Swallowing audibly, Victor glanced around, and his makeup streaked as he continued to quietly cry. When his attention returned to Chander, his gaze bored into the Arch Lich’s. “I have a large family, but all my life I never belonged. It wasn’t until you guys hired me that I truly was able to be myself.”
“Then you should drink the potion,” Cassius demanded.
“Yeah, Victor, who is going to take care of us if you don’t?” Eduard asked.
“It would be awful if we no longer shared the kitchen,” Brynnius tacked on.
Arvandus swiped his palm over his face as he held Albrecht close with one strong arm. “And no one else can make Chand drink his juice.”
“Just fuck juice all the way around,” Chander spat, trying to attempt some levity in the weightiness of the room. He squeezed Victor’s hands, which he still held. “We want you to make the best decision for you. And if you need time, that’s okay.”
Victor sniffed loudly. When he raised his head, he let out a little scream, and the grin that followed was full of sass as he slapped a hand on his hip. “Girl, I definitely don’t need even a minute! I have only one question.”
“What’s that?”
“Can I add Daray to my name?”
Chander yanked him into his arms. “Of course you can. It would be my honor.”
“Be right back,” Renny yelled. A second later he teleported out to get the potion.
“I just want to warn you—it doesn’t taste very good, Victor,” Idris said quietly as he rubbed Victor’s shoulder.
Aleksander snorted. “That’s putting it mildly. It’s disgusting. It tastes like bilge water. Drink it fast, then wash it down with something.”
“I brought a glass of wine,” Dra’Kaedan said.
“It’s also going to make you want to piss yourself,” Dravyn offered. “No one tells you that good shit until after you’ve swallowed it.”
Victor pulled away and bussed Chander’s cheek. “Am I really going to pee myself?”
“No, it’ll just feel like that,” Aleksander responded.
Renny returned with a glass of indigo and handed it to Victor with a smile. “Here you go.”
“Thank you,” Victor offered solemnly. “Thanks to all of you for wanting me in your family and agreeing to give me this. I have no words.”
“Just drink it already,” Cassius demanded.
Victor knocked it back quickly and grimaced. Renny took the glass and Dra’Kaedan handed him the wine, which he guzzled. His smirk appeared and he spread out his arms. “Okay, I’m hugging some sentinels, so get over it.”
Cassius grinned and grabbed Victor into a bear hug before the shifter could make good on his promise. After Victor had embraced each man in his family, he returned to Chander and they simply stared at one another for a moment.
“I just want all of you to know you’ve changed my life for the better. I still can’t believe you guys hired me and not only befriended me but gave me the courage to be myself. Thank you,” Victor said.
“Technically, Ben and I hired you,” Baxter pointed out.
“You want another hug or what?” Victor asked.
“Maybe just one more,” Baxter insisted.
“I have to say, our holidays are the fucking best,” Renny enthused.
“The question always pops in my head about how we’ll top it in the future, but it no longer worries me, because I know we fucking will,” Aleksander responded.
“Okay, there’s more wine to drink, and my breath is still disgusting. Let’s get after it,” Victor shouted.
Chander allowed the people stuffed into the large office to filter out but kept his feet planted as he slid his hand into Alaric’s. “Nice job on this, Lich Sentinel,” he told his mate quietly once there were alone.
