AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It didn't cross my mind until then that he might. The thought was sickening.
"You would have told me," I said, even though I wasn't sure he would. If he was sworn to secrecy, he would have had no choice but to keep quiet.
"Of course I would." He didn't look convinced either. He would have wanted to, but he knew as well as I did his hands might have been tied. It was easy to say things like that after the fact, when you couldn't be proved wrong.
One thing I knew for sure, he would have absolutely hated not being upfront with me.
"What do you think will happen?" he asked after a moment. "If Ryze can stop the Summer Court from taking omegas, maybe the Silent Maidens will be dispersed. What will happen to those girls?"
I shook my head slowly. "I have no idea. I don't think dispersing them will be easy. Especially those who are omegas. Their families might not want them back." By that I meant, as far as I knew, mine wouldn't have wanted me back. It seemed unlikely I was the only one in that situation.
"They might not want to go back," Zared said. "Lots of those girls had a better life in the Temple than they did in their homes."
"It's true," I conceded. I spent many hours communicating with my sisters about their lives before, what they remembered of it. Some were lucky to have a meal a day until they became Silent Maidens. They could hardly believe they were allowed three, even if they were hurried up by the gong. Most of them ate like the food in front of them might disappear anyway.
"I was told one of the maidens who lived in the Temple years before me was a princess." I thought back to what seemed a lifetime or two ago now. "I don't think she was better off at the Temple."
"Being married off to someone she doesn't care about because her father says so? Maybe she was." His gaze returned to the window. "Is it any better having to fuck someone just because your body says it needs it? It doesn't sound like either is a great choice."
His eyes seemed to track a small boat as it sailed past. It would be nice to catch the breeze and go wherever it took you, riding above the waves without a care. Until a storm dragged you under.
"I suppose so," I said. "I know which one I’d choose if those were my only choices."
"You'd make a great Queen," he said as though he thought that would be the choice I’d take.
I slapped him lightly on the arm. "The other one, silly. I'd rather fuck a stranger for an hour or two than spend the rest of my life with someone I hate." That would be a miserable existence for both of us.
"Wouldn't that depend on the stranger?" He glanced over to Ryze and Wornar. "If that Cavan asshole is as bad as they say… Could you do it if you hated him?" Zared asked. "Or her?"
Of course there were circumstances where people were born in the wrong body, so presumably a woman could have a knot and be an alpha. I'd have to ask Ryze about that later. I'd never been interested in another woman that way, so it was unlikely I'd find out firsthand.
As for getting down on all fours and presenting for someone I hated…
"I don't know," I said finally. "I don't know if it's possible for an omega to reject an alpha like that. Every time I find out something, there’s another question waiting for more answers. Then another after that. That might be why Fae lived for so long. They're waiting for all the answers."
He snorted softly and slipped his arms around me. "I wish I could give them to you myself." He pressed his stubbly cheek to my smooth one. "I wish I could change you back, if it means taking away all the complications."
"I think I'm stuck with the complications," I said softly. "But I appreciate the thought."
"I'd do anything for you," he whispered. "Whatever you need, I'm here for you. As long as I…can be."
"Zared…" Shit, now there were tears in my eyes. "We're stuck with each other for a long time yet."
"I'm going to be one hells of an old man, with a young, beautiful Fae lover." His laugh was a warm breath of air over my ear.
"I'll be the same age as you," I pointed out. Trust a man to think of something like that.
"But you won't look it. You'll be gorgeous when I'm all old and wrinkled. Will you still crawl to me when I am?" He blew on my earlobe and made me shiver.
"Only if you ask nicely." How else could I answer that? I couldn't imagine not being attracted to him, no matter what he looked like, but the difference between us was going to cause a strain eventually.
For now, we could enjoy each other. We’d worry about what happened later when later came. That would happen soon enough.
"I don't like asking nicely," he said, his arms tightening around me. "In case you hadn't noticed, I liked telling you what to do and you doing it. You're mine, that's how it should be."
"I did notice that," I agreed. "I liked it too. As long as you don't get used to doing it outside the bedroom." I had a feeling if he could, he'd have me crawling to him anywhere and everywhere. The thought made me hot all over again.
His chest rumbled against me as he laughed. "I wouldn't dare. You're much too scary for that. You always have been."
