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He crossed his arms. “Bitch please, I look amazing.”

The omegas watched our interaction with great fascination, giggling and repeating “bitch please” to each other.

I stood up and smoothed my skirt, inhaling a deep breath to center myself while taking one final look in the mirror. Damn, the omegas certainly knew what they were doing.

I ran through possible names for our new business—The Omega Den? Pillowtail Spa? Moonlight Retreat?

Ezra’s gaze softened and his throat bobbed as he caught my eyes in my reflection. “You look amazing, too, Mar.”

I marched towards the door with my head held high, the omegas trailing behind me. “Yes, it’s astonishing what a couple of days spent in crippling pain will do for your skin.”

I smiled coldly and took his arm, letting him lead us to the ballroom.

“I know, I was in the cell next to you.”

My pulse quickened. “What do you mean?”

The omegas trailed behind us in a perfumed cloud of excited whispers and laughter, and his voice quieted. “I took your punishment, too. I couldn’t stop him, but I couldn’t stand there and do nothing, either.”

I felt my heart leap into my throat. My first instinct was to cry, to wrap my arms around his stupid big neck and hold him, telling him how much I loved him. How much I’d missed him.

But anger and resentment tempered my fleeting gratitude. This was all his fault to begin with, and now he wanted a gold star for… for what? He hadn’t protected me, he hadn’t lessened my pain. All he’d done was decide to join in my torture to reprieve his own guilt over his involvement in me receiving it in the first place. And I hated him for making me want to forgive him, because it felt so good for a second to have my brother back.

“You’re a fucking idiot,” I said instead. “Did you enjoy your forced apology orgasm, too?”

He choked back a cough. “Damn, I must have missed mine.”

We walked down the hall and stairs until a steward came up and addressed us. “Commander Ezra and Lady Marlowe, you will enter after His Majesty introduces you. Please head to the waiting room for now. The rest of you, follow me.”

Iris squeezed my arm before she walked away. “Good luck, Marlowe. Be careful tonight.”

I gave her a reassuring nod and watched them leave, then headed towards the other room.

Ezra closed the doors and we stood there in awkward silence.

“So…” he started, his cheeks turning a little red. “This is your first fae ball.”

“Oh, is it?” I replied sarcastically in a nasally tone.

He ignored me and continued. “This isn’t like some proper, period drama where everyone does stupid dances and they barely touch each other.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Sex, Marlowe. Expect a lot of freaky sex.”

I raised both eyebrows.

“I don’t think the king will expect you to participate, I mean, unless it’s with him, which… you’re…?” I gave him a disgusted look and he continued. “Notinto, got it. Just checking. But in any case, it’s gonna be weird.”

“Eww,” I replied. “You too?”

“Ugh, no,” he huffed, looking flustered. “I just wanted to prepare you.”

I wondered if Ezra was still a virgin. He’d been shamed into thinking his dick wasn’t normal by our mom, and then he’d left on his trip and disappeared. After all these years, with so many people throwing themselves on him, and learning that his junk was perfectly normal—well, for an alpha shifter—surely he’d finally done the deed withsomebody.

“Weird how? Like orgies?” I asked. When his cheeks reddened a little more, I decided to really make him blush. “You know I live with five alphas, right? Did you think we’d never all fucked at the sametime?”

He gagged and covered his ears. “Damn it, Marlowe, I don’t want to hear this shit.”