“I love that you belong to me,” he whispered against her ear, his teeth teasing her lobe.
Fen whirled by with Tatijana. Don’t set the grass on fire, you two, he cautioned.
Both Zev and Branislava looked down hastily to make certain there were no flames or sparks to catch the vegetation on fire. The ground was cool to the touch and the foliage remained unscorched. They looked at one another and laughed like children.
“He’s so mean,” Branislava said. “For a minute there I actually fell for it and believed him. Can you imagine if we set the forest on fire with everyone dancing? Especially the prince? Gregori would have a few things to say to us.”
“It would be worth it,” Zev said firmly.
“True, but behave yourself anyway. Maybe we need a couple of the wolves to sit between us,” she suggested, but she didn’t move.
Gregori and Savannah sank down beside them. Gregori’s lifemate looked happy. The moment she was sitting, her two little girls rushed her, flinging their little bodies on top of her. She toppled over backward, dragging them both with her, laughing as they hugged her tightly. Both popped up quickly and hurried over to pet the wolves. Neither touched them until they looked to Gregori for permission, although clearly they were already communicating with them.
Gregori indicated Ivory and Razvan. “Those two are their pack leaders. If you want to play with them, you need to ask politely. And if they say no, don’t pout. If they say yes, thank them immediately.”
Alexandru ran up and flung himself in Gregori’s lap. Instantly Gregori’s arms wrapped around the boy, holding him close. He dropped a kiss on top of Alexandru’s head. “Are you having fun?”
Alexandru nodded and circled Gregori’s neck with one small arm, leaning in to whisper something in his ear. He pointed to the wolves and Gregori’s daughters.
“They’re asking permission of Ivory and Razvan right now,” Gregori assured, keeping an eye on his daughters as they raced through the crowd to the two wolf keepers.
Branislava hid her smile behind her hand. Stern Gregori was certainly far more than the prince’s protector and right-hand man. His normal dangerous mask was completely replaced around the children and lifemate. She imagined Zev just like that with his children—and with her. To others he might appear very frightening, but his family would always know the real man, just as Savannah and her children did. Apparently the prince’s son did as well.
She watched Anya and Anastasia run up and tug on Razvan’s pant leg. He immediately stopped dancing and crouched down to eye level with both girls. Ivory leaned down to hear what was said. Branislava noted that although Gregori appeared to have his attention on Alexandru, his gaze flickered often to his daughters.
Razvan looked up at Ivory. Alexandru held his breath. Razvan said something and Ivory nodded. Both girls clapped their hands, smiling, but sobered as the couple continued to talk to them. They nodded over and over, and then turned. Branislava caught Gregori’s instant frown, but he smiled when they turned back, clearly thanking the couple. She noted that both Razvan and Ivory communicated with their wolves. As Razvan turned back to take Ivory into his arms, two more wolves peeled off his back and loped over to the two sitting patiently on the sidelines with Branislava and Zev.
Alexandru jumped down from Gregori’s lap and hurried over with the girls to pet and love on the wolves.
Branislava noted that Mikhail and Raven danced close to Ivory and Razvan, clearly thanking them for giving the children the opportunity to be with adult wolves. She knew that wolf pups were often brought in for the children to learn how to treat them, but Razvan and Ivory’s wolves were part of a hunting pack and usually stayed apart from the other Carpathians.
Branislava watched the girls approach the wolves. They did so slowly, hands extended toward the animals to allow them to smell. Alexandru wiggled his way between the two girls so that Anastasia moved over. She leaned close and whispered in his ear.
Branislava felt her heart turn over at the sight of the two little heads pressed so close together. Clearly Anastasia was instructing Alexandru on how Ivory and Razvan had told the twins to approach the wolves. The prince’s son was very solemn as he extended his hand to the alpha wolf first. He bowed his head as if showing his respect.
“They’re beautiful,” she told Savannah. “Truly beautiful. When Alexandru walked over and stood between the twins, there was a moment when I thought the ground rippled. Did you feel it, too?”
Savannah exchanged a look with Gregori. She nodded slowly. “Yes. The three are powerful together, even at their age. It’s a little disconcerting.”