Page 187

We watched her go, and when the door clicked shut, I patted the space next to me. “Sit. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

He collapsed in a huff, the chaise creaking under his weight. He may not have been the “alpha of alphas” anymore, but he was still built like it. I took his large hand in mine, giving him a reassuring squeeze. “What’s up?”

Ezra took a deep, shuddering breath, closing his eyes as he gathered the words.

“I’ve been having nightmares about all the shit Alaroth made me do. Especially killing Mom and Dad.”

Ah yes, the parricidal elephant in the room.

My chest tightened, and I squeezed his hand even harder. “Yeah, that’s… that’s still something I’m having trouble forgiving you for. I know you were being influenced into doing it, but you were also so much like yourself before we realized what the king had done to you. It’s hard to separate the Ezra you really are with the Ezra he manipulated you into becoming, you know?”

He nodded, keeping his eyes downcast. “I’m not expecting your forgiveness, for that or what I did to you. Hell, I’ll never forgive myself. But I don’t know how to deal with it all, or how to rebuild our relationship. If… if that’s something you want.”

Ever since that phone call I’d received on Thanksgiving, my life had been a series of chaotic events, attacks, abductions, and world-shattering revelations, one after another with no time in between to process any of it.

Having Ezra back in my life was as easy as breathing, and part of me wanted to sweep everything under the rug, falling back into our brother-sister routine.

But that wasn’t healthy for either of us.

Archer had been advocating for me to see a therapist ever since he’d met me, at first to find a professional to help me deal with the trauma of my dad’s death, then to work through what had happened with the alpha farmers who’d assaulted me and tried to bond with me against my will.

Maybe I finally had the time to actually do just that.

“You plan on keeping a portal open, right?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he replied. “I’m going to meet with the priests here about closing them all except the one near Maiingan Hollow.”

“Okay then, here’s the deal. After this coronation is over and I return, and we both give ourselves a little time to settle into our lives, I want you to see a family therapist with me on Earth. I don’t think we can work through all this baggage on our own.”

Wasabi’s ears twitched in her sleep, and I gave her another pat while Ezra pursed his lips in thought, digesting my suggestion.

“I think I can manage that.”

“Good,” I replied, getting up to stretch. “It’s the dawning of a new age, jerk. And if our unity is what binds the realms in peace, wehave to make sure we get it right.”

He stood up next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and giving me a quick peck on the cheek. We looked at ourselves in the large mirror that hung on the wall.

The alpha and the omega twins.

“We sure do, bitch.”

79

MARLOWE

One year later

My mouth watered as the savory, decadent aroma of garlic, mushroom, and melted brie made their way to my nest. I was feeling absolutely ravenous, and wanted to get downstairs quickly to eat whatever Nolan had just pulled out of the oven, but my belly got in the way as I tried to put on my fuzzy socks, and I whined in frustration.

“I just want to bend over!” I wailed, my eyes blurring. Was it stupid to cry over socks? Yes, of course. But I was so tired of being pregnant and I just wanted to be able to bend over without a four-point action plan again.

Archer knocked, his voice almost patronizingly calm. “Is everything alright?”

“No!” I yelled. I couldn’t even fall back on my bed dramatically because then I’d have to get up, which was another production in and of itself.

Archer opened the door and stuck a cautious head inside, trying and failing to hide a knowing grin off his face. “Does my little omega need some help?”

I was fuming now, wiping angry tears off my cheeks as I threw my socks in his direction. “Yes, your little omega who’s carrying one of your big, stupid pups needs help.”