I nod.
“Why?”
“Talk. Queen.” Haley wants to meet a fellow Hoo-man. We must decide what to do about the Stone Kingdom, which is now blanketed by a carpet of green. Lush, fertile nature has covered the formerly barren wasteland and is doing what it does best: heal. And maybe we can find a way to help hide Diala. As a fellow Alpha, Brokk may have an inkling about her true identity. But even if he doesn’t, he knows she’s an Omega. He will want to help her.
“The queen wants a Kings’ Council?” Brokk looks skeptical.
I resist the urge to shake him. Instead, I nod.
“I’ll get right on it,” he says. “Today?”
I nod again.
“And you want everyone there? All the kings?”
I give him a look, and he raises his palms.
“I’m only asking! You don’t exactly clarify things,” he says.
There’s a pang in my chest. Once again, I wonder whether Haley wouldn’t be better off with someone like him. Someone who uses words to express what they feel.
Then again, he would never care for her the way I do. Nobody ever could.
There’s a pause, during which I can tell he’s deciding whether to say something. “Any idea what happened to that Omega?” His tone is deceptively casual.
I shrug.
“Only… I promised I would take care of her.” His gaze softens and he stares at a spot in the distance, seeing but unseeing. “She’s so beautiful. Don’t you think?”
I shrug again. Haley is beautiful. My mate is the most stunning, kind, sweet—
“She carries herself like a queen.” His gaze has shifted, and his eyes meet mine. I know he’s fishing for information, but refuse to give anything away until I know what Diala herself wants.
After a few long moments, Brokk drops his gaze once again.
“I don’t know who she is,” he says quietly, “and I don’t care. I just have this ulfdamn ache inside me to make her feel safe.” He rubs his chest in a gesture I know all too well. I do it often. “It’s strange. I feel protective of her. Is that just because she’s an Omega, do you think? Or could it be for another reason?”
I lift an eyebrow, bemused by the way color rushes to his cheeks. He’s definitely smitten. I can only hope Diala will come to care for him. He would be good to her.
“We need to keep her a secret,” he says at length. “There are many Alphas around, all of whom would know her to be an Omega immediately, should they be close enough to scent her. Your Omega is the queen, of course, so they’ve kept their distance—”
I growl. I can’t help it.
“Yes, yes, I know. Sorry.” He doesn’t seem very apologetic. “It’s nature. But…” the color in his cheeks deepens, and he seems to be casting about, working out what to say, “I’m just saying I’m here, if you need help taking care of her. Hiding her. Whatever.” He’s staring at the floor.
I’ve never seen Brokk this bashful before, and I chuckle. When he hears it, he looks up and gives me a wry grin.
“Shut up, okay?” he mumbles. “Anyway, I’ve said my piece. And now, if you don’t mind, I have a Kings’ Council to organize.”
Grunting my thanks, I rise from the chair and clap him on the shoulder. If I could, I would ask him what he thinks about Haley. Whether he believes she’s happy here with me. Whether he knows anything about an Omega-reversal serum, or why she would have mentioned it if she didn’t want any for herself.
But as always, I cannot find the words, so I remain silent.
* * *
Haley
Morning light spills across my face when I open my eyes. The huge bed is filled with pillows and twisting sheets, and no one else.
