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Vero stepped out of the medical facility and into a blistering wind. Snowflakes pelted him like bullets under the harsh glare of the lights. He squinted through the storm, his gaze drifting toward the area where he’d planned to build a proper reception space for the Convexus tonight. Of course, he hadn’t gotten the chance. Quickly recalculating, he considered his options, only finding one. They’d have to hold the ceremony outside by the river.

If the forty Cyst didn’t rejoin the Kurjan nation, he didn’t really have a plan B. They could try to survive on their own. There’s a chance they’d succeed—especially if they aligned with the Realm. The idea didn’t sit well with him. Aligning with only half his people felt like a failure. There had to b e a better way.

Nodding at several soldiers limping toward the medical facility, he noted their grim but relieved expressions. Word must already be spreading that they had a cure. At least that was one thing off his plate. It was too bad Laker had died. Vero would like to know if he’d had help creating the poison. He stomped through the snow, irritation and worry churning together in his chest. Where was his brother? Paxton should’ve been under guard but was no doubt front and center in the chaos somewhere. Vero had no idea how he was going to train the male to be king. He understood Paxton’s relu ctance, though.

Soldiering seemed to live in their blood.

He reached the main lodge and ducked inside, shaking off the snow. The warmth was almost a shock after the relentless cold outside. He looked around, noting that all the females had already cleared out. Word had definitely spread fast. Grunting, he caught faint noises coming from the lone c onference room.

Detouring to the treat-laden counter on the side wall, he poured himself a cup of coffee, the scent grounding him slightly. With his steaming mug in hand, he maneuvered through the space, stepping carefully over several sleeping bags strewn toward the back. Reaching the conference room, he paused, expecting to find his brother. Instead, he stopped short, his coffee halfwa y to his mouth.

“What the fuck ?” he muttered.

Paxton sat at the table with General Waxton, the leader of the forty Cysts, of all people. Vero’s first instinct was to reach for the weapon holstered at the bac k of his waist.

“Relax,” came a voice from behind him. He whirled, finding Collin and Liam strolling toward him from the kitchen, both munching on pastries. Relief filtered through him, but his instincts remained sharp. Turning back to the room, he stepped inside, already calculating the best way to position himself between Paxton a nd the general.

Waxton, towering at over seven feet tall with broad shoulders and muscled arms, was impossible to miss. He stood, the white strip of hair thick on his head and trailing down to a long braid. His amethyst eyes were calm, his voice booming as he greeted, “Vero, go od to see you.”

Vero crossed the room and shook the general’s hand, his expression neutral. “You as well.” His tone remained automatic as his attention cut to his brother.

Paxton grinned, entirely too relaxed. “Turns out kings use diplom acy. Who knew?”

“Diplomacy?” Vero echoed, lowering himself into a chair while keeping his body angled slightly, ready to move if necessary. “Do you mind explaining tha t to me, King?”

Paxton gestured to the file folder in front of him. “Take a load off. Looks like you’ve been through a war.”

“I’m fine,” Vero replied curtly, flipping open the folder. Inside was a neatly typed contract, the precision catching his attention. He glanced up, his brows lifting. “You tr ied diplomacy?”

Paxton leaned back, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “Figured what the hell. Couldn’t be out there fighting, so I took a page from the King of the Realm. We met off-site and the king acted as mediator. It was quite civilized. Then we started drinking bourbon, the good stuff, and we came up with some inte resting ideas.”

The general nodded. “We’re prepared to return to the fold as spiritual leaders and soldiers. In exchange, we’d like to be fully integrated into the Kurjan nation. No more separation between Cyst members and K urjan members.”

“I’d like that,” Vero said instantly. “The more integrated we are, the st ronger we are.”

“Exactly,” Waxton said, his voice firm as he planted a massive hand on the table. “I’d also like to determine if the Sunshine Cure works for us.”

Vero studied the leader. “Most of the Cyst have refused to try the cure, believing it to be unnatural.”

The general shrugged. “Which is why I’m now the leader—at least of these forty. We want to join the modern times and venture into the sun. We want to work with you, Vero. As equals.” He smiled, revealing dangerous canines. “I even agreed to perform marriages. T he human kind.”

Vero arched a brow and looked at his brother.

Paxton cleared his throat. “Hope was involved in some of the negotiations. Apparently, females like weddings, so we fig ured, why not?”

The general chuckled, a surprising sound coming from someone so stoic. “Believe it or not, I’m quite the romantic.”

Vero had never known that about Waxton, but he couldn’t deny the male would serve as a good choice to lead. “Do you believe you can draw more Cyst in to the nation?”

Waxton nodded. “Yes. If we show a year of prosperity, the others will likely return. We could become quite prosperous when at peace.” His gaze burned w ith conviction.

Peace. It was all Vero had ever wanted. He glanced at Paxton. “So…d iplomacy, huh?”

Paxton grinned, reaching for another donut. “Yeah. Apparently, we still need to perform the Convexus ritual at midnight. Just the four of us: you, me, Waxton, and his second, Erford. We each say our parts, do a quick handshake vow in blood, sign the contract again, and it’s done.”

Vero blinked. “Erford?” The name stirred something deep within him. Erford had trained him as a young soldier, a male known for his kindness and rowdy sense of humor. He’d been considerate yet mischievous, with a strong penchant for practical jokes that left las ting memories.

“Yes,” Waxton confirmed. “He’s scouting the area now to assess where we might build new facilities once we move here.”

These Cyst weren’t just negotiating—they were preparing for the long haul. Vero sat back, sipping his coffee as his mind reeled. He’d spent days worrying about this ritual, but Paxton had handled it with ease. Diplomatically.

He grinned, finally allowing himself a breath of relief. “Welcome back, brother.”

* * * *

Lyrica sat on the bed, wrapped in one of Vero’s oversized T-shirts, the scent of her mate surrounding her like a warm cocoon. She had the bedside lamp on, her phone in hand, scrolling through news articles about recent studies in fission power. While she and Hope had chatted for an hour and enjoyed a very good champagne, Hope had headed to bed a while ago. Lyrica tried to focus, but the thought of the Convexus occurring outside near the river wouldn’t leave her mind.

They had to be about finished by now. Unless the entire situation had been a setup. Then there would be fighting, beheading, a nd dead bodies.

Heavy footsteps echoed outside the door and she looked up as it opened. Vero stepped inside, kicking off his boots with practiced ease.

“Hi,” she said, smiling despite the tightness in her chest. Her heart leaped at the sight of him. “You ’re all right.”

He moved toward her. “I thought you were sleeping.”

“I was,” she said as he sat down, plucked her from the bed, and cradled her in his lap. “But I woke up and missed you.” She rested her forehead against his broad shoulder, inhaling deeply. “Please tell me you h ave good news.”

He kissed her lightly on the nose, his lips warm and tender. “I do,” he said simply. “We performed the quick ritual, Paxton and the general signed the agreement again, and we sent out the video to the entire immortal world. It was surprisingly easy to find peace.”

She pulled back, her eyes wide ning. “Really?”

“Yes,” he replied, his grin easing some of the tension coiling in her chest. “We need to order a lot more building supplies as soon as possible.” He moved so his back rested against the headboard with his legs extended, her safely ensconced in his arms. “Also a lot more of the sparkling water. Apparently the Cyst sol diers love it.”

Sure they did. “No problem,” she said, snuggling against him. “We didn’t have time to talk earlier with all your preparations. You just told me that Hunter showed up and you two came up with a cure for the illness knocking out all your soldiers. I’ve heard laughing and whistling all night from those patrolling outside, so I figu red it worked.”

“Oh, it’s definitely working,” he admitted, though his expression turned wry. “But, uh, it has a side effect.”

Her brows knitted. “What kind o f side effect?”

“It seems to kick the soldiers’ healing cells into overdrive,” he said with a slight grimace, “which also makes them horn ier than hell.”

She blinked, her lips pa rting. “Horny?”

He nodded, his mouth twitching. “I’ve already had to put guards on the single human females for their safety—not that anyone would hurt them, but they might get…courted very ent husiastically.”

She laughed, her tension finally breaking. “Courted enthusiastically? That doesn’t sound so bad.”

He shook his head, clearly not amused. “Let’s just say I won’t forget the sight of Jonathan climbing a fur-laden, icy tree to pick perfect pine cones for a bouquet. He nearly b roke his neck.”

Lyrica snorted, unable to hold back her amusement . “Pine cones?”

“Pine cones,” he confirmed, shaking his head. “The effects seem to be wearing off, so I think everything will be back to normal in a couple of days. But for now, romance is running rampant in the Kurjan nation.”

Her laughter softened into a gentle smile as she rubbed her palm along his whiskered jawline. “I could live with romance being strong in the Kurjan nation. I t sounds…nice.”

“That would be a first,” he admitted, leaning down to kiss her, his lips firm and sure. The kiss spread heat through her body, a sense of home and belonging warming her from the inside out. He paused and leaned over to glance at the laptop she’d left open on the bed. “Anoth er PowerPoint?”

Excitement thrilled through her. “Yeah. It’s a proposal for a new store owned by the knitting groups here in the territory. With their skills, I project they’ll make a profit within the first few months. It’d be nice to give the mates some finan cial security.”

He flicked through screens. “You’re impressive, sweetheart. A bit bossy, but in a way that takes c are of people.”

She placed her hand over his heart. Nobody had ever seen her this clearly. Of course, he ruffled her structured composure any time he wanted. Even though her entire personality had rebelled against relying on him, he’d worked his way right into her heart. She trusted him and realized that gave her strength. And a new freedom to explore. “Also, I’d like to look at the finances, if that’s okay. I’m wondering if paying people more will gain loyalty.”

“Sure. You probably need a raise as well.”

She hadn’t thought about that. “I figured my million dollars was pay enoug h once I left.”

“You’re not leaving,” he said evenly. “But you can still h ave the money.”

She perked up, having no intention of leaving, ever. “I don’t want to t ake that much.”

He shrugged. “I have a few billion of my own, so spend all you like.”

A few billion? Dollars? “Wow.” She’d have to think about that one.

“Like I said, you’re staying, but I hope you don’t mind the cold and snow.”

She could feel his heartbeat beneath her palm. So steady and strong. “I love the cold and snow. It reminds me of the happy and safe times of my childhood. So,” she said, her voice teasing, “we’ re mated, huh?”

“In every way possible.” He held her close. His body heat alone could have chased away any lingering chill. His lips twitched. “Paxton just went to find Hope. The walls are thin. We might want to turn on some music.” His grin turned mischievous as he shifted her to straddle his lap. “We have the rest of the night before I need to r eturn to work.”

“I love your smile. It’s rare, and I can change that. I’d like to see it all the time.” Her legs tightened around his waist as her hands landed on his th ick shoulders.

His gaze softened. “You have wa ys to do that?”

She leaned in closer, her nose brushing his. “I can think of a couple,” she murmured, her voice dropping . “I love you.”

“I know,” he said, his grin softening into something deeper. His lips brushed hers in a slow, reverent kiss. “I love you too.”