Page 155 of Twist of Fate

Luke stopped beside Connal and looked through the open doors.

“This is small?”

“The neighboring courts were not invited.”

“That wasn’t an answer.”

“It is likely the answer Cosmo would give.”

Amusement moved through their completed bond, warm and unmistakably Luke. Connal still found himself pausing whenever that connection opened between them. Before the claim, he had known Luke by scent, touch, and the relentless pull that had led him across two realms. Now Luke’s presence lived inside him, steady enough that even a crowded hall could not obscure it.

Connal tightened his fingers around Luke’s.

Luke glanced at him, his expression softening. “You okay?”

“I have my mate beside me.”

“That also wasn’t an answer.”

“I have learned from Cosmo.”

Luke laughed, and pleasure flowed through the bond with the sound.

One person remained conspicuously absent.

“Where is Gomez?” Connal asked.

Luke’s amusement shifted toward suspicion. “He said the pixies needed him.”

The doors behind them opened before Connal could explain why that should concern them.

Cosmo entered first, his horns wrapped in flowering vines and gold ribbon. He walked with the satisfied confidence of someone presenting the final result of a particularly successful campaign.

Gomez followed him.

For once, Connal understood why humans sometimes lost the ability to speak.

Gomez wore a fitted coat in a shade of blue bright enough to rival Avaneel’s wings. Gold embroidery covered the sleeves and climbed across one shoulder before spilling down a short cape fastened with an enormous jeweled clasp. Flowers and narrow ribbons had been woven through his hair, and a delicate circlet rested across his forehead. A cluster of pixies surrounded him, making adjustments as he walked.

Gomez spread his arms. “Well?”

Luke stared at him. “What happened?”

“I am your best man.”

Connal looked at Luke. “Why is he the best?”

“It’s a human wedding tradition,” Luke explained. “The best man supports one of the people getting married.”

“We are not getting married,” Connal said.

“I know.”

Gomez pointed at him. “You’re getting mated, which is basically the fae version, and I am Luke’s best friend. Therefore, best man.”

Cosmo nodded solemnly. “He explained it at length.”

“You encouraged him,” Luke said.