Page 62 of Let It Snow (Eden’s Omegaverse #7)

"So… you killed my brother."

Silence drops heavily between us. Moon glances slightly nervously at him.

No matter how cruel and monstrous he was, Rocco was still Luca’s full-blooded brother, to whom he served as caporegime. Before that, they were both Ferro family enforcers side by side, and even fought as cage fighters together in underground showdowns.

Moon tries to soften the moment.

"That makes you next in line, my love."

"I don’t want the job, Moon," Luca says darkly. "I think Ennio deserves it."

"Ennio’s an omega. Will the rest of the family even accept that?"

"I’ll back him up. I’ll be his caporegime. They accepted Anzo, they’ll accept Ennio. Vincenzo respects him. And we need his ways of dealing with things while the whole family is going down."

"I’d tell you I’m sorry your brother’s dead, but he wasn’t a good man," Snow says firmly, meeting Luca’s eyes even though he towers over us like a building.

His expression makes it clear that using the word ‘good’ in the context of Rocco doesn’t come easy to him, and I completely understand why.

"Well, to plenty of people, I’m not a good man either," Luca replies coldly, but he breaks eye contact first.

"Fortunately… there’s such a thing as the lesser evil," I blurt out with guilt on my conscience. "Under the right circumstances, anyone can do something terrible." The memory of a city reduced to rubble flashes through my mind, and I know I’ll never shake it.

Luca’s jaw tightens. I guess blood ties are blood ties.

Snow watches him with a frosty look, like he has something on the tip of his tongue but decides against saying it.

"Get in. I’ll take you home. Then I have to meet with Ennio and Vincenzo."

When we climb into the car, it’s impossible to put into words what any of us are feeling.

The tension in our bodies bleeds off slowly, like steam escaping a valve. Snow takes my hand as we drive, and I let the calm he radiates wash over me.

We ride in silence for a long while.

"Should we expect another wave of retaliation from the mafia, Luca?" Snow suddenly asks as we near home.

Luca glances at us in the rearview mirror.

"No. Personal vendettas have only ever hurt my family. It’s time for people like Ennio, with a more businesslike, rational mindset, to take control. The times demand it."

Moon sighs. "Well, lately the Ferro family has learned a few brutal lessons. Both Anzo and Rocco paid the price. Looks like vengeance is a luxury reserved for gods, not mortals."

His words hang in the silence that follows.

Snow and I exchange a look. As ‘demigods’, we could say something about that. But sometimes silence says more than words.

◆◆◆

Evening is falling, a fine drizzle coming down from the sky as we turn into the side street leading to the Nolans’ estate.

I feel exhausted and disoriented; it’s hard to focus. The only thing keeping me conscious is Snow’s hand holding mine. I stay pressed against his side the whole way, my head buzzing like a beehive.

We pull up in front of the Nolans’ house just as Bay drives into the driveway.

There’s a brief moment of confusion about what to do next, but I jump out of the car and rush toward Bay, who’s carrying Lake.

"Should we call a doctor?" I whisper, brushing the pale cheek of the omega. "He’s been unconscious for over a day!"

"Let’s take him to Aiden," Bay mutters, and Snow nods.

When we carry Lake into the bedroom where Aiden is still lying unconscious, none of us say a word.

As we stand over the bed, a wave of weakness and overwhelm washes over me. I just stare at Snow’s parents lying still, my gaze blank. The aftershock is running through me.

Moon, who came with us as well, steps up.

"What are we waiting for? We should undress them. Their bodies will instinctively seek the Joining, and that’ll start their regeneration."

Well, that came out pretty awkwardly.

Bay just rolls his eyes, clearly thinking the idea of undressing their parents is a bit too much, but eventually mutters grimly,

"Yeah, we should do it, they’re True Mates, so that’s the point. But I’m out!" Then he walks out of the room, leaving us with the delicate situation.

I glance at Snow, unsure what to do. He looks hesitant too.

Finally, he sighs and looks at Moon.

"You’re right," he says quietly. "But it’s better if I undress my father and you undress my dad."

He bites his lip as he speaks, and it strikes me that it’s the first time I’ve ever seen Snow stripped of his usual confidence, that relaxed, or maybe slightly aloof, aura of his.

"Alright," I say, understanding his hesitation. I wouldn’t want to undress my parents either, but seeing the state they’re in, I know it has to be done if they’re going to recover.

After nearly thirty hours of unconsciousness, dehydration is becoming a real risk. Some kind of intervention is needed, and using TM magic seems like the logical choice.

Snow goes first, carefully undressing Aiden and laying him on his side, covering his hips with a blanket.

Moon and I do our best not to stare, though a few curious glances escape me.

It’s astonishing that this man, though actually seventy-five, looks no older than forty, and his body remains so impressively built, with massive muscles and not a trace of a dad bod.

The TM magic is a powerful thing indeed.

When Snow leaves the room, Moon and I start undressing Lake, working together in silence.

And again—I can’t help but notice that the omega also looks incredible for sixty-two. The rejuvenating magic has frozen his aging somewhere in his mid-thirties. His skin is smooth, his body fit, with balanced, graceful lines. Wow, just wow.

Still, I feel a little awkward seeing him naked and slightly embarrassed to realize he’s probably better endowed than I am.

Moon doesn’t say a word. Together, we lift Lake and place him on his side next to Aiden. The moment their bodies touch, a faint shiver runs through both of them, as if they’ve caught their Allure scent.

We stand there, watching with a kind of unhealthy fascination.

Even while unconscious, Lake’s instincts take over. His hands rise, groping blindly. He reaches for Aiden, pressing close, and Aiden responds in kind, their bodies are acting on their own, driven to heal, needing regeneration.

Mouths slightly open, we stare at the sight, ignoring how wildly inappropriate it is as their bodies cling to each other.

Aiden’s impressive length hardens instantly, and Lake’s legs begin to draw up toward his chest, as if to allow penetration, his body moving on pure reflex even though he’s still fully unconscious.

"Alrighty," I say, grabbing Moon’s hand. "We really shouldn’t be watching this, but I think they’ll be fine."

"Yeah, definitely," Moon says with an awkward grin.

We both step out, leaving behind the quiet sounds of their instinctive intercourse as they enter the Joining.

Outside, Snow is waiting for us. Luca is probably downstairs.

"They’ll be okay," Moon announces cheerfully. "They’re going through the Joining."

"I did not need that image," Snow mutters, his face twisting in discomfort.

Moon just snorts, still amused.

I don’t say anything, but seeing that magic at work with my own eyes is a powerful experience.

In truth, for True Mates, things like that happen every day.

The Joining fills them with healing energy, constantly restoring and preserving their youth.

Deep inside, a fragile sense of reassurance builds in me because I realize my bond with Snow works the same way.

It’s a comforting thought, knowing that for years to come, I’ll stay healthy and youthful.

Before we go downstairs, Snow suddenly stops and looks at my brother, frowning slightly.

"Wait. You mentioned you tried to wake me up when I was unconscious, and you used… a few things. What exactly?"

Moon raises a brow. "Like five different things, actually. Slapping your face, splashing water, Luca’s tricks…"

"Um, okay. But did you inject me with something?"

"Yes, that too. It was the same stimulant Luca used on his brother when Anzo was meddling with his mind using that memory-altering drug. It worked the best, and you started to stir."

Snow grimaces but doesn’t respond.

That’s when it hits me that the reason Snow couldn’t fully transform in front of Rocco might be because of that drug. Maybe it altered his body chemistry somehow, interfering with the change.

Moon must see the uneasy look on my face because he adds, "It’s made from the secretions of purple alpha glands. Powerful stuff. Gives you an instant kick, even if you’re in deep unconsciousness."

I give Snow a knowing look, but neither of us says anything. Does he know he died? Does he remember? Or is he just upset about the partially blocked shifting of his body?

Maybe I’m the only one who realizes that, in one version of the universe, that very drug basically killed him. Killed… us.

The memory of it is too heavy for now, too fresh, so I stay silent, hunching slightly. Snow glances my way, obviously reading my anxious mood, and sends me a soft, reassuring hum in AO language.

We go down to the kitchen together, holding hands, and find Luca waiting there.

Bay is nowhere to be seen, which honestly doesn’t surprise me. As I glance out the window, his car is also gone from the driveway. This guy really seems to have an intense pace of living.

"Come here," Luca says, gesturing for us to come closer.

Jordan is lying on the couch in the living room. "I found him here, behind the kitchen island," says the purple alpha, pointing at the beta.

I realize then that the guy’s been out for a long time too; he must have been knocked out by Rocco’s people.

"We need to get him to a hospital. At his age, this is a dangerous situation—" I start, but notice that as Moon leans over the beta to check his pulse, Jordan stirs slightly.

Moon shrugs. "Or… we can give him the same thing we used. It’s pretty strong, it might help."