Epilogues
I glare at Zolkan as we clear the final flight of stairs, turning to face our new home’s omega suite.
Stanley darts between us and races forward, chuffing while he excitedly sniffs at the opulent chamber’s curved walls.
His tails wag in two directions—and I suppose I see why. This place is perfect for Sofi.
It’s hard to focus on the iridescent walls or the pearly stone floors while my packmate is being such a sap-skull, though.
“How could you say that?” I demand.
Zolkan shrugs, keeping one arm around Sofi as he smirks. “I think I’m right.”
Spoken like a true king, Cylus chimes internally, not bothering to glance up from his latest tekk report. Sofi doesn’t know it yet, but he’s very close to finding a way to contact her Earth friends. We’re planning to surprise her with it after the Turn tomorrow.
All of Khanos will celebrate from the moment the suns rise until they start to set.
Then, every single Roktusian on the planet will stand outside, watching the fateful moment when our suns complete their annual rotation—shifting to place the blue sister in the highest position for the upcoming cold season.
The Turn is always my favorite day of the orbit. Experiencing it with my mate will only make it more perfect.
These other fuckers, however...
“You are not right,” I fire back.
Our Zortaire chuckles. “I’m the Prime Alpha, and she seems like a beta to me, so...”
I drop the crate I’m carrying beside our empty bedframe, gaping at Zolkan. “Meredith Grey,” I burst, “was definitely an omega.”
Stanley barks and Sofi laughs, filling our empty chamber with the greatest sound on Khanos. “Have you guys been debating this in your heads? We finished re-watching Grey’s weeks ago.”
She means spans ago, but we’re mostly used to her funny human words, now.
Cylus found a way to stream all her beloved Earth entertainment and that helped a lot.
For the last two lapses, we’ve ended our days in our omega’s bed, each of us vying for the best spot to hold her while we watch her “shows.”
Unless, of course, we’re in her nest.
Then none of us have much patience for distractions.
Sofi hears the bent of my thoughts and slants me a teasing look. “Seriously? Now? We have no bed, rascal.”
My new nickname sends a flurry of warmth through my veins. Once our omega explained what the word means in her language, I had to admit it was appropriate. And it does sound a lot like Rask…
She normally calls Zolkan “my king,” in her softest, sweetest voice; though I know she purposely waits until we’re around others to use “Alpha.” Our little fighter loves to turn us on and make our horns darken—especially in front of important dignitaries and advisors.
That’s how Cylus ended up with my favorite of all her recent pet name inventions. Inspired by the show Zolkan and I keep debating.
“Hey, McGrumpy,” I call, grinning. “Get off that holotab and help me calculate which surface in this chamber is large enough for all of us to—"
Zolkan abruptly stops Sofi in the center of the suite. Tension stiffens his back.
I hear his growl in our bond before it rips out of him. Stanley immediately echoes the vicious snarl, his spine spikes lifting.
Instinct kicks in. I snatch Sofi into my arms, prepared to launch out the window and fly her to our nest for safety. She gasps, obviously catching sight of whatever Zolkan sees before he charges forward, projecting an image through our bond.
It’s… a gift?
There is a small black box on the suite’s lone table. Only it’s an unusual shape, and it isn’t made of a material I’m familiar with.
There are dozens of facets, all onyx, each one somehow shining and absorbing every particle of light around it. I’ve been on more planets than I ever wanted to, but I’ve never seen anything so…
Dark.
Sofi squirms, mentally tutting about me, Zolkan, and our “dog.” You silly males.
I reluctantly set her down, keeping my arm hooked around her waist as Cylus approaches the table. He places his holotab beside the present, eyeing it with his head cocked.
Clearly, his curiosity has shifted. I can tell even before I tune in to his mental musings.
Zolkan is less intrigued and more pissed. This makes no sense, he tells us internally. Before today, this omega suite was supposed to be sealed off. Maybe we need to reassess our security here at the Sea Castle.
Huh. Maybe we need to reassess our security everywhere. Grimacing, I remember how I used to override the palace’s security measures to sneak into Sofi’s room every night, just to be near her. Our omega overhears me and flashes her adorable, outraged expression. “What?!”
Stanley rumbles his concern, turning accusatory eyes on me. I shush our omega with my lips on hers, chuckling. Careful, or he’ll bite my lower prick off. Besides, I only let myself in a few times, korryna.
I nudge her attention away from my previous stalking, nodding at the two very concerned alphas across the chamber. She sobers, but also elbows me, narrowing the most beautiful eyes in the galaxy at me. You are so not off the hook, rascal.
Instead of taking me to task, she spins out of my hold and floats across the room. Her delicate hand traces Zolkan’s spine, caressing his scarred skin and sending a flood of love through their tether. Gentling him.
“It’s just a gift, you guys.” She giggles, stretching up onto her toes to kiss Cylus’s scowl. “Sheesh.”
Stanley seems to hear her loud and clear. Losing interest, he goes back to sniffing the perimeter while some of the tension leaves Zolkan’s posture.
I feel his swell of adoration for our mate as keenly as I do my own. It draws me over to them. I clap a hand on each of my packmates’ shoulders, asking, “Should we touch it?”
Cylus continues running odds in his mind as he unclips an instrument from his healers’ belt.
He pokes at the odd, shimmering container, squinting.
Wisps of shadow peel off the box, evaporating in graceful curls of smoke.
Leaving a plain black case behind. When it doesn’t explode or make any noise, our healer picks it up.
Sofi bends around his furry arm to watch as he flips the container’s lid open and pours a shining gold chain into his blue palm. It’s… expensive. Priceless, probably. A thick necklace, adorned with three enormous moonstones.
Another tendril of shadow materializes, silently winding through the damp sea air. Disappearing as delicately as it appeared, it leaves only a single slip of paper on the table.
Holy Gods.
I stretch a protective arm in front of Sofi as I lean closer, reading the short message written in Galactician.
Dearest Zortana,
We heard you were fond of threes. Please accept this token and our heartfelt congratulations on all your happy news.
Sincerely, The Princes of Drakos