Page 99 of Cryptic Dreams

Which was how Declan and Wraith met in the first place.

Being in the harem meant Brigit was at the castle and relatively untouchable, and since Declan was only a few years old, he was put into the same nurseries and schools as Wraith.

Atticus knew Jonah—Jonatha as I recently learned—and Lydia weren’t his young but he never had them killed, never punished Brigit for clearly still meeting with her mate, and he afforded them the same privileges Spectra and Phantasia had as if they were. What he did do was prevent Pascal from having any sort of relationship with his children, for as long as he could anyway, and to make matters worse, Atticus continued to brutalize Brigit on an almost daily basis until the Species War broke out. Which was when Pascal was supposedly killed and Brigit seemingly disappeared.

Or so the history books say, because I’ll never ask Declan what happened to his parents just like I’ll never ask Wraith what happened to his grandfather. If they choose to share, fine, but what I’ve read—how the true king and all who helped him establish our monarchy were disposed of to make room for Atticus and in turn the Great Counsel—is where I’ll leave it.

No matter how hard it is for me to leave my questions alone when I have people who lived through them right at my fingertips.

“Good lord!” Aries practically yells in my face as I blink repeatedly in his direction. “I’ve been talking to you for at least fifteen minutes and you haven’t heard one word, have you?”

I give him a sheepish grin as I shrug. “No.”

“I’m going to have to talk to Wraith.”

“Why?” I frown and sit up a little straighter at the threat to report my spaciness to my mate. “Did you change outfits again?”

Aries nods, sighs then spins back to the mirror. “I did. Twice actually. And that’s why I need to call Wraith.”

“Because I missed your fashion show?”

“No,” he huffs. “Because whatever he’s doing to you in the bedroom is severely affecting your ability to function normally outside of it.”

“Oh stop.”

“Seriously, Z. If it’s not all of the kinks that twisted male has, then it has to be because you just don’t love me anymore.” I roll my eyes and smile as Aries starts to undress. “And since I refuse to believe you’re capable of not loving me in all my wonderful-ness, then it has to be your mate.”

“It’s not that, Aries.”

He arches a red eyebrow at me in his reflection as he tosses the royal purple corset on the floor. “Mmhmm.”

“Really. Wraith has nothing to do with why I spaced out just now.” Not really, anyway. Indirectly since I was thinking about Declan and how he’s probably my wicked Prince’s best friend, and how there’s still so much I need to learn about both of them. But it doesn’t have anything to do with what Wraith has done to me or with me in the privacy of our bedroom.

“And now you’re blushing. See, totally mate related.”

“What’s mate related?” Orion asks as he walks down the stairs.

“Nothing,” I grunt as Aries says, “Z’s full body blush and spacey attitude.”

Orion nods as he plops down onto the couch next to me. “Makes sense. You were a giddy, zoned out mess of red blotches for at least a month after we mated.”

My cousin chuckles as Aries scowls at him. “I wasn’t the only one, if I remember correctly. At least I didn’t walk around with a permanent hard-on for the better part of that same month.”

“Oh my gosh, stop, please.” I giggle and cover my ears. “I saw way too much when you mated, and I’d rather not relive any of it now no matter how much I love both of you.”

“You’re ok, though?” Orion asks as he turns to face me. “Just living the mated life?”

With a long suffering sigh, I slump back against the velvet cushion. “I am. I’m very happy, Wraith is so good to me and I love him so much.”

“But?”

“But… it’s nothing.”

“Oh it’s something,” Aries says as he sheds his shirt and moves to his fly. “I had two wardrobe changes and was talking forever before Zephyr came back to earth.”

“That doesn’t sound like nothing, Z.” My cousin turns to face me completely as concern starts creeping into his handsome face. “That sounds like you have a lot on your mind.”

I just shrug again because it feels weird talking about this with them.