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Page 25 of Shattered Galaxies (Tears of the Siren #6)

Cormac was quiet for a long moment, trapped in thought, and I wondered briefly if he would continue to push the topic.

I wouldn’t have blamed him. As my twin he was well aware of my tendency to do things that appeared ‘self-sacrificing’ in nature, like at Broken House.

When his gaze moved to mine and he seemed to find what he was looking for there, he let out a long sigh and shook his head in disbelief.

“Well that’s a good thing, right?” he murmured. “We’ve never wanted to be sirens. Although…if you’re no longer a siren and I am, are we still twins?”

The last part was said in jest, but I could tell he was concerned about the change—about the break in our similarities. Knocking shoulders with him, I offered a warm smile. “Always. We will always be twins.” Literally, it was impossible not to be.

“Seriously, though—in this situation, the ends justify the means,” I said, though I’m not sure he completely bought it. “I’m just trying to sort through how it makes me feel. I’ve worked so hard to heal, and?—”

“Nothing about this changes what you’ve done,” Cormac said, grabbing my hand.

“You’re stronger than ever, Lorcan. You’ve done all of this .

This entire universe, all of the realms, will be safe because of your sacrifice.

Don’t ever doubt your strength. The price is huge, but you’ve sacrificed selflessly.

I’m proud of your choice. I’m proud of you. ”

“Thank you,” I whispered, leaning into him and closing my eyes. Cormac wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and the two of us sat there for a long moment, allowing the weight of everything that had happened between when we last saw one another and now to settle over us.

“Don’t want to interrupt a sibling bonding session, but there’s a very eager puppy who wants to see his mom—shit!” Quinn, one of Cormac’s bonded, let out an amused squeak as Woody forced his way past her. I broke into a smile as my brother picked up the pup.

Standing, I pulled Quinn into a hug, and a surprised noise left her.

Quinn and Elliot, twins from the Demonic realm, were an interesting pair and perfect for Cormac in so many ways.

While the first was confident and sharp-tongued, the second had a bit more of a playful and flirty demeanor.

They weren’t fantastic with big emotional talks, but luckily a hug didn’t require that.

I hope she understood what I was saying, though—that I was thanking her, and by proxy her sister, Riley, and Felix for watching out for Cormac.

For taking care of him the way he deserved.

Letting go of Quinn, I called for Woody to follow as I walked back to the front of the house. Everyone except for Dean had gone inside, the man waiting for me at the door. Offering a small nod at his questioning look, I placed my hand in his as we stepped into the luxurious and homey space.

Immediately, the sun-soaked interior had me letting out a big breath of relief.

The high ceilings, exposed wooden beams, and stone floors were architectural statements softened by the warm, comfortable furniture.

It was one of the only places in the world where I could remember feeling a very strong sense of safety and privacy.

Something I valued so damn much, especially with all the attention that my brother and I received.

“I’m making food!” Felix called out from the kitchen, “Let me know if you want hot dogs or hamburgers.”

I nodded, knowing one of my men would tell him I’d want both, and a double serving—there was no avoiding it.

The rest of the group was spread out, talking and catching up as soft music played in the background.

Riley and Elliot, the other two of Cormac’s bonded, were making drinks for everyone, and I offered both a smile in greeting.

It wasn’t until I spotted Zander that I found myself moving across the room, intrigued to finally fully meet his cousin.

“Lorcan.” Elora immediately turned toward me, her red hair pulled back from her face and her bright lavender eyes filled with authentic happiness at seeing me. “It’s so good to meet you. Cormac has told me so much about you.”

Considering the way her ears turned pink, I had a feeling Cormac had told her a lot about everything. I could tell Zander was amused as well, and I felt relief at knowing where the two of us stood, especially considering the jealousy I used to feel at his connection with Elora.

“I actually wanted to thank you for being here and making sure everything was okay on this end. There have been a lot of threats, and I know that for all of you months have passed.” I frowned. “Hopefully it wasn’t too much.”

“I love being here, and I love being with the group of them,” she promised. “I heard the sacrifice you made, Lorcan, so I think the gratitude should be towards you, if anyone.”

“Hopefully all of this will be worth it,” I said softly. “We do have one more security concern we need to be mindful of, though—outside of the whole ‘end of the world’ thing.”

Zander nodded in encouragement, so I took a deep breath and faced the room. “Zander found out who my stalker was last night.”

All conversations came to a halt, but knowing Maggie was present made me suppress my own feelings on the matter, trying to maintain a level of calm. I’d already had a moment for my own shock.

“Who?” Desmond demanded.

“Senator Malcroy—Toris’s father.”