Lover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood 8)

"It's okay," she told John, who was obviously freaking about having upset the female. "Wait--don't look over there, you can't see my gown. "

John froze with his eyes halfway across the room. Gown, he mouthed.

Yeah, hard to know what the biggest shocker was: her mother showing up for the first time in three hundred years. Or the fact that, yes, it appeared she was jacking her ass into a mating gown.

You never knew where life was going to take you, did you.

And sometimes, the surprises were not bad, not bad at all.

One. . . John.

Two. . . a gown.

Three. . . her mother.

Tonight was a good night, a very good night, indeed.

"Here, we'll go down the hall," she said, heading over and shutting the dress in. "I've got to get dressed. . . don't want to be late for my very own mating. "

As she hustled the wardrobe out of the room, turning down help from the males, she asked No'One and Beth to come with her. After all, when it came to her mother and John's sister, they all needed to start getting acquainted. . . and what better way than to get her well and properly dressed for her future hellren.

For her male of worth.

For the love of her life.

Tonight was actually the very best thing that had ever happened to her.

Chapter Seventy-four

John Matthew was forced to stand aside and watch his shellan heft a trunk the size of a Chevy off down the hall with his sister. . . and her mother?

He was thrilled about the latter two females; not so much about the former deadweight. But he knew better than to play he-man with the muscles. If Xhex needed his help, she'd ask for it.

And what do you know, she was strong enough to do it all by herself.

Right, for reals. . . that was hot--he wasn't going to lie.

"Have you got your duds?" Tohrment asked gruffly.

As John glanced over at the guy, it was clear the Brother had just been rocked to his core. He was absolutely reeling in his shitkickers. Except, given the hard line of his brow and his jaw, he was not going to go into it.

Ah. . . I don't know what I'm wearing, John signed. A tuxedo?

"No, I'll go get you what you need. Hold on. "

Bam--the door was shut.

John looked around his room, and when he saw the closet, that clown smile he seemed to wear all the time came back. Walking over, he put the little red bag he'd gotten at the jewelers on the bureau and paused to admire the display of their coupledom.

Oh, man. . . she'd moved in. She'd really moved in. Her clothes and his were hanging together.

Reaching out, he touched her leathers and her muscle shirts and her holsters. . . and felt his flush of pride and happiness dim a little. She was going to fight in the war. Side by side with him and the Brothers. The Old Laws might have expressly forbidden it, but the Blind King had already proven he wasn't a slave to the ancient ways--and Xhex had already proven she could more than handle herself in the field.

John headed for the bed and sat down. He wasn't sure how he felt about her out in the night with the slayers.

Okay. Fuck that. He knew exactly how he felt about it.

Wasn't going to tell her not to go out there, though. She was who she was and he was mating with a fighter.