Page 39 of Let It Snow (Eden’s Omegaverse #7)

How did this happen?

Did Snow keep his word when he said he could heal what was wrong with me but would have to go deeper?

Well, he went deep enough, and he kept his promise.

I’m free. I’m healed.

My mind belongs to me now, under my full control. Nothing is hidden in the haze anymore.

Was this his farewell gift to me? Restoring my memory?

The thought makes me sob even harder. The Uber driver keeps glancing at me in the mirror, clearly debating with himself, until he finally speaks.

"It’ll get better, you’ll see. After every storm, the sun comes out."

It strikes me as funny that he’s using a sun metaphor too, just like Moon did when he told me I should follow the sun.

We finally reach the airport. The driver pulls up to the main entrance, and I get out without a word.

I’ve never been one for small talk with cab drivers. But the line about the sun coming out after the storm stays with me. Maybe because I desperately want to believe it?

I step into the terminal. Crowds always make me feel a little lost. After wandering for a while, matching the signs with the info on my ticket, I finally find the gate where check-in will happen. I still have about three hours to wait, so I sit down in the waiting area and curl up in the chair.

I feel awful, weak, the heat recovery is in full swing. I should not be wandering around airports, but curled up in my nest…

I constantly want to cry, but I force myself not to, to avoid drawing attention. To distract myself, I head to a small airport restaurant and order something absurdly expensive. Despite the price, it tastes like standard airplane food.

After eating, the waiting continues. I stare blankly at the clock.

I drift off sometimes, watching people pass by and making up stories in my head about why they’re traveling. Airports never sleep. Even at night, they’re alive with arrivals, departures, hurried steps, rolling suitcases, chatter, open brochures, phones, tablets, and flashing boards.

Beyond the giant glass window, planes take off and land in a constant rhythm.

For a moment I focus on one coming in for a landing, then turn away because it feels like someone’s watching me.

My eyes land on a young omega with striking silver hair tied in a high bun, wearing a loose cashmere blazer and soft trousers.

It takes me three seconds to realize who he is.

It’s like my brain resets, reality glitches.

It’s Moon.

My brother.

The clairvoyant bastard!

"Moon?" I whisper.

He freezes for a moment, then strides toward me, picking up speed. I jump from my chair and run toward him.

We crash into each other’s arms, so hard my backpack slips off my shoulder and hits the floor.

"Moon, Moon, Moon," I whisper, unable to believe what’s happening.

For the first time in almost two years, I’m seeing my brother again, the one I thought I’d lost after Anzo came and told me Moon had literally vanished into thin air and that I had to take his place.

A sob rips out of my chest, and I think he’s crying too.

He holds me tight. He smells familiar but different. I know now for sure it’s not his original scent. Moon is a mated omega now.

And there’s something else. A faint, delicate smell I don’t recognize, like sweet milk.

"Moon, what are you doing here?" I blurt out, still gripping his shoulders like I’m afraid he’ll disappear again.

"Well, I could ask you the same thing. Looks like you’re about to do something stupid," Moon says, tilting his head.

"I don’t understand," I mumble, even though I do. My heart does, at least.

"Everything will be explained. But for now, come with me. I need to get back home…"

I pull back a little, trying to explain myself. "I bought a flight to Iceland. To our parents."

"Why? There’s no reason for you to go. They’re living a quiet retirement. You’d only stir things up…"

"I can’t stay at the Nolans! There are things you don’t understand!"

He pouts a little. "Oh, I understand everything. That’s why I’m telling you to come with me now," he insists. "I left Lux alone. As far as my clairvoyance can tell, he’ll wake up in about forty minutes. I’d rather not be late."

I blink at him, completely lost now. "Lux?"

Moon grins. "My son. He’s only two months old. Come on, hurry up."

My teeth clench. My head spins.

"I don’t understand anything! Why are you here? How did you know?"

He winks. "I saw it in my visions. Or… maybe I received a phone call from your worried friend? Who knows!" He chuckles. "Anyway! Now come with me and forget about that ticket. If you need a break from the Nolans, you can have it at my house."

I want to explain that I don’t need a break from them, that they’re wonderful, and I’m just in the dreaded heat recovery… but I just can’t keep imposing myself.

However, Moon is already tugging me by the hand with a grip that doesn’t take no for an answer.

He pulls so firmly I almost stumble. I manage to bend down just long enough to grab my backpack before he drags me toward the terminal exit.

"But… what about the ticket? My plane leaves in a few hours!"

"Forget about it, Summer. Iceland isn’t your destination. Beautiful place, sure, but if it’s snow you’re after, the right one for you is right here…"

"What…?"

"Trust me. Visions!"

I’ve got a sharp reply on the tip of my tongue about what I think of his so-called ability to see the future, but this isn’t the time or place. Not in the middle of a crowded terminal, anyway.

Moments later, he’s pulling me by the hand out onto a windy parking lot, and I’m dazed, unsure. What the hell just happened?

Moon leads me to a large black SUV with tinted windows. I give him a crooked look but climb inside anyway.

As soon as we pull out, the first thing I say is,

"You know, Moon… you show up now. It’s been over a month since I escaped the fortress. You had plenty of time to reach out. What kept you?"

He lets out an indistinct sigh, then says,

"First of all, I just had a baby. Second, I knew you’d be struggling with your memory, and my story, everything I could tell you, would just be too much. Some things had to… ripen."

I turn my head to the window, trying to sort my thoughts and rein in my irritation as we leave the airport grounds and head toward the coast.

Questions press against my lips, so many I feel like I might explode. Not just questions: accusations, grievances, anger. The heat recovery only adds fuel to the fire.

But I make myself hold back for a moment. I decide to talk to him more neutrally first, feel things out, give him a chance to explain his side of all this. I’m hoping he’ll choose to open up on his own.

So I ask a few neutral questions about where he lives now and whether he has any contact with the Ferro family.

"For now, Luca and I haven’t gone public with our situation. We’re staying low, waiting for things to clear out."

He adds, throwing me a strange look as if it somehow involves me, then turns his eyes back to the road. I bite my lip. So he’s in hiding too.

We escaped the fortress, but it still has its grip on us.

We finally roll into a pleasant coastal neighborhood full of elegant homes, palm trees lining the streets, white sidewalks, and sunlight everywhere… wait, no longer. I notice the first single drops of rain falling onto the car’s hood.

Moon remotely opens a massive gate lined with cameras at the edges.

The wall surrounding the property is several yards high, and from the look of it, there’s a live wire running along the top.

"Wow, this house is a real stronghold…"

"Yeah. That’s not even all. It’s got a safe room and a tunnel connecting it to Luca’s other house, his official residence."

I’m about to ask for more details but swallow it down. Moon vanished over a year ago from Anzo Ferro’s damn fortress. Like he’d sunk into the earth, but in fact, he’s been hiding right under Anzo’s nose in his nephew’s house. Bold move.

We get out of the car. The house doesn’t look much different from the others in the area, same design, modern, big, except for all the cameras and motion sensors watching us from every angle.

"Is Luca home?" I ask, feeling my pulse spike. This guy always creeped me out.

Moon lifts his brows slightly.

"No, he won’t be back until evening. I told you, I left Lux alone."

Seeing my confused expression, he adds,

"I know you might not feel comfortable around Luca…"

I snap in frustration.

"That’s an understatement. He’s Rocco’s right-hand man and used to be Anzo’s too. A capo di regime! You think I’m supposed to trust him?"

Moon and I step inside. A moment later, we’re in a sleek kitchen where metal and large ceramic surfaces blend together.

Moon gives me a thoughtful look and mutters,

"He’s not that bad. Hang on. I’ll just check on Lux."

He heads upstairs, but I’m not about to be left behind. I follow him.

We walk into a pastel, ultra-modern nursery with one of those fancy electronic cribs that rock the baby with a smooth, natural motion.

Moon gently lifts the mosquito net draped over the crib, and my eyes fall on my first nephew.

He’s so tiny, sleeping peacefully… a thin cap on his head, lips working around a pacifier that shifts slightly with each suck.

"You shouldn’t give him a pacifier," I whisper. "It’ll mess up his bite."

"Wow, we’ve got a parenting expert here." Moon shoots me an amused look, then adds, "Come on, he’ll sleep a while longer. I fed him well before we left."

I stare at the little face for a moment, something twisting in my gut. Snow will have babies like this soon, but I won’t be part of that picture. Why do I feel uneasy about it? It should be a relief!

Back in the kitchen, Moon offers me tea.

I accept gratefully; my throat’s dry. While he prepares it, I sit at the table, scanning the luxurious kitchen.

There are cameras here too, and on one wall, a bank of monitors shows everything around the house: the beach view, a room lit only by infrared, the perimeter fence, and sensor readouts.