“You guys can’t keep doing these things,” she fussed, wiping at her eyes.
Walking up, she and Gage entered the estate, and voices boomed all around her.
“Welcome!”
It seemed as if all the warriors that called the villa home were there to greet her. Leon waved.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
He stared, then laughed. “Yes. I left early to tell the guys to start heating up the foods that are best served hot and to let them know you were on your way.”
He looped his arm through hers, ignoring Gage scowling at him. “We were going to set up each room by country, but in the end, we voted to keep like foods together.”
“Like foods?”
“Yeah, for example, all fried foods are in the kitchen. Sandwiches, wraps, and pasta are in the living room. Salads, fruits, and vegetables are in the dining hall, and we’ve scattered your desserts everywhere,” he explained.
Zoe looked around and didn’t know where to start. Behind her, Gage was laughing at something Ramsey said and already had a glass in hand.
Leon nudged her. “Now, my lady. This is a marathon, not a race.”
She nodded.
“In my opinion, I think you should start with something light, like a salad, then move on to something heavier, like fried chicken. After that rest for a bit with a spritzer, I think Bastien made a strawberry champagne mix that smelled amazing. Then start over, but maybe change it up and go heavy to light,” he said, then handed her an empty plate.
She took the plate. “You all take your food very seriously, don’t you?”
Leon nodded solemnly. “You have no idea.” He looked around and saw Meryn stacking up her plate. “I’m going to go help the commander’s mate. You okay starting on your own?”
She held up her plate. “I’m good to go.”
She watched as Leon walked over and handed Meryn a second plate. She could see him pointing to each dish and wondered if she was getting the same advice she had.
Over the next couple of hours, the warriors came up one by one to introduce themselves. They were very conscientious and spaced it, so she never became overwhelmed. With each dish she tried, there was a small card from the one that suggested it and why. In one day, she had sampled more food than she had in her previous one hundred years at Storm Keep.
When Aiden arrived, he winked at her, then immediately went to Meryn, who was proclaiming Broden’s buffalo wings to be the best in the entire world.
“Hello, cousin,” a new warrior greeted her.
“Cousin?” she asked, setting her plate down.
“My name is Bastien Géroux. Technically, my uncle is mated to Gage’s mother’s sister.” He shrugged. “We just claim each other as cousins. It’s easier.”
“You’re the one that made the strawberry spritzer! Gods, that was delicious!”
He smiled. “It’s one of Gage’s favorites. He’s a fiend for anything strawberry flavored.”
“Thank you for such a warm welcome.”
“We realized how daunting it could be for a mate to move in with so many warriors. We wanted to make sure you felt like this could really be your home.”
“For Gage’s sake.” It wasn’t a question. She saw how much the men looked after one another.
“For all our sakes,” he corrected. “You’ll be the first full-time mate to live here. If it’s true and we’re all getting mates, then you living here has to work.”
“I have no doubt in my mind it will work,” she said, picking up her plate.
“Why is that?” he asked.