That was one of the longest nights of my life. Clarence couldn’t get away from Ferrick’s prying eyes. We had no way tocontact him, and we weren’t sure even Pras could get into the castle unharmed under the new leadership. I paced and cried and roared but slowly the flight link calmed. All around the city little parties popped up. Some people gathered to remember and mourn the fallen leader. Others gathered to celebrate the death of an abusive tyrant. Ferrick sent alcohol and food to both schools of thought. By the end of that first night everyone thought the new leader was on their side.
Things were shockingly normal under Ferrick Moonscale. Society functioned better under him too. It was scary how quickly people forgot what he had been known for. Over the next few months, everyone assumed that it was Roster behind all his violence. How could they not when Ferrick ensured everyone had their needs met. He planted fruit trees along the sidewalks and invited school children to tour the castle gardens and farmland. Everywhere he went, Charden was by his side. They were the posterchildren for omega empowerment. At least they would’ve been if some of us hadn’t remembered what he had done.
Ferrick enacted new laws and traditions almost daily. Not all of them were bad either. Some were selfish like the first born or hatched child of the alpha leader being the heir to the leadership, but only after the alpha and his mate had moved on. Others punished adultery with public thrashings and created a registry for true-mates and chosen mates. Big fancy weddings went back in style. He married Charden but assured everyone the wolf wizard had nothing to do with leadership. I wanted to go to the wedding as Clarence’s date but none of the others would hear of it.
Three months into the leadership of Ferrick Moonscale had left me with little time with my alpha and I was desperate to seemore of him. His carrier kept him busy with the tasks of running a large territory. It meant he was gathering intel and followers. He appointed Pras as his right-hand man and I burnt my kitchen curtains to a crisp when I heard the news. Everyone was helping – even Volex was his official bodyguard in public spaces. It was as if he had a spot for everyone except for me in his new life. Sometimes it felt as if the whole revolution died with Roster and I wondered if even Pras, Clarence, and Volex had forgotten what our real mission was. Sure, things were good for now, but it was only a matter of time before Ferrick found a new reason to smash eggs.
Unable to take being left out or manage the feelings of depersonalization that came along with the current events unfolding before my eyes, I traveled to the countryside to spend time with my parents. They lived near where Moonglow Cabin is located today. My parents did their best to console me. They were the only ones outside of my immediate friend group that knew the truth about Clarence. I ate large meals and spent more time lounging in hammocks than I knew was possible despite growing up in the country.
My parents worked with several groups that had spent decades trying to make peaceful changes in the Moonscale Territory to varying degrees of success. Several times my carrier crossed the line into not so peaceful protesting, but needs must when those in need are your own people.
So with my unplanned vacation to the countryside, as usual, my parents had two very different outlooks on what they dubbed the Clarence situation.
“You have to give him time to see if Ferrick is actually crazy. He doesn’t want to endanger you. I think that’s admirable butthat may be because I fancy your head where it is,” my sire said, spearing a boiled potato on a fork and gesturing with his hands as he spoke at the dinner table.
“Bullshit,” my carrier responded and had to waft away a ring of smoke that shot from his nose. “Ferrick is batshit. We all know that. I’m sickened at how quickly everyone has forgotten how many eggs he smashed. I know you love him, honey, but he’s as ballless as his sire or he’d have done something about this already. Roster didn’t take care of Ferrick, and I don’t believe for a second that Clarence is going to take care of you.”
I did my best not to cry into the pot roast but didn’t manage to hold my tears back. Even without my parents voicing their thoughts, my brain flipflopped back and forth between those very ideas. Maybe it was easier for Clarence to forget about me. Simpler for him. Easier for him to carry on with his life as Ferrick’s little puppet.
The weeks wore on into months and each day I was a bit more isolated from the outside world. My life became the rhythm of the countryside. I worked around the house and in the garden with my parents. I hunted deer, pheasant, ducks, and rabbits and feasted to my heart’s content on the rare days I found myself hungry for something more than what we put on the table. At night, I cried myself to sleep and I hated myself for it. True-mate or not, no person should have this sort of power over me.
Late one night, someone tapped on my window. I ignored the sound and pulled the covers up higher over my head. It was probably Volex because he had come out at least once a week in vain attempts to convince me to return to Moonscale London. Ferrick and Clarence could divide the city in half and shove itup their asses for all I cared. Only this time, the tapping and knocking was insistent. I took a deep breath and held my fire in the back of my throat. It was unlikely that I’d do much damage to Volex, but he’d lose his eyebrows for a few hours or days at least.
When I tore open the window and found myself face to face with Clarence, I still let the fire out. What right did he have to show up here now? How big had his balls grown while Ferrick was puppeting him around? Could he even fit them in his damn trousers anymore?
“Medwin!” he hissed, dodging the flame with ease. “It’s me! Clarence!”
“I know damn well who you are! I’m not the one who forgot my mate!” I snapped.
“I didn’t forget you! You went on a weekend trip to visit your parents and never came back,” he said, holding onto the window seal, his wings outstretched and waving in the breeze to keep himself at level with my second story window.
“Who told you it was for the weekend? It certainly wasn’t me!” I said, pondering closing the window on his fingers, but even though he was a giant, scaley ass I couldn’t bring myself to inflict that sort of harm on him. He deserved it, but I had my sire’s soft spots.
“Volex,” he said, trying to peer past me into the room.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
“Are you here with someone else?” he asked, raising his eyebrows high on his forehead.
“It would serve you right if I were!” I huffed, leaning my hands down between his. “But no, I’m here alone with my parents. Who do you think I am? Roster Moonscale?”
“What is going on?” he asked, swinging one leg over the window seal to let himself in.
I backed up and gave him space. Before either of us could say anything, my bedroom door fell in with a crash. My carrier charged in with a flaming baseball bat and swung wildly at Clarence who dodged it – barely. His shirt sleeve caught on fire, but he missed having any bones crushed.
“MY SON TOLD YOU HE DOESN’T WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT CITY THAT JUDA FORESOOK! LEAVE HIM ALONE AND STOP COMING HERE OR I’LL BEAT YOU TO A PULP! THEN I’LL ROAST YOUR BALLS AND MAKE YOU EAT THEM SO YOU HAVE THE ENERGY TO HEAL BEFORE I BEAT YOUR ASS AGAIN!”
“Dad!” I sprung in between them. “This is Clarence, not Volex.”
Dad blew the fiery end of the baseball out as if it was nothing more than a birthday candle. He looked Clarence up and down, his lip curling up in disgust. Before I could say anything else, he dropped the bat, and gently moved me out of the way. Then Clarence looked up at him. I saw the realization that my carrier was taller than him hit his brain. He was also broader than him, having gone to school some years before Roster Moonscale was born.
“Oh, shit,” Clarence said under his breath.
That was the wrong choice as he soon learned. My carrier picked my alpha up by the shirt and held him up as if he needed to put his head closer to the light despite the room being dark.
“Put him down!” I said, knowing that nothing short of my sire coming in to soothe his temper would do the trick.
“Why are you here?” Dad asked, his voice more level than when he thought Volex had woken the whole house for the umpteenth week in a row.
