The tiger shifter grinned playfully. “I know everything, remember?”
A genuine smile broke over Anthony’s face, cracking his hardened exterior. Tina smiled as her men laughed, and she sat back to simply enjoy their company as they bantered. She felt so at ease when they spent time as a group. So happy. To be with them like this, all together, simply felt right.
Killian set his hands behind his head and reclined in his chair, chuckling. “You know everything, huh, Zane? I guess you’ve figured out where the missing dignitaries are and haven’t told the rest of us?”
Draven rolled his eyes even as he reached for the final slice of the pot pie. “Do you ever stop working?”
“Not really, no.” The eagle prince shrugged.
Zane stabbed at a few final bites on his plate. “I don’t have a ton of leads yet but thank you for sharing your notes with me. They helped immensely.”
Killian rubbed his neck. “You’re welcome, but don’t tell anyone where you got them. My father would lose his mind.”
Zane smiled and shook his head. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
“I declare this pot pie property of Olympus!” Flynn interrupted, lifting the nearly-empty pie tin out of Draven’s reach.
A rush of air shot past Tina as Anthony’s form blurred. Almost too quick to see thanks to his super speed, he bolted around the table, grabbed the pie tin, and set it in front of her. She laughed, shaking her head as Flynn groaned.
The demigod clicked his tongue at Anthony in mock disappointment. “Show off.”
Zane nodded at the pie and tapped on his plate. “I’m still a bit hungry if you want to send that last slice over here, Tina.”
Tina laughed. “Are you grown men really going to make me split this pie five ways?”
A devilish grin spread across Draven’s face, and his gaze lingered on her plunging neckline. “Good idea. After all, we rather like sharing.”
Heat rose into Tina’s cheeks even as she and Draven laughed.
“Ass.” Killian chucked a roll at the dragon prince’s face, and the bread bounced off his temple.
“What? She likes it!” Draven leaned back in his chair and nodded toward her.
“I do,” she confessed, her cheeks hurting from smiling so much at her adorable idiots. Even though she wasn’t hungry, she took a bite of the pie just to taunt them.
“Our woman is cruel,” Draven said, clutching at his heart with theatrical exaggeration.
“I guess someone needs to put us in our place.” Flynn chuckled, a warm and happy smile on his face even as she ate his food.
With a chuckle, Zane pushed his plate away and leaned on the table. “I’ll make you one of your own next time. I can’t imagine what it costs to feed you on a regular basis. You eat, what, three cows a day?”
As they all laughed, Tina grinned and surveyed the five princes who had all done nothing but scream at each other the first time they had assembled in her throne room. Her thoughts drifted to the first group dinner they had tried, the disaster it had been, and the joyful time this dinner had been. It was almost impossible to recognize them as those same people they had been then when they enjoyed each other’s company like this.
They had become like brothers. Regardless of whatever else happened, Tina was merely grateful she had played a part in uniting them.
Later that night, Tina lay in her bed with Anthony in her arms. She ran her fingers gently through his hair, unable to sleep.
He tossed and turned, fighting some nightmare as he mumbled under his breath. His eyes fluttered but didn’t open. Tenderly, she ran her fingertip along his jaw. He stilled at her touch, shoulders relaxing as his breathing returned to normal.
She smiled, but her joy didn’t last. Her mind drifted to her pending choice, now only a couple weeks away. When she was in Epara, it was as though time didn’t matter, as though the world outside didn’t exist. Here, she could just be happy.
It wouldn’t last. Soon, the kings would return and demand an answer from her.
Wracked with worry, Tina stood and slipped a thin robe over her bare shoulders as she walked to the window.
If she were honest with herself, she loved them all. Neither she nor Damara could possibly choose just one. Over these last few months, each of them had stolen a piece of her heart. Now that she had them all, now that they were working together, she couldn’t imagine life without even one of them.
Even if she didn’t love them, picking one would bring her power over to one side of a brewing war, and everyone would suffer for it.
Tears in her eyes and crushed by the weight of the pending choice, Tina squeezed her eyes shut with frustration. “What should I do, Damara?”
Deep within her core, a compassionate sense of knowing swirled to life. It told her everything would be okay, that there was one clear answer which would solve everything. The kings would fight it. The world wouldn’t understand it. But if she trusted herself and the goddess within her …
As an earth-shattering realization dawned on her, Tina’s body began to hum and glow. She knew what she had to do, but she wasn’t sure if her men would go along with it.
54
Tina
The next day, Tina gathered the princes in her throne room. She stood on the platform with her chair behind her, butterflies in her stomach. Wringing her hands with anxiety and fear, she couldn’t even bring herself to sit in her regal chair.
Her five men stood below her platform, arms crossed as they studied her. She scanned each of them, wondering what they would say when she delivered her choice.
Her eyes moved between them, first to Anthony, her powerful wolf who made her feel safe, untouchable, and protected. Then to Flynn, the natural leader who made her feel strong and powerful. Draven, her sexy dragon who made her feel happy and carefree. Killian, her white knight who soothed her soul. And Zane, her brilliant strategist that made her feel smart and capable.
After today, she might never see these men again. It all depended on how they responded to her decision.
Tina took a shaky breath to steady her nerves, but it didn’t work. She plowed ahead anyway. “As you all know, we have less than two weeks left in the contest. I brought you here today because I’ve made my choice.”
Zane’s eyes widened, and his mouth opened in surprise. “Tina, you still have time. There’s no rush.”
A knot formed in her throat, and she nodded. “I know, but there’s no point in dragging this out.”
Almost in unison, each of the princes stood a little taller as they prepared themselves. Time and time again, each of them had told her they wanted her more than anything. Each of them wanted her to choose him. At this point, they each feared being sent home.
She closed her eyes. “I choose you all.”
Tina expected anger, protests, maybe yelling. She had expected them to scream at her, to say absolutely not, to insist none of them could share.
Instead, she heard a collective sigh of relief.
She opened her eyes to find them smiling. Killian even laughed, slumping over with relief as he set his hands on his knees. “You really had us worried there.”
Tina couldn’t allow herself a sigh of relief just yet. “You’re not mad?”
Anthony shook his head. “None of us can go on without you, Tina. We’re hopelessly hooked.”
Draven grinned. “We don’t know what kind of magic you and Damara have, but it’s strong enough to chip away at our jealous sides.”
Flynn shrugged. “Besides, I’ve grown a bit fond of these idiots.”
The princes chuckled, and Tina finally allowed herself to join in. She jumped off the platform and pulled them all into a giant hug, clinging tightly to them as though she might lose all five of them any second. “Oh, thank goodness.”
“Our fathers won’t be as excited,” Zane said.
Draven groaned. “Can you let us just be happy for even a second before you get all depressing?”