Page 17 of Wedding the Werepanther

The pub owner grunts a hello and slams a tankard of ale onto the bar top beside me. As an orc, Thorvinn stands a good seven feet, all of it heavy muscle covered in deep-green skin and topped with long, straight black hair. He wears the orc clothing of Faerie, a dark-blue linen tunic and brown leather pants. The only thing missing is his swordbelt, which he keeps in the backroom. A pair of tusks bracket his permanent frown.

I grin anyway and salute him with my drink before taking a healthy swig. No one makes better beer than an orc, and the pleasantly hoppy brew is the perfect summer ale. My stomach growls, and I tear open my pizza box. Written inside the lid is: pesto with shrimp and feta. Are the shrimp the pink and white things? I shrug. It’s not like I’m a picky eater, and it smells amazing.

The first bite is nirvana, and I moan as I immediately take a second, fangs ripping through the yeasty bread. This is yet another thing my people missed out on by being unable to shift: the wider food choices available to our fae forms. So many new flavors and textures! I finish off two pieces in record time.The sharp cheese pairs well with the basil, and the shrimp are delicious. “You have to try this.” I hold out one of the pink curls.

“What is it?” The dragon’s ice-blue eyes narrow as he tries to focus on it.

“It’s called a shrimp.”

“That tells me nothing. Whatisit?”

“It’s damned delicious, is what it is.” I pop it into my mouth and make a production of chewing, smacking my lips together.

“It’s seafood,” Rune’s deep voice says as he takes the stool on my other side. “Autumn taught me how to make a pasta dish with them the other day.”

“My friend.” I clap the werewolf on the shoulder. Tall and muscular, he has tan skin and long brown hair in his fae form. We met when we fought side by side in Faerie, and after Naomi, he’s my oldest friend on Earth. “I wasn’t sure you’d make it.”

“Of course he made it,” Luke growls as he takes the stool beside Jace. The grumpy dragon has auburn hair that coordinates with his red wings and tail. “What else is he going to do while his woman has her witchy meeting?”

“Your woman is at it too,” Rune grumbles. “And I don’t think we’re supposed to call them that.”

“They’reallat the meeting,” Severin says, taking a tankard from Thorvinn with a nod of thanks. With skin as pale as mine and inky black hair, he almost resembles one of his elven ancestors, but the dark tattoos swirling across his skin mark him as shadow fae. King of a desolate realm, he brought his palace and people to Earth to make a home here. “Including mywife.” He says the last word with relish. “Which is what you can safely refer to your partners as once you marry.”

“Autumn wants a fall wedding.” Rune takes a hearty drink.

“We were going to wait until Valentine’s Day, but with a babe on the way, we’ll have it as soon as Skye’s aunts finalize their plans,” Luke says.

“I’ve got you both beat.” I polish off another bite of pizza and smirk. “I got married yesterday.”

“Like hell you did,” the werewolf growls.

“I didn’t realize you were successfully courting anyone, let alone that you’d gone through an appropriate engagement period,” Jace says.

“Engagement, schmagement, as the humans say.” I wave away his words. At his confused expression, I add, “Things aren’t so formal these days. You need to watch more TV to get up to speed.”

“I’d rather read.”

“TV’s faster.”

“Books will always be superior,” Luke grumbles. “Yet he’s not wrong. Television offers a quicker understanding of human culture.”

“Wait.” I press a hand to my chest in feigned shock. “Do my ears deceive me, or did you just say I’m right?”

The red dragon glares.

“I should get a T-shirt made.” I laugh. “One of those funny ones such as my wife wears. It could say:Don’t argue with me. Luke says I’m right.”

“Aboutonething.” He holds up a single claw-tipped finger. “One.”

“Come on. Tell us about the marriage. How’d you pull it off?” Rune digs his elbow into my side. “I assume it’s Kayla. You’ve been sniffing after her long enough.”

“Who else would it be? Of course it’s Kayla.” I grin, cheeks stretched wide. I tell them all about how I chased away all the other potential roommates to ensure she chose me.

Rune growls. “You went too far, cat.”

I roll my eyes. Cu sith, historically the King’s Guard, are always so damned noble.Toonoble, if you ask me. They have no feel for the game of courtship.

“It worked out for the best, hound,” I reply, as we fall back into our older patterns of bickering. “The house is sentient and magical. No regular human could have lived there.”