We lie that way for an eternity, joined together in two places, two hearts beating as one, waiting for our breathing to slow.
A sharp sting tugs me out of my contented doze—Bestian’s teeth leaving my neck. Then there’s a wet, tingling sensation in the same place. He’s licking the wound.
For a second, I wonder whether that’s hygienic but then I figure: fuck it. He’s a nerd about these things. No doubt he knows what he’s doing. So I close my eyes and let the pleasant feelings wash over me.
When he finally speaks, his voice is tender. “It’s done, my sweet Rose. I’ve claimed you as mine. We were already bonded, but now we’re soul-bonded. Joined together… forever.”
“I love you,” I mumble into the pillow. “I think you already know that but I wanted to say it.”Now that you’re alive again. Now that you can hear me.
“Oh, my sweet little moonflower,” Bestian whispers, his breath on my neck making me shiver, “I love you too. And I always will. My Omega. My queen.”
EPILOGUE
One year later…
Rose
For the first time in forever, laughter fills the palace. The entire ballroom is glowing, not from the orbs, but from strategically placed bouquets of moonflowers. Every time a guest enters, they blink and point with awe.
Ma glides up to me, arm-in-arm with Leelah, who looks nervous.
“Are you having fun?” I ask.
“Of course,” Ma says. She looks radiant in her silvery-pink gown. She even let Rogue do her hair.
“I can’t believe I’m in the same room asfour kings,” Leelah whispers, her eyes wide.
“I know, right?” I say and wave at Bestian across the room. He gives me a dazzling smile and my heart skips a beat. We kicked the midnight ball off with a formal receiving line, but between the welcome and the first dance, we decided we’d mingle.
Bestian is standing with a group of kings—Khan the Wanderer King, Aurus the Golden King, and the Hunter King. We sent invitations to all the known kings, but received no reply from three: the Demon King, the King of Ruins, and the King of the Wastes. Bestian assured me he had expected as much.
Too bad. I was looking forward to seeing what they all looked like, but especially the Demon King. One scroll I found described him as a monster, with giant horns and purple skin. But that’s probably an exaggeration.
Then again, anything is possible. Even magic.
Ma wrinkles her nose at the assembled rulers. She’s not impressed by royalty. She’s the kind of person who feels at home anywhere, especially a palace.
Ma didn’t want to abandon her cottage to come and live with us, but she visits us so often, she has her own set of rooms. She loves the gardens, but our favorite place to spend time together is the Queen’s study, where she and I spend hours poring over ancient scrolls.
Together, we’ve founded the Royal Academy of Omegas. So far, our focus has been on studying herbs and remedies for pregnant and nursing Omegas. The human-Omega queens visit us regularly for checkups. Kim is seven months pregnant with what she callsAurus’s spawn, and as is apparent by the slight bump under her exquisite lilac dress, Emma is working on baby number two.
“I meant to tell you,” I say to Ma. “Haley asked if she could see us tomorrow. For a checkup.”
“Oh!” Ma’s eyes light up. “Which one is Haley?”
I point to the three human queens who have commandeered a set of chaises in the corner. “She’s the brown-haired one in the green gown. The Hunter King’s mate.” No one knows the Hunter King’s real name. I asked Haley what we should call him, and she said he prefers to just go byHunter.
I like the Hunter King. He’s very quiet—I don’t think I’ve ever heard him say more than three words in the entire time I’ve known him—but he looks at Haley like she’s his world. And his silence is a welcome contrast to Aurus’s non-stop arrogant posturing. I don’t know how Kim puts up with the Golden King but then, she’s pretty loud, too. She can certainly hold her own with him. They seem like a perfect match—in fact, that could be said for all three royal couples. The more I learn about it, the more I get the impression this Alpha-Omega mating thing has a clear advantage over relationships back home.
“Rose!” Kim shouts across the ballroom. She’s on a sturdy chaise with her feet up and a plate of sweet cakes balanced on her big, pregnant belly.
“Excuse me,” I murmur to Ma and Leelah, and head to my fellow queens with Rogue hot on my heels. The littlewhispoutdid itself on my hair and gown, and has followed me around all night to hold up both my bejeweled hairstyle and my train, so both float effortlessly in the air.
Emma and Haley smile at me from their seats on the chaise.
I’ve almost reached Kim’s side when the plate of sweet cakes goes flying.
“Holy shit, did you see that?” Kim cries. “The baby just kicked the plate right off me!”
