Chapter 33
CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE
Violet
I never knew things could be like this. Of course, this is, by definition, the honeymoon phase.
Sex is eye-opening, wonderful, and yet there’s a nagging thought that there should be a higher peak.
I look over at my mate— my mate —still sleeping, the sheets tangled and all that naked flesh showing.
I start getting hot, so I turn. My phone lights up on the nightstand, and I grab it as I head down to the kitchen on the floor below. The other floors are going to be my works in progress, but I love living in his space, what he had as his two-floor apartment.
It’s intimate. I look at the text from Rue, of course. She’s all emojis and runaway sentences about the ceremony, what we’re doing, and Queen Bee’s latest Stitches. It’s a little reminder of home that I need right now.
Shouldn’t you be asleep?
Rue’s right on top of it.
Rue
Got lots 2 do, Vi. A LOT 2 catch up on. Heath says ur in the Caribbean, but I don’t believe him. The QB just announced the latest ball. There r others y’know, still wanting a mate. The unmated Omegas, the poor things. They can’t all b luxe. Can u believe Mom said we might not b going? But u will so we will.
It’s like talking to her directly, only in text form.
Before I can send off a response, my phone shows she’s still typing, so I pull out things from the fridge and search for a pan to cook in.
Eggs. Spinach. Feta.
Also berries, and a thick plain yogurt that’s so creamy and decadent I could eat it by the spoonful. Then in the pantry I pull out the nut and seed granola. Perfect.
I look at my phone. New message is through.
Rue
Tell Mom we r going. U r. W Asher. Ur the envy of so many. If he doesn’t have a bro, does he have a friend who’ll wait 4 me?
I text back, and I slice the berries and heat the pan.
No brother, and I’m not sure Heath’s going to allow you to be with an older Emporia man.
Rue
He’ll b a star!!! No. I meant here. I might want 2 move, but not sure.
She says this like she’s twenty-one and about to have her first Season. I bite down on my smile as I whisk the eggs and chop the spinach. It probably needs tomatoes but there aren’t any. I find some parmesan and grate it, adding it to the feta. I wilt the spinach in the pan, quickly adding some twists of pepper, then I toss that on the cheeses.
Rue
No, I want 1 of his friends from here.
Heath will kill you and the guy.
Rue
Heath’s so stuffy.
Oh, Heath will love being called stuffy. But he can barely tolerate me with one of his friends. I don’t think he’d let another sibling run off and mate with one of Stephan’ s.
Rue
Heath’s spending time with Asher’s agent! Anyway, Vi. The BALL. Monarch announced it and the QB. I luv her. I want 2 go as her. Mask wise. The ball is honey and nectar. I could just DIE, Vi. Anyway, how’s the S-E-X? As good as all the books I read? The Stitch graphic novels? It looks really raunchy. Esp 4 Omega/Alpha. Knotting iz hawt
She breaks off. And there’s nothing.
I’m about to text her when I get another message.
Rue
Don’t encourage her. As far as she knows, you and Stephan hold hands.
It’s definitely from Heath. It reeks of stuffiness. I shake my head and text Heath back.
Give Rue her phone. Or maybe I will share every sordid detail.
Heath
Fine. But first, fair warning. Everyone’s coming to visit soon. Mari got it out of me where you are. Then she and Iris are in the middle of an argument with the red-headed hanger-on about the virtues of an at-home honeymoon and if it can be called that. Shit. Now Rue’s involved. Dahlia’s playing Beethoven’s fifth. And Mom just joined in and said he’ll take you somewhere nice soon. I better go deal. Love you, Vi.
Love you too. All of you.
I smile.
We do hold hands.
I lower the heat and put a chunk of butter in the pan, then pour in the eggs to make the omelet. When they’re almost done, I add the filling, fold it, and the toast pops up right on time.
The scent of oak envelops me, warm and slightly spicy with a hint of sweetness, as Stephan wraps an arm around me.
He pulls me in to him. He’s not wearing a shirt. And my body instantly heats and melts. “Mmm, Princess, fucking hot in bed, ready to please, can dance and cook, too. My god, is this my life?”
I turn and rub my face against his chest.
I don’t even know how real he’s been, or if it’s just kindness, or the newness of this, but I’m overcome. “Domestic, that’s me. The living stereotype of an Omega.”
He spins me to drop a kiss on my lips.
“No, never. You? Princess, you’ve got deep, untapped treasure, and I’m a greedy man who will mine all your jewels.”
He kisses me slowly, until I’m slick between my legs and his erection is pushing into me. I want to test out my new skills on giving him head, but I remember what Heath said, and while I’m wearing Stephan’s T-shirt and nothing else, I don’t want my family turning up when he’s balls to the wall in me.
“Sit, I’ll serve.”
But he just smiles as he pinches a slice of strawberry and eats it. He pours the juice and the coffee, and flips the toast to a plate .
“You take the food, and I’ll bring the drinks. We can eat on the back balcony off the living room. It overlooks the water and is private because I own that slice of beach too.
“Sounds nice.”
I take the tray he loads and make my way upstairs.
The street he lives on is more exclusive than ours and our townhouse is pretty much up there. There aren’t many houses along the beach, and in the distance, I can see people strolling on the sand. I think about the snippets of bad boy Asher St. James I’ve read about, all the endless women, the drinking, the fast cars.
The lazy smile of a charmer who breaks hearts.
Asher might be Stephan, but Stephan is so much more. Private and public, and this is private.
Or maybe he had trysts here.
Not, not here. This place is too personal.
At least that’s what I tell myself.
Because there’s nothing to base any of those drifting thoughts on.
“Here’s your juice,” he says, handing it to me. “Drink it all up. Got a feeling about this weekend…”
“I’m up for sex.”
“I’ve created a monster.” He drops a kiss on my head. “And I’m happy about that.”
We eat breakfast, making small talk. It’s so nice, I could get used to this. I am getting used to this, I realize.
He’s attentive, charming, and he likes being with me. And even I know the chemistry’s through the roof; neither of us can get enough of the other.
Early days…very early days, I tell my rapidly swooping an d soaring heart, the one that’s falling hard for him. Early days.
“After we finish, we should definitely take advantage of—” He swears as his phone lights up, annoyed at the interruption. And then his face takes on a grim expression as he reads the message.
“What is it?” I ask.
“What do you think? My fucking aunt has demanded we turn up at the Council. I guess this honeymoon’s over.”
My heart starts to go crazy for all the wrong reasons.
“Just Sophine being Sophine. Nosy as shit and with something up her sleeve, no doubt. Fuck, I hate this place.”
That makes it go crazy again.
“Not because of you, Princess. It’s the battle-ax. Once we step out there in public again, everyone’s gonna know we’re here. Our little home is now just a haven to come to. Come on, I guess we’d better get this shit over with.”
The Monarch isn’t in her throne room, and I think it’s the first time I’ve seen the buzz of the inner workings of the Council as we pass people working.
She is, however, in a resplendent office, and when we arrive, she sits at her desk, silvery hair up, slate-gray suit on, tapping something on her phone.
After a few moments, Stephan sighs. Loudly. “If this is a power play, then get over it.”
She raises a perfect brow at him and doesn’t respond.
Stephan might be able to speak to her like that, but Sophine is above everyone, and I’m shaking inside, my stomach twisting because her displeasure is obvious. It stings the air, but Stephan seems unmoved. He just goes over to the bar and starts opening and sniffing the booze. Then when he finds something he likes the smell of, he picks it up.
“I think I’ll take this for our troubles and go?—”
“Arrogant behavior didn’t work on me when you were a child. Why do you think it’ll work now? Might I remind you the Season isn’t over, and you need to behave. Or it won’t reflect well on the Gardeners in future Seasons, and that will sit on your shoulders.”
He stalks over to her and sets the bottle down roughly, leaning on the desk and glaring at her. She glares right back.
They’re both being childish, but obviously I hold my tongue. I’ve been mated for mere days now, and even got mated to avoid scandal. Her threat is very real.
The realization slams me back from the small cloud I’ve been on and into reality once more.
Maybe Stephan and I have something, and I hope we do. It feels like we do, and I’ll do everything to make it a happy life for him. But I’m aware of how it started, when he bit me, marked me.
“I know you and your nephew have your differences,” I say, voice shaking, “but I’m sure he’s just upset our honeymoon was interrupted.”
“I’m sure he was,” she says, sending him a long side-eye.
“Clearly I’m fucking pissed about that, but whatever beef we have is with each other, so leave Violet and her family out of this.”
A flicker of a smile appears on her mouth .
“Now, Violet.” Her gaze swings to me. “Do you have any idea who this nasty little so-called Queen Bee is?”
I stare at her. What a weird direction this has gone. “No idea. It could be anyone. It could be a group… I… I don’t have much of a social life.”
“And we’re meant to be on our honeymoon,” Stephan says again to emphasize that point. “You know, following the societal rules.”
Sophine smacks a hand on the table. “You’re still part of the Season, which is why you stayed here.” A small smirk plays across her face. “I ask because I’m going to find this person and destroy her. Whoever she is.”
“Maybe it’s a man,” Stephan says. “Fredrick looks untrustworthy to me.”
“The Queen Bee is female. I’m aware of that much. She can create a persona and disguise herself but only a female would be able to observe like this. You’re a male, Stephan, you wouldn’t understand. You’ll both be at the ball. This weekend. Honey and Nectar. You, Violet, will be my eyes and ears. Anything you find out, report back.”