—
Unbelievable to be channeling Dana Carvey from SNL. But there you go.
Plus it worked. Not right away, but gradually, that sizzle and burn started to fade, its lights-out crescendo receding.
“So … will you?” Beth asked, her eyes wide. “It’s, like, in an hour. Lassiter needs that much time to get ready.”
Refocusing, he strung together some semblance of what she’d been talking about, his brain linking the nouns and verbs until …
Oh, my God, he thought.
Man, for once, he was glad he was mute. Because if he’d had to speak, she’d know he was in some strange place emotionally. As it was, his hands were steadier than his voice would have been.
Something about her request was getting to him big-time.
It would be an honor, he signed.
Before he could drop his arms, his sister pitched herself at him, hugging him so tightly she nearly snapped his head off. And as he closed his eyes and held her in return, time stopped—
A vision struck from out of nowhere. One minute, he was standing outside his and Xhex’s bedroom. The next?
All he could see was tears … except, no, it was rain. Rain on the windshield of a car—a car he’d loved. And then he was reaching forward for the ignition and—
Beth pulled back and he watched from a vast distance as her mouth moved and she told him more things. He nodded in the right places, but as soon as she left and he shut the door, all that part of it was gone.
Leaning his forehead on the panels, he had no idea why his eyes were watering up—or why his chest had swollen with such pride and happiness.
“You okay?” Xhex whispered from behind him.
Turning into the darkness, he nodded—and then realized she couldn’t see him.
“Yeah, I know,” she said. “But I have to ask out loud sometimes.”
There was a click as she turned on the lamp by her side of the bed. Blinking in the illumination, he took a swipe of his face, making like he was just, you know, rubbing it or some shit. But she was a symphath—so where he was at was as clear to her as a billboard.
I don’t get it, he signed. Why am I so fucked in the head about her?
His mate’s gunmetal-gray eyes locked on him, and he did nothing to avoid that laser stare: If he wanted more information on all this, she was his best bet.
“Your grid has that shadow,” she murmured, shaking her head. “I’ve never seen one like it. It’s as if—I don’t know, you’re parallel-processing life? Or that…”
What, he demanded.
“There are two of you in there.”
That’s how it feels. He rubbed his already messy hair. Especially around her.
“She is your sister.”
But there was more than that to it, he thought. Not romantically or anything. Still …
“Come on,” Xhex said as she got out of bed. “We need to get ready. Goddamn brilliant idea of hers.”
As his female walked up to him naked, her tight, muscular body had a way of clarifying things—suddenly he had sex on the brain and what a relief. At least that he could do something about.
“Let me help you in the shower,” she said, reaching in between the folds of his robe and finding his hard cock. “You should be very, very clean for this.”
John was more than happy to be led by the dumb handle into the bathroom, and when they emerged forty-five minutes later, he was more relaxed—and clean as a motherfucking whistle.
“Yes, the tux,” his female said as he stood in front of their closet, staring at the stuff hanging from the rods. “No question.”
Nodding, he went for the starched white shirt, popping it off its hanger and pulling it onto his shoulders. Xhex had to do up the buttons—for some reason his hands were jumping all around now like he was nervous. He got the slacks on just fine, though—not the suspenders, however. She had to take care of them. And forget about the cummerbund and the bow tie—he just stood there like a dairy cow as she made quick work of it all.
The nice thing was that he got to stare at her.
“Now the jacket.” She held the thing out for him like she was the man, guiding the fine wool into place on his back, then turning him around and smoothing the lapels. “Damn…”
What? he signed.
Her stare was gleaming as she pulled a head-to-toe on him. “You make that look hot as hell.”
John puffed his pecs, going all robin-breasted. Hard not to when your female was eating you up with her eyes like that.
And you’re still naked. He smiled. Your birthday suit is my favorite.
Except she wasn’t completely unadorned. Reaching out, he touched the necklace he’d given to her, the one with the big square-cut diamond in the center.
Xhex wasn’t normally down for the sap, but she covered his hand with hers and brought his palm to her mouth. Kissing it, she murmured, “I know. I love you, too. Forever.”
He leaned into her and brushed his lips against hers.
A couple minutes later they headed out, with her dressed in slacks and a black silk shirt. Which, next to the aforementioned birthday suit, was a pretty fine little outfit. Especially because for once, she’d put her feet into a spectacular pair of fuck-me pumps.
Something he planned to follow through on whenever they could catch a minute alone.
Other people were coming out of bedroom doors: Blay and Qhuinn, also in suits. Z and Bella, with little Nalla dressed in yet another pink confection of silk and tulle … which made her pretty much the most adorable thing he’d seen.
And he didn’t even like kids.
As the group walked down the hall of statues and hit the stairs, there wasn’t a lot of talking. Hadn’t been since Rehv had put that proclamation on the dining room table. Wasn’t going to be for a while.
This was going to help, however.
Down below in the foyer, still more from the household had gathered, but not Wrath or Beth yet, and John joined the crowd—which again was very quiet. Hell, even Rhage put the kibosh on his usual antics—although with that mouthy fallen angel yet to show—
“What the fuck is that?”
At the sound of V’s voice, John turned with the rest of them … and when he saw what was up at the head of the grand staircase, he blinked once. Twice. Twelve times.