“Why do men think ‘communication’ means grunting?”Brielle asked, sprawled sideways over the couch cushions.
Ursula pointed her glass at her.“Because grunting’s the only language they’ve practiced consistently since the dawn of time.”
Willow tried to sip and ended up choking on a laugh.“I swear you two are the worst.”
“The best,” Brielle corrected, raising her glass.“We’re the best.”
Saffie rolled her eyes and snagged a piece of cheese.“You’re the loudest, that’s for sure.”
For a while, it was easy.Safe.The sound of their laughter filled the shop, the kind that healed a little of the day’s ache.Outside, the faint silhouettes of shifters still lingered under the streetlight, their shadows long and patient—but inside, the women ignored it all.
Ursula leaned her head against Brielle’s shoulder with a content sigh.“You know,” she murmured, “for all the chaos, I think we’re doing all right.”
“Mostly,” Brielle said with a grin.“Give or take a few idiots.”
“Give or take five,” Willow muttered, earning another round of laughter.
The evening blurred into comfortable noise.The wine bottle became two, then three.Nolan and Isaac kept refilling glasses with an exaggerated flourish, exchanging secret glances.Liam and Jacob made sure the snack plates never emptied, their quiet affection obvious even in their teasing.
Eventually, the warmth and exhaustion caught up to them.Brielle’s laughter slowed, her eyes heavy.She glanced at Ursula, who looked equally dazed.“You ever wonder,” Brielle mumbled, “if maybe the Goddess really does have a sense of humor?”
Ursula snorted.“If she does, it’s a cruel one.”
“Cheers to that,” Brielle whispered, and the two clinked glasses one final time before passing out.
Willow arched a brow.“You think they’re really out?”
Saffie leaned down, poking Brielle’s shoulder.Nothing.“Finally,” she said, relieved.“Took long enough.”
****
The rooftop had quietedafter all the laughter, the air humming with the echo of the city below.The glow of fairy lights shimmered across the glass bottles on the bar cart, and the scent of spiced wine and melted cheese clung to the cooling night.The skyline glittered, a sea of light stretching beyond the railing, and above them the moon hung low and swollen, only a few nights away from full.The world below seemed so far away up here—as if they existed in a bubble of flickering candlelight and tired laughter.
Saffie leaned back in her chair, stretching her legs beneath the table, eyes moving between the two women who were now slumped together on the outdoor couch.Brielle had half an arm thrown over her eyes, while Ursula’s hand still clutched her half-empty wine glass like she might cast a spell with it in her sleep.
Across the table, Nolan and Isaac exchanged a look that was part amusement, part satisfaction.
“Tell me that wasn’t actual wine,” Saffie said, narrowing her eyes at them.
Isaac’s grin was pure mischief.He lifted an empty bottle and tilted it so the candlelight flickered through the red liquid.“For them?Absolutely.They needed it.You two?”He lifted another bottle, identical except for a faint rune etched near the base.“Best damn grape juice this side of Manhattan.”
Willow blinked.“You sneaky bastards.”
Nolan shrugged, leaning his elbows against the bar.“Hey, they needed to unwind.When was the last time either of them actually relaxed?I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ursula laugh that hard.”
“She might deny it in the morning,” Isaac said with a chuckle.“But she needed it.”
Saffie smirked.“I’ll let her think it was her idea.Saves me a hex later.”
Willow looked over at Brielle and Ursula again, their soft snores rising in rhythm with the wind.“It’s weird seeing them like that,” she said quietly.“Like ...peaceful.”
Saffie’s smile softened as she stood to walk over to the balustrade to look down at the street.“They’ve earned it.The last few days have been hell on everyone.”Her tone darkened, the humor fading as her gaze drifted to the edge of the rooftop.“And it’s not over.”
The others followed her.Down below, under the streetlight, stood five tall figures.The men hadn’t moved in hours.Hunter and Lennox had their hands shoved deep in their pockets, heads low, while the three lions lingered behind them like restless shadows.Their expressions were hard to make out from this height, but Saffie didn’t need details to know the look of regret when she saw it.
“They’ve been there all this time?”Willow asked.
Nolan nodded.“Since sunset.Haven’t left once.I swear, if regret burned calories, those guys would be half their size by now.”