Backstage at the Freak Show (Harem of Freaks #7) - Crystal Ash Page 0,12

as if the wind blew something into it.

“You may now exchange rings,” the officiant said when the mic returned to him.

Arjun, the last to hold the ring box, slid a white gold band onto Mel’s left ring finger. Miriam and Jeanie then stepped forward, holding two rings each on velvet pillows. One by one, Mel took a band and slid it onto the ring finger of each of her grooms. When she finished, Arjun and Raz clasped her left hand while Connor and Hunter held her right. “I now pronounce you husbands,” the officiant smirked at the pluralized word, “and wife. Y’all may kiss your bride.”

There was a moment of pause followed by a giggle from Mel. In the next instant her four husbands surrounded her, playfully shoving and fighting each other to land a kiss first as the crowd stood and gave a roaring applause.

5

Miriam

After another hour of pictures, hugs, and happy tears, we were finally able to sit down.

Colt and Gabe wolfed down their food and guzzled drinks until they were talking excitedly with the other guests at our table. Seeing Gabe laugh and smile was a rare treat.

I ate slowly, sipping my champagne while keeping my eyes sweeping across the entire reception hall. We moved from the ceremony in Mel's backyard to a banquet room in the neighboring campus of the FDR Center for Disabled Veterans.

After retiring from carnival work, Connor worked for the Center as a counselor. He moved so flawlessly on the dance floor with his bride, some of the wedding guests would never know he had two prosthetic legs.

The banquet hall had open, slanted ceilings with exposed beams, floor-to-ceiling windows, and was nestled into the surrounding woods. It gave the reception an outdoor private party feel, which seemed to put many of the shifters at ease.

The bride and grooms couldn't stop smiling at each other and kissing. Guests got a kick of tapping their silverware to their glasses for more kisses, while poor Mel tried her best to be fair and kiss each man an equal amount.

The pure love and happiness was palpable in the air, especially when my two wolves finished their conversations and sandwiched me between their firm bodies. Still, no matter how much they made my pulse speed up, or how infectious Mel's smile and happiness was, I couldn't shake the feeling of something being off.

And it had something to do with him, the powerfully built man with odd-colored eyes chatting at a neighboring table.

"You're quiet lately," Gabe murmured in my ear, his fingers skimming along my waist while Colt kissed the shell of my opposite ear.

"I could've said the same to you this morning," I replied icily.

Colt stifled a chuckle while his younger brother pulled away from me in surprise.

"Are you upset about something?"

"Are you, Gabe?" I retorted. I must have drank more champagne than I thought, because I wasn't normally so quick to pick a fight. "I never know if you're going to be sweet to me like this or a stone wall like this morning. I'm kind of sick of it, frankly."

He pulled even further back, brow furrowed in disbelief. "You really want to get into this now?"

"Yeah, why not?" I pulled my napkin off my lap and whipped it onto the table. "It's a beautiful night. Love is in the air. But I already know. For how much you're going to be all over me tonight, you're going to ignore twice as much tomorrow. I feel like a guilty pleasure to you, Gabe. A dirty little secret that everyone already knows about."

"That's not true," he choked out.

"It's what you act like." I shoved my chair back abruptly and rose to my feet. "I'm going to the ladies' room."

"Mir--"

I ignored him while fighting to keep my cool. Thankfully, most guests were fixated on watching the dance floor to notice me. Hunter and Raz slow-danced together while Connor and Arjun swayed with Mel sandwiched between them. Peals of laughter made me look before entering the restroom. The guys had switched places and now Arjun danced with Raz, holding the dragon shifter an arm's length away.

I spent a few minutes in front of the mirror, just taking calming breaths. The last thing I wanted to do was make a scene at Mel's wedding. Gabe was right about one thing, now was not a good time to talk about us. I should've waited until I was more sober and there were less people around.

But deep down I was glad that I