Page 79

MARLOWE

I popped another grape-like fruit in my mouth, reclining in the chaise and watching in amusement as Ezra scowled. He took in his reflection in the mirror, messing with the stiff fabric of his fancy outfit, until Canna slapped his hand away when he tried to adjust the sash crossing his chest for the third time.

“You’re making it crooked, stop it!”

she growled.

“It doesn’t matter, because I’ll look like a giant douche no matter what.”

He shot me a glare through his reflection as I covered my mouth to stop giggling, and Canna gave an exasperated sigh. “I don’t know what a ‘doosh’ is, but if it means handsome and regal, then you are correct.”

“Yes Canna, it means exactly that!”

I cried, wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes. “Please call him a ‘douche’ whenever you’d like. It’s a sign of great respect on our planet!”

Ezra turned around and snapped at me. “Shouldn’t you be with your own alphas instead of bugging me?”

Maybe. But after spending the past few nights all huddled together in my makeshift nest, I needed a little breather.

And I had years of missed opportunities of making fun of my brother to make up for.

I reached down to where Wasabi lay at my feet, giving her a little scratch behind her tufted ears.

I’d still been passed out when we’d arrived at the castle, but my pack and my cousins, who thankfully hadn’t been called to fight, had made sure Matgar tended to Wasabi’s healing wounds right away. And now she was back to normal, minus her battle scars.

I ignored the fact that I’d soon be leaving her behind, because whenever I thought about it, I’d start sobbing. Wasabi had saved my life, and she was more friend than pet. Matgar and Canna had both assured me they’d take good care of her, and while I trusted the gruff, rough-around-the-edges beast master and my new sister-in-law, it didn’t mean I wasn’t going to miss her like crazy.

But Earth could barely handle shifters and vampyrs who looked exactly like humans—there was no way they’d be ready for a giant dragonfly/tiger/snake.

Yes, she’d be safer here, even if it broke my heart.

Canna came over and sat down beside me, giving me a conspiratorial look. “Alphas,”

she sighed, shaking her head.

“Alphas,”

I concurred, handing her a not-grape.

Once word of Alaroth’s demise had reached Nivardi, he’d immediately disbanded the keep. He allowed the shifters to stay there while they explored their new options, giving them complete freedom to shift and make new packs.

Some of them had stayed at the haven to help the betas rebuild the structures into something less “prison-campy,”

while other betas made the trip to the keep with the returning soldiers, looking to reunite with long lost loved ones.

After helping us secure the castle and flushing out any Alaroth sycophants, Kian had flown back to the hidden vampyr village to let them know it was safe to live in the open now.

Unsurprisingly, they decided to stay where they were for the time being, but promised to send a small delegation to the castle today.

Why?

Because Ezra was being crowned the new King of Vespera.

Politically it made sense—he’d been Alaroth’s Commander, and with the shifters and vampyrs now free from his slavery and genocide, they outnumbered the free Starborne fae. After many hours of debate with Alaroth’s old advisors and my pack, we’d all come to the conclusion that the kingdom was long overdue for some change, and Ezra was the best prepared to lead them.

He also, sadly, wasn’t much interested in returning to Earth with me. I couldn’t say it didn’t hurt, but I understood where he was coming from. On Earth, he was officially dead. He wouldn’t be able to get in touch with his old friends, nor could he really get a job—he’d flat out refused to work for Cam under the table. Plus Canna was from here, and he worried about how she would adjust.

So Vespera it was.

Ezra was taking his new position very seriously, but I could see the doubt in his eyes. The guilt. The apprehension.

He fiddled with the sash again and I sighed. “Hey, Canna, can you go check on the other omegas? Florian’s coming out of his heat, and I can only imagine how difficult it’s going to be keeping any of them clothed long enough for the coronation.”

Alaroth’s harem of omega concubines sadly also decided to stay in Vespera, dashing my dreams of opening a shifter spa back in Maiingan Hollow.

Canna looked at Ezra for confirmation and he gave her a patient smile. “You don’t have to ask me for permission, honey. I’m your partner, not your master.”

Her cheeks blushed and she looked down at her slippered feet. “I’m sorry. Old habits are hard to break.”

Canna was bright, sweet, and definitely able to give as good as she got, but she and the other omegas here had had total submission drilled into them from when they’d first showed their designation. She still sometimes slipped into the idea that pleasing whichever alpha purchased her for the night was the most important thing she could do, and it was going to take some time before she learned to break free from that mindset.

I knew the makings of a smart aleck when I saw one, though, and trusted she would get over it eventually.

Ezra walked over and gave her a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder. “You don’t have to apologize either. Or listen to my stupid sister. She’s not the future queen anymore, remember? You are.”

I twirled my hand with an exaggerated flourish and bowed towards her, bringing a giggle to her lips. “Well, I think she’s probably right, anyway,”

she said. “The last thing we want is Florian’s pheromones inciting an orgy at the ceremony.”

“Or is it exactly what we want?”

I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.

She laughed again, getting up and heading out. “I’ll be back soon.”

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, we have 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.”