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“We got the house,” Wilder said from across the kitchen.
Avery’s head whipped around. “We did?”
Wilder nodded, smiling. Again, he looked at the ceiling. “That wasn’t the one piece I was looking for, so I’ve gotta ask for another. Sorry.”
Avery laughed before looking at the sizzling mess of a breakfast he’d attempted to make. “We need to finish this up before we head to court.”
Wilder walked closer and surveyed the mess. After lifting a spatula and inspecting under the potatoes, he eyed Avery. “A little crispy, but I think they’re okay.” He waved toward the other pan. “That one might be a goner. Luckily, there was no food in it.” He reached under the counter and drew out another pan. “Eggs. I’m on it. Why don’t you sit down for a minute?”
“No, we can finish this together.”
“I don’t cook much, but Icanfry a few eggs.”
Avery pointed to the pan with the potatoes. “Do you even know what this is?”
“Fried potatoes?”
“Sort of… they’re the base for breakfast hash. There are more ingredients to go.”
Wilder scratched his head. “All this before court? I'm not sure if my nerves will allow me to eat so much.”
“Me, either. Not now.”
Wilder smiled. “How about this? I put these potatoes in a container and into the fridge. I’ll wash up the dishes while you go shower and get dressed.”
“What about breakfast?”
“We can stop in the coffee shop downstairs and get a cup to go and a bagel. We can save this delicious-smelling concoction of yours for tomorrow morning’s breakfast.”
Avery took a deep breath, realizing tomorrow morning might not come, but he wasn’t hungry anymore. “Sure.Tomorrow.”Let them live in the fantasy a while longer.
He pressed a kiss to Wilder’s lips. “I’ll go shower.”
Avery slipped into the bedroom and closed the door, his smile hurting his face. He couldn’t stop the expression, the muscles of his face groaning.
Yet once under the shower, more tears came through that smile.
The shower door opened and suddenly, he was dragged against his alpha’s powerful chest as the water poured over them—Wilder still dressed in the shorts he’d slept in. Avery leaned into his mate’s strength and let the rest of the tears loose… until there was no more to fall.
* * *
Avery satto Rohan’s left behind a shining wood table in the Tribunal courtroom. Rohan and Tensen were deep in conversation beside him, whispering in low tones. He could only make out a word or two here and there. He realized he should likely listen closer, but it was hard to considering the overwhelming space they were in. The courtroom was vast, the ceilings at least twenty feet high. Large banners hung behind the dais where the five judges would soon sit—one bearing the provincial emblem and color, another with the palatinate’s emblem and hue.
Behind him, the gallery was full to capacity. When Avery spun to look over his shoulder, the first face he saw was that of his mate. He smiled at Wilder, though he sensed the expression was wobbly, at best. To Wilder’s right, his family gathered, including Brett, his brothers, uncle, and he and Rohan’s newborn.
Their smiles and nods of encouragement meant the world to him.
Behind, he saw a mix of faces, most unfamiliar, as well as a row of reporters standing at the back with their cameramen. The entire province would watch the proceedings. More pressure.
Wonderful.
“It’s going to be okay,” Wilder murmured behind him. “We’re here for you, baby.”
“All rise!”
Avery stood, his legs as wobbly as his smile had seemed. He observed the judges as they walked in, one behind the other, their gazes never drifting his way. He examined their faces, searching for some sign of emotion or reaction to his presence, but saw nothing.
“Please be seated,” the judge in the middle, and from what he’d been told, the leader of the Tribunal, said. As distracted as he was, Avery couldn’t recall the man’s name. All he could do was stare at the bushy eyebrows that needed trimming over pale eyes. “We are here to hear the matter of Avery Stephens. The full Tribunal hearing shall now commence.”
