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“Without you leeches,” Goldie was snarling. “My Rook would never have matched with an omega like—”
“Likewhat?” Ebony asked, clear and cutting. “An omega who would throw herself between rutting alphas to protect him?” There was a sneer on his face as he took a step back. “You’re right. Rook’s moving up in the world. His omega bloodline doesn’t host quite suchcalibre.”
With that, he turned to leave.
Goldie’s eyes bulged, and she was half mad with rage. Benjamin had to catch her from leaping at the gates. I turned, following Ebony as Felix’s curses chased us down the drive.
There was still a shadow in Ebony’s eyes as we made our way through the front door. “You aren’t allowed to do more. Not to Rook’s family.”
“Vex’s success will be enough,” he said quietly.
I was left pondering one thing as we returned to Vex’s nest. “What do you think about what she did in that cage?” I asked as we walked up the stairs.
He glanced at me, then shrugged. “Reckless and stupid.”
Yet, I could see it there again, that flash in his eyes. Now she was safe and well, it was clear that he was absolutely smitten by what she’d done.
He was right on a good number of things today, the least of which being how harsh I was on Rook.
I might have to reckon with another harsh truth.
I’d thought it was fear that led me to isolate our pack from omegas and scent matches, but it may well have been pride. Who was I to decide Ebony couldn’t handle a mate—that he would hurt her?
He was proving me wrong every day, and our pack was changing because of it.
THIRTY
LOVE
When we returned to Vex’s nest, it was to find Rook and Vex still cuddled on the couch. Drake had put on Aura Boxing—a questionable choice since I wondered if itwouldeven be Rook’s favourite anymore.
The two were bundled in blankets and pillows, and Rook had her clutched in his arms like he might never let her go.
Drake was at their side, a lingering smile on his face as he glanced at them.
“Still high?” I asked, dropping down beside him. The pain meds Dr. Davis had given them weren’t light.
“As kites,” Drake replied.
Rook was slumped back, squeezing her tight in his arms, voice a low whisper. “I don’t know what to do, Vex. You deserve to be happy, and you deserve mates who care about you. But I don’t have the right to be on the same fucking hemisphere as you, and I don’t know what to do about that.”
I felt a little pang of guilt as his pain came down the bond. Maybe… Maybe Ebony had been right. Maybe this pain had been here the whole time, and I’d been ignoring it.
“Well, it sounds like booking a flight would be a good start,” Vex replied, a cheeky sparkle in her dazed eyes.
He looked around dramatically, then grabbed his phone from the cushion beside him. She giggled, but shoved it down, forcing him to meet her eyes again. “Don’t… don’t actually leave me.”
“Okay. I won’t. Not ever.”
Listening to them muttering to each other like teens with too much gossip was quite sweet. Drake had to keep burying his face in his jacket so they wouldn’t hear him snickering.
“I’m the luckiest man in the world now that you’ll let me hold you,” Rook was whispering much too loudly. “You’re so perfect. You’re funny, andsokind, and your eyes they’re… they’re pretty. Not just pretty, Vex. Like when I saw your real eyes for the first time—I didn’t even know it was possible for anyone to be that beautiful.”
Vex’s cheeks were glowing pink as she pushed herself up, swaying slightly, golden eyes struggling to focus on him. “You’re really pretty too,” she whispered.
“More than Ebony?” he asked.
She swallowed, lips parting as she considered that. “I’m not allowed to say that.”
