“I had a suspicion,” my father shares. “He’s always been a loose cannon, but his lack of interest in helping our rescue of Declan was a red flag. I put the pieces together.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” I ask. “Before we went in. I could have gone for Walter first.”
“Walter is meaningless.” My father shakes his head in displeasure. “Your mate is who’s important. We had to get him back.”
Declan reaches under the table and grabs my thigh. We still really need to talk about how fucking strong he is now that he’s a vampire.
“Well, either way, thank you. The three of them have been removed, their lands have been awarded to the four remaining leaders to split as they see fit.”
“As you see fit,” my father corrects.
“No, actually.” I point at Henry. “Ashesees fit.”
“Beg pardon?” Henry chokes on his drink and blood sputters down his chin.
“The council has no qualms with you leading Wildemount, and with Walter and the other two out of the picture, we elected Alejandra Marquez as head of Carver County.”
“She’s a good choice.” My father turns to Henry. “You deserve this, you know.”
“It should be Ezra or Jedidiah,” he protests.
My father leans over and clasps Henry around the back of the neck and hauls their faces together. Their noses bump and Henry lets loose a startled gasp. My father has never touched him like this in front of me, but the move seems so familiar and practiced, there’s no way he doesn’t touch him like this in private.
I stare down at Declan’s hand in my lap.
“I was young and selfish when I met you, but if I knew then what I know now, I would have waited. Birdie and I would have mated you properly, proven to you that you hold a place in our hearts,” he pauses and chokes up a little. “My heart, Henry. Above all others. You deserve this.”
Declan lets go of my thigh and turns his palm up. I thread our fingers together.
“You want to travel,” Henry whispers. “I don’t want to stay if you’re not here.”
“Things are different now. With Walter gone.”
Henry licks his lips. “Do you mean it?”
“Every word,” my mother answers from the doorway. She’s leaning against the side of the door with her arms folded across her chest. She’s changed out of her travel clothes and she’s in a two piece satin night set.
“Henry,” my father says with a tone I’ve only ever heard reserved for my mother. Whatever Henry meant to say in reply is cut off when my father’s mouth slams into his. Henry whimpers instead, and softens under my father’s attention.
“You’ve done a noble thing for your brother, Ezra,” my mother says before clearing her throat. My father looks up at Declan and me, then to my mother.
“Come on, you two.”
My father stands and pulls Henry up from the table. They walk around toward the hallway, but Henry stops when he reaches me and clasps his hand over my shoulder.
“Thank you, Ezra,” he says.
I pat his hand with mine and smile up at him. “You deserve it, Henry. It was the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”
Henry smiles and follows my parents out of the room, leaving Declan and I alone at the still broken dining room table.
“What now?” he asks, tugging me up to stand.
“Now we travel,” I suggest.
Declan leans in close and brushes his nose against the line of my jaw. “I meantrightnow.”
“Going upstairs,” I answer, and I take his hand and pull him up the stairs to my room. He closes the door behind us and strips naked. Declan crawls onto the bed and spreads himself out, flattening his feet and bending his knees, putting that gorgeous hole of his on display for me.
