I nodded, then shook my head. “Maybe?”
“You think those men care about you being an Omega? You think that’s why they love you, why they risked their lives and kingdoms for you? You think that now that they have bonded with you, claimed you, that anything could keep them from being with you?” She went silent as she stood back, waiting, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes speaking for her.
“Oh, I hate that.” A knot swelled in my throat. She cocked an eyebrow. “That.” I answered her unspoken question, waving at her stance. “The way you can say ‘I’m disappointed in you’ with just your arms. And your eyebrow thing! It’s worse than being spanked.”
“I don’t know. It sounded as if you rather liked being spanked.” She rolled her eyes dramatically.
“Valerie!” My face flamed again, and I threw myself down on the chair. “I’m sorry,” I said, burying my head in my hands. “I know I can trust them… or I hope I can. But it’s my worst fear, Valerie. That now, I’m just an Omega. Maybe not to them, but to everyone else. I’ll be stuck raising babies, and entertaining their friends, and cooking—”
“Goddess forbid,” Valerie hissed. “If you cook for those men now, Roya, you’ll die, too. You’re tied to them!” She fought back a laugh.
“I don’t need to cook them a final meal,” I pointed out, as her arms went around me. “I could just make some appetizers, a limbane leaf salad…”
We laughed and cried into each other’s hair, and my heart squeezed, thinking of how often she had done this—held me like I truly was her child.
“Valerie.” I bit my lip, pulling back. I had to ask the question that had been bouncing around in my mind for months now. “You’re my mother, aren’t you?” She didn’t answer, so I rushed on. “It doesn’t matter, you know. I mean, if you’re not. I just need you to know that I’ve always thought of you that way.” I leaned back, hoping I hadn’t hurt her.
Her lips were quivering, as if they couldn’t decide whether to smile or frown, and her eyes filled with a strange emotion, something close to fear. Finally, her mouth opened, and she rasped, “Yes.”
Now my mouth was trembling, and my hands, and my heart as well, fluttering like a small bird caught in a cage. “You never told me. Why not?”
She pulled her chair next to mine and gripped my hands in hers as she spoke, as if she were afraid I would leave. “I couldn’t. Milian impregnated three from his harem at the same time. Me, Melina, and Roxanne. Melina lost her child early on in her pregnancy. Roxanne and I went into labor the same week. Her baby died a few days afterward, and Roxanne took her own life. All the women in the harem agreed to tell Milian that Roxanne had been your mother. That way…”
I understood at once. In the harem, showing emotion was weakness. If he had known Valerie was my mother, he could have forced her to do almost anything to keep me alive. “I wish I’d known, but I understand why you couldn’t tell me the truth.”
“I could have told you after, but it seemed like… like it was too late. You were grown,” she whispered, her face more open than I’d ever seen it. Hope and trepidation warred in her eyes. “You’re not angry?”
“Not at all.” I hugged her again, feeling her tears fall onto my hair. “I’m proud to have you for a mother.”
“And I’ve always been proud to have you for a daughter.” She lifted my face up with a hand on my chin. “And those mates of yours? I don’t know how you found four honorable Alphas left in this sad world, but you have. They love you, Roya. Fight for them. Don’t let anything tear you apart.”
I let out a shaky breath and glanced at the doorway. Kavin and Altair were long gone, and I knew I had some explaining to do. But first, I needed to know where we stood. “What happened during the past two weeks?”
Valerie let out a huge sigh. “Good news first. That weaselly regent ran from the fight when all your men were distracted. He didn’t get far. Your friend Naari had rounded up a good-sized group of loyalists in the villages after you arrived, and they were waiting for him.” Her eyes sparkled with malicious glee. “Wulfram went to make sure he was dead, or to finish killing him. He reported Gullen was slowly decomposing in a pit near the ocean, minus both of his heads.”
I made a face, but I couldn’t be even slightly upset that he had met a grisly end. “Good. So Altair is the leader of Havira now.”
“Hmm,” she mused, taking a sip of pineapple juice. “Let’s come back to that. The bad news first.”
I steeled myself. “Who died?” I knew it wasn’t my men. Brute, maybe? Talon?
It was worse. “The Guildmaster escaped.”
Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. “How? I killed him. I remember. He poisoned me, but I made sure he was dead!” If he was still alive, on the island, we were all in terrible danger.Thornwas in danger.
“We don’t know,” Valerie said, her tone grim. “It’s possible he got an antidote of some kind. He could have gone on to die later. But by the time we returned to the hall, he was nowhere to be found. We’re certain he’s not on the island, Roya. The boat we arrived on also left, not moments after you fell ill. He had sailors loyal to him, and I’m sure he had enough money to pay them for safe passage back to the continent.
“Talon and Altair considered chasing the boat down, but there were still pockets of resistance, and they felt it necessary to protect you and your mates while you… healed.” She winked. “From what I heard, you healed very nicely.”
“Oh my Goddess, Mom!” I buried my face in my hands, laughing at how horrifying it all was. Her sob forced my head up. “What’s wrong?”
“You called me Mom,” she choked out. “I’ve dreamed about being your mother.” I rose and hugged her as hard as I could, changing the subject so we could both collect ourselves.
“How did you get here? Why? Did you come with Wulfram?”
“Wulfram realized his son had lied about not finding you.” Valerie scowled. “He tried to bribe me to tell him where you had gone, but when I wouldn’t share that, he booked a ship for the island his son had been bound for. I knew he’d find you, so I joined him. Told him I always wanted to trade with Havira, and he believed me.” She grinned. “I did bring goods. Yarns and silverwork, some very pretty jewelry.”
Of course she did; Valerie had taught me years ago that even assassins had to pay the bills. “How did the Guildmaster end up with you?”
