Chapter Twenty-Three
Saphyra
I lugged my heavy brocade skirt behind me as I made my way to Shadow, his rescue imminent. The closer I got, the more genuine his placating smile became. His reaction made the coming confrontation somewhat easier to imagine. I still didn’t want to speak to these girls again, but realistically, there was no avoiding it.
As I approached, Shadow pushed past the sisters mid-sentence to reach me. He bowed low over my hand to a chorus of disgruntled muttering. In contrast to the annoyed complaints, both of my ex-maids turned toward me with brilliant smiles on their faces and curtsied, murmuring, “Your Majesty,” in unison.
One day, I hoped to surround myself with people who were more genuine, but for now, I’d do what I must. Unfortunately, I hadn’t planned any further than walking over, and now that I’d arrived, I was at a loss for what to say. There was nothing to talk about, at least not that was appropriate for a dinner party.
I was saved from the awkward silence by Shadow’s smokey voice. “I think dinner is ready. Shall we?”
“Yes, thank you,” I managed to reply.
I thanked the Stars that he’d saved me from this awkward encounter. He held out his hand, and I took it, grateful for the reprieve. He tucked it into the crook of his arm and led me to the massive table where more candles twinkled in greeting.
Edeth and Titus were already seated at either end, but Lex was standing with the chair to Titus’s right held out for me. Shadow escorted me to it, and Lex tucked it against the back of my thighs before taking his place opposite. Shadow sat to my right, and the sisters were left to fend for themselves at Edeth’s end of the table.
I didn’t want to be petty, but I couldn’t help my grin when even the courteous Lex didn’t assist them with their seats.
Purple wisps of twilight chase the setting suns through the windows behind the Regent’s chair. I was distracted from the celestial display when a steady stream of servants dressed in all black, whom I’d never seen before, filed in, carrying platters of food. They filled our plates until they were near to overflowing. Small talk was made as I watched the extravagant dinner unfold.
“It’s unfortunate that Axion couldn’t join us tonight. And your poor doctor friend being so ill. You’ll have to send him my best wishes when you see him next,” Edeth said with a simpering smile on her face.
“Yes, well—“ I started to say something I would probably regret. Something about it being unfortunate finding her daughters naked in my mate’s bed, too. But Shadow’s firm grip landed on my thigh and stopped the words in my throat.
“Yes, very unfortunate,” I said, instead.
Between the clicks of cutlery on delicate porcelain plates, Edeth went on, ignoring my stilted reply. “When I was your age, I served as your mother’s lady-in-waiting. It was the highest of honors. I enjoyed our time together very much. She was such a sweet and tender creature. I very much look forward to my daughters serving you in that same capacity once you’ve officially taken the throne.”
Shadow had been shifting and tugging at my skirts while we’d been chatting and just then, I felt the warmth of his calloused palm land on the bare skin above my stocking. Rational thought vanished from my mind, my omega instincts perking up at my mate’s touch, banishing the sharp reply I’d planned to give.
“Yes, of course. I feel the same.” There was no reason to start an argument now. When the time came, I would pick who I wanted.
Shadow smirked, knowing he’d been successful in distracting me.
“I’m so glad to hear that. I know there was some sort of misunderstanding, but I’m glad to hear you have a logical head on your shoulders. Sometimes omegas can be so passionate and irrational.”
Shadow’s fingers slid up my thigh and under the edge of my silky panties. My core throbbed with anticipation as the warmth of his hand ghosted over my most sensitive parts.
My anger piqued at Edeth’s words, but it was hard to focus on an appropriate reply when Shadow kept teasing me with the intimacy I was starved for. I cleared my throat to collect my thoughts, but Shadow made that impossible by scuffing his fingers across my clit, sending shivers straight down my spine. A squeak punctuated the end of my ill-conceived throat clearing.
“Logical, yes. That’s me,” I bit out and squeezed my thighs together. I had to keep it together in front of the Regent. I couldn’t afford a misstep.
Lex popped a bite of food in his mouth and chewed, but the crinkle at the corner of his eye made me think he knew exactly what was going on. I begged him with my eyes to save me. There was no way to tell if he knew what that look meant, but he joined the conversation, changing the subject. “I was looking for a book. I think it’s called Blood of the Galaxy. I thought we had a copy in the archives, but I can’t find it.”
“Ah, well, you know the archive is limited. So much was lost in the fire, and we never had the resources to rebuild,” Titus replied, dabbing gravy off of his chin with a white cloth napkin.
Resources to rebuild? The expensive, camouflaged windows told a different story.
Shadow slid his fingers between my legs. With my thighs locked together, I thought it would keep him out. But he was already slippery with slick, and it only caused him to more firmly press his skin against my clit. I shuddered out a breath, glad that Lex had taken the attention off me.
Edeth glanced my way but directed her words to Lex. “Is it in that abomination of a collection you keep in Valyx’s room? Now that you have a prospective mate, you should really stop with that sleepover nonsense. You’re grown alphas. It’s time to settle down with a woman and have children.”
Beside me, Shadow stiffened, and his daring exploration paused. I was grateful for the reprieve while Edeth’s attention was on me.
The silence was tense before Lex broke it. “I’ve checked my personal collection. It’s not there. And further, where I live and who I live with is not really your concern. It never has been.”
This sounded like an old argument she’d intentionally brought up to inform me of something she thought I didn’t know. Maybe to turn me away from them. Unfortunately for her, I already had a pretty good idea after my time spent in Shadow’s room. Even if I didn’t know, that fact wouldn’t bother me. The only thing that bothered me about any of it was that I wasn’t there with them.
The thought of being tucked safely between Lex and Shadow had me rocking my hips against Shadow’s hand while idly pushing food around my plate. The conversation turned back to other missing books, taking the attention off me again. Shadow’s fingers slipped inside, curling once everyone’s focus was back on Lex. The pressure was just right, slowly coaxing me to the edge. My grip on the silverware went white knuckled, and I held my breath to stifle the sounds building in my chest.
Lex’s foot settled next to mine, and my bleary eyes rose to meet his gaze across the table. Shadow pressed the palm of his hand down across my clit, and a delicious, warm tingle shot through my body, ripping a gasp from my throat.
Shadow leaned in, whispering in that dark smokey voice, “Shut up, little omega. Don’t get us caught.”
His harsh words should have offended me, but they didn’t. Instead, it sent another wave of pleasure crashing through my body. I dropped my fork and grabbed on to the edge of the table to keep from visibly shuddering. All the while Lex held my gaze while everyone else at the table talked about the cost of importing chicken feed.
The situation was so ridiculous that once the aftershocks of my orgasm ebbed, I had a hard time not laughing about it. Shadow slid his hand from under the table, no one having noticed his lack of participation in the discussion.
Like the animal everyone expected him to be, I found Shadow licking his fingers clean, with a wicked glint in his eyes.
“The meal is delicious, Edeth. The best I’ve ever had.” He regarded her with a smile that was more predatory than friendly, but she didn’t seem to notice, and no one commented that his plate was still mostly full.
The meal wrapped up. The sisters had been blissfully silent, other than responding to small talk in the expected ways. I was shocked that they’d somehow found their manners, even though they chose not to use them often enough.
As we were getting up from the table and saying our goodbyes, Lex spoke to his father, but loud enough for everyone to hear. “You’ll be glad to know that after the coronation, I’ll be taking Saphyra to the old royal hunting lodge to sort out the mate arrangements. It’s something that needs to be done.”
That was news to me, but getting away from this mountain sounded like a fantastic idea after the recent issues. I wished he’d mentioned it to me first, but I was in agreement.
“That sounds like a wonderful plan.” Edeth sounded more excited about it than I would have expected, but she’d been pushing for this since I got here. “Will you need an entourage? I’m sure I can arrange some of my own personal guard to go with you. We must be sure to keep our queen safe.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll handle the security.” Shadow maneuvered me toward the door.
“Oh, you’re going too?” Edeth’s distaste was clear.
“We’re all going,” Lex said as he walked up behind Shadow, blocking my view of his parents. “Thank you for dinner.”
With my alphas herding me along, I exited the suite, giving the guards at the door a smile as I passed.
After we were well on the way back to my room, my curiosity got the better of me. “What was all that about?”
“Which part?” Lex walked close at my side.
“The rush when we left. Why were you in such a hurry? And why didn’t you tell me about the hunting trip?”
Lex took my hand, halting my steps. “They’re both somewhat related. I hurried you out because the scent of your arousal was driving me to murder. Other alphas, even my father, near you while your perfume is so prominent makes me want to tear the world apart.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. I looked to Shadow—who was standing near the door to the main stairwell—for help, but he only smirked at my discomfort. “But I used the soap.”
“I know you did, but with your slick all over Valyx’s hand, I couldn’t miss it.” Lex drew me closer to the other alpha.
Horrified at the thought that Titus might have noticed, I asked a question I didn’t want to know the answer to. “Do you think your father knew?”
“I doubt it, but even if he did, he would never say a thing. My mother was an omega. He knows how these things work.”
“You said the trip was related?” I asked while Shadow opened the door to the stairwell and Lex coaxed me through.
“I hadn’t planned to announce that without talking to you first, but we need to get you away from here. The incident in the military ward, the missing books, your scent, my rising aggression. Something is going on and it’s no longer safe.” His grip tightened as we rushed down the stairs.
“My hand. You’re holding me too tight.” I tugged to pull it free, but it was like a vise.
He dropped it like a hot pan. “I apologize, love. I’m not feeling like myself.” Through clenched teeth, he added for Shadow’s ears, “We need to hurry.”
By the time we reached the military wing, Lex’s scent was sharp and heavy in my lungs, overpowering everything else. After what happened here earlier, I was on edge. My mate’s presence helped, but they were both acting strange. I didn’t understand why we’d come back this way instead of going to my quarters, either.
The alphas quickened their pace, and Shadow wrapped his arm around my waist. “Don’t worry, little omega. We’ll keep you safe.”
We came to Ghost’s door first. Shadow and Lex’s cabin was just down the corridor, but we stopped. Lex was out of breath and his fists were clenched at his sides. “Open it.” His voice was a harsh, commanding rasp that I wanted to obey.
I no longer had a code that worked on this door. Not many did after the situation with Hazel and Aster, but Shadow did.
Ghost’s door swung open. I flinched. My previous experience with this room gnawed at the back of my mind, and the large bed stared back at me, bringing back that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
It looked different, though. The bedding was entirely changed. Nothing that had been there before remained. And it was entirely empty.
Shadow’s hand was on my lower back, urging me into the room, overriding my trepidations.
“Hey, what are…” Ghost’s question died on his lips as we all piled into his quarters, slamming the door behind us.
Lex rushed past me into the washroom, slamming that door behind him as well.
“We may have a situation.” Shadow answered the incomplete question that was now also on my mind.
“Okay, what sort of situation?” Despite his casual attire of relaxed sweatpants and no shirt, Ghost’s tone shifted, becoming instantly serious. The voice he only used when things were dire.
Returning from the bathroom, face damp and hair dripping, Lex answered, “I’m going into rut.”
Ghost’s already light skin paled a shade more. “What? Why?” He looked around as if the answer was hiding in some dark corner of his room.
Lex struggled to reply, each word an angry snarl. “Valyx was teasing Saphyra at dinner, but that shouldn’t have been enough to trigger this.” He paused, clenching his jaw. “It might be the mate bond pulling, or it could be drugs. It’s hard to know right now. I need you to watch the Queen.”
I only knew about ruts in theory, but he was my mate. He couldn’t be implying what I thought he was implying. “No. You will not leave me out of this. I refuse.”
“It could be dangerous for you.” He growled back at me.
I’d never seen the feral light that sparked in his mossy green eyes, but I liked it. He didn’t scare me. He was mine. There was nothing he could do that I couldn’t handle, except to leave me here with Ghost. Even if we couldn’t seal our bond right now, we were meant for one another.
“It won’t be. I know you. You would never hurt me.” I hoped that was true, because he was like a starving lion, looking at me like I was a bloody piece of meat.
A low growl stirred deep in his throat. Shadow moved to my side, primed to intervene. I held my hand up, warding Shadow off, but he stayed nearby.
My eyes were locked with Lex’s when he moved toward me. His chest heaving with restraint. I knew if I ran, he’d chase me. His volatile instincts riding him too hard to be entirely in control.
“I guess we’re doing this here then,” Ghost said, sprawling back into his chair.