AVA"Is this really necessary?" I grumbled, stumbling over what felt like the hundredth root as Oscar's hands remained firmly clasped over my eyes. The midnight air bit at my cheeks, my breath forming small clouds that I couldn't even see."Stop whining," Theo said, his voice warm with amusement as he guided me from the left. "We're almost there.""It's freezing, I'm tired, and these shoes were not made for hiking through the woods at midnight," I complained, though there wasn't much heat behind my words. Curiosity had overridden my irritation about twenty minutes ago."Just a few more steps," Noah promised from somewhere ahead."You said that ten minutes ago," I muttered, but allowed myself to be led forward.
AVAHours later, we finally emerged from our suite, dressed in our finest. I smoothed the crimson velvet of my gown, the gold embroidery catching the light as we descended the grand staircase. My Kings flanked me in their matching formal wear—black suits with crimson accents that proclaimed our unity to all who saw us."Ready?" Noah murmured, offering his arm.I nodded, taking a deep breath as we approached the massive double doors of the grand dining hall. The guards stationed outside straightened, then swung the doors open wide.The scene that greeted us stole my breath. Every table in the vast hall was filled, the space transformed by evergreen garlands and twinkling lights. Though many festival visitors had returned to their own territories for Christmas Day, a
AVAThe first light of Christmas morning filtered through the curtains, casting a golden glow across our bedroom. I blinked awake, momentarily disoriented by the tangle of limbs surrounding me. Last night's Christmas Eve celebrations had ended with the five of us curled together in our new matching crimson pajamas, reading winter tales until we'd drifted to sleep.Christmas. The realization jolted me fully awake, excitement bubbling up inside me like champagne. I carefully extricated myself from between Noah and Theo, my heart racing with anticipation."Wake up!" I bounced on the mattress, jostling my four sleeping Kings. "It's Christmas!"Groans answered me as they stirred reluctantly."Come on, get your asses up!" I tugg
AVAI woke to whispered voices and the unmistakable feeling of being watched. Sunlight streamed through a gap in the curtains, painting a golden stripe across our massive bed. As consciousness fully returned, I realized I was thoroughly tangled in a knot of warm male bodies—Callum's arm heavy across my waist, Oscar's legs intertwined with mine, Noah pressed against my back, and Theo's hand somehow laced with mine despite being on the far side of Callum.And they were all very much awake. And very obviously up to something.I cracked one eye open to find four pairs of eyes staring at me with barely contained excitement."What are you lot going on about at this time in the morning?" I grumbled, voice still rough with sleep. I made a half-hearted attempt to burrow back
AVAI woke with the dawn, feeling more refreshed than I had any right to after dancing until the early hours. But today was special—the part of the festival I'd been looking forward to most."Everyone up," I called, nudging my sleeping Kings. "The Kingdom Run starts in an hour."Noah groaned, burying his face deeper into his pillow. "Five more minutes.""Not a chance," I said, yanking the covers off all four of them. "This was my idea and you're not making me look bad by being late."Theo sat up first, ever the dutiful one. "Coffee first," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.Within thirty minutes, we were dressed in simple robes, easy to remove before shifting. I could bare
AVAI stood at the window of our suite, watching the sun start to dip below the horizon. Below, the courtyard glowed with thousands of twinkling lights strung between towering evergreens. The moment I'd been planning for what felt like forever had finally arrived."Ready, love?" Noah's voice was warm against my ear as his hands settled on my waist.I turned to face him, heart skipping at the sight of him in his tailored suit. The white gold tie clip gleamed against the black fabric, the tiny ruby at its centre catching the light."Almost can't believe it's here," I admitted, smoothing my hands over the crimson fabric of my gown. "The nineteenth of December. Our first Christmas festival."Noah's blue eyes softened as he rea