“So, um.
When will I meet the last one? My last fiancé?”
Henry and
Rafe exchanged a glance. Even Jonas had opened his eyes and stood up straighter
again.
“Well,”
Henry said, drawing out the word, “we were thinking about having dinner tonight
all together. Over at the house. The one that will be ours once we are
married.”
Shay could
feel Charlie’s blood boiling from across the room.
Rafe broke
in before he could erupt. “But if that’s too much at once, babe, we can wait.
There’s no r—”
Shay just
shook her head, though, waving their concerns away. “When does the marriage
become official?”
Another
significant glance was exchanged.
But Charlie
was apparently done holding his opinions to himself. “This is insane. There’s
no way we’re letting them force you into any of this—”
“Charlie,”
Shay said, loud enough that it stopped his tirade before it really got legs. “I
want to hear what they have to say.”
This was
going to happen her way or not at
all. The sooner she got them all on an equal playing field, the better.
Charlie
ground his teeth together, a vein standing out in his neck.
Shay took a
deep breath and looked back to Rafe and Henry. “Well?”
Rafe held
out a hand for Henry, like this one’s all
yours. Henry narrowed his eyes in return, but he spoke up, looking back to
Shay. “The wedding usually takes place a few weeks after the lottery. After
we’ve all had a chance to get acquainted with each other and feel comfortable
enough to share a living space.” Henry held up a hand like he was anticipating
resistance. “That doesn’t mean we’re expected to share a bed right away,
though.”
“But it is
expected eventually,” Charlie growled, turning on Henry.
Henry
shrugged reluctantly but Shay spoke over both of them.
“All of
that’s ridiculous anyway.”
That got
everyone’s attention. They all looked her way. Charlie was smiling, while Henry
just looked confused. Shay couldn’t read the expression on Jonas’s coolly
appraising face and Rafe simply looked interested.
“Wha—”
Henry started to ask but Shay spoke over him, impatient to have this part done
with.
“It’s
ridiculous to wait that long. We should get married as soon as possible.
Tonight even.” The moment the words came out of her mouth, she knew it was
exactly what she wanted.
“Shay!”
Charlie exploded. “What the hell are you thinking?”
Shay let
out a long breath and walked over to him. She took both of his hands and looked
up into his worried, green eyes.
“I’m not
your sister.” She felt his flinch, but
it had to be said. “I don’t need you to protect me. I knew what would be
expected of me before we even left Travisville. And I was fine with it. I still
am.”
She was
more than fine with it. Looking between the four of them, she felt the quiver
start deep in her sex. Wrong as it probably was, she looked forward to fucking
these four men. And the fifth who was still a stranger.
You’re my whore. Jason’s words rang in her head. My perfect little fucking whore.
Not
tonight. She squared her jaw. Jason wouldn’t be anywhere nearby as she took
these men into her body. Tonight she’d belong to herself. And she’d take as
much as she gave. More, maybe.
But Charlie
just kept stubbornly shaking his head back and forth. He leaned down and
whispered fervently in her ear. “We don’t have to stay. I’ve seen Audrey. I know she’s alive. I can get you out, get
you somewhere safe, then come back for her and—”
Shay let
out an exasperated huff. Why wouldn’t he listen
to her? Men never listened. They just assumed they knew best and, because
there were more of them, they got to run everything. It was crap.
She spun on
Charlie. “So everything you said last night in the Commander’s office—about how
a woman should be able to choose. Was that just bullshit?”
“What? Of
course not. That’s my whole point. This lottery system gives you no ch—”
“This is what I choose,” she spoke over
him. “Sex isn’t a big deal to me. If it is to you, fine, you don’t have to join
us—but that’s your problem, not mine. I want you there, but if you can’t handle
it, let me know now.”
Charlie’s
mouth dropped open. “Shay…”
But she
just shook her head. “What’s waiting around for three weeks going to get me?
It’ll just drive me crazy. I know what I want and I’m ready. So we do it tonight.”
She looked
over to Jonas. “You’re a preacher, right?”
“Former preacher.” He watched her with a
dark, intense look. She couldn’t tell if it was disapproval or attraction.
She waved a
hand. “Whatever. Can you still do wedding ceremonies?”
He nodded
solemnly.
“Good. Then after dinner, when the last man gets there, I want
you to perform the ceremony. Just something small and intimate. Only the six of
us.”
One after the other, she looked each of them in
the eye. “But we get married tonight.”
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
