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I swallowed nervously. “Yes, Alaroth.”

“Good.” He let me go and walked away, my heart nearly beating out of my chest.

Ezra finally stood up and took a step towards me. “Marlowe, I’m…”

“Fuck off,” I replied, shoulder checking him as I called for Nantier. He’d been milling about the barn, not quite sure what to do with himself.

“Can you take me back to my rooms? I need to get dressed. And Matgar?”

The beastmaster yelled back from inside. “What?”

“I’m taking Wasabi.”

“Marlowe? It’s time.”

I’d luckily found a pair of pants in my wardrobe, along with aloose blouse and fitted velvet jacket. With my braided hair I looked like one of those fancy dressage riders, minus the helmet.

I sent another wave of love to my pack, and then readied myself for whatever this trip was going to bring.

Nantier and another guard greeted me when I opened the door. “Marlowe, this is Bohun, another one of our cousins.”

Bohun was a little shorter than Nantier, with blonde hair like my mother and our shared hazel eyes. His were a touch lighter though, like spring honey.

He grinned and bowed his head quickly. “It’s an honor to serve on your queensguard, cousin.”

I couldn’t keep my bottom lip from trembling. Even if I knew that push come to shove, these were Alaroth’s guards, it was still nice to imagine I had a few more people in my corner.

Not just people.

Family.

“So which one of you handsome gentlemen are going to escort me to… wherever it is I’m supposed to go?”

They both held out their arms and I laughed, taking them and sniffing back my tears. “Okay, so Nantier didn’t get to tell me nearly enough family gossip this morning. I need to know all of it.”

Bohun hummed as he thought. “Well, your mother running away with your father was quite the scandal.”

I squealed and jumped, gripping their arms tighter. “Yes, tell me everything!”

He looked around quickly and spoke in a hushed tone. “Thistle was engaged to Captain Nivardi, one of the heads of the alpha division.”

“Alpha division?”

“Yes, the alpha shifters have their own military unit. I believe the king is taking you to see them today,” Nantier explained.

Wow, I would finally get to meet some of the OG shifters before they came to Earth. Would they be nice like my pack? Or giant douchebags like the Conclave?

“So before the wedding, she was brought to his home near their garrison. Jaelis was a lieutenant and met with Nivardi quite frequently.”

“Jaelis?”

Bohun arched an eyebrow. “Your father?”

“Oh, gotcha. He went by James on Earth.” I should have realized James wasn’t a very ‘Vesperan’ name. I nudged Bohun tocontinue.

“Then apparently, on the morning of the wedding, Thistle went out to collect flowers for her bouquet and just… didn’t return.”

He stopped talking as a group of courtiers passed us, sniffing the air.