She has no need to. That’s what I am here for.
Except she left me, and I can take care of her no more.
Khan sighs. “Do you want my advice?”
“No.”
“Then end this call, because I’m going to give it anyway.” I’m about to reach for the orb when the next thing he says is, “Your Omega misses you.” I stay my hand.
There’s an infuriating smirk on Khan’s face. He knows he has my attention.
“She longs to return to your side,” he says. “She is lonely here without you. But you won’t get her back unless she sees that things are different. You need to show her that you care for her.”
I clench my fists. He said this the last time we spoke, and I tried, but it didn’t work. I don’t know what else I could do. “How?”
“By taking care of her heart and soul, as well as her body. Give her what sheneeds. Not what you think she wants. Now if you’ll excuse me, my queen is waiting for me. Unlike you, I know whatmymate both wantsandneeds.” He ends the connection before I can smash the orb to pieces.
Overcome with rage, I rise from my chair, my wings billowing behind me. I flap them furiously, venting, knocking over ornaments and furniture, making the ash from the fireplace swirl through the air.
Chest heaving, heart pounding, I survey the maelstrom of chaos I wrought in my own room. I’m throwing a tantrum, like I often did when I was young.
Sadly, I no longer have my mother here to guide me.
Do not show weakness,my father would say.Always maintain the upper hand. The Omega left because you were too kind to her. You coddled her. She didn’t fear you enough. Didn’t respect the boundaries.He would endorse my rage.
But my mother? She was always sad. My father—her mate—treated her coldly, keeping her at a distance. I never saw them embrace or exchange smiles. My mother spent most of her time hiding in her rooms, playing her belovedhriox, plucking out the melodic tunes from her homeland. And sometimes she played tragic love ballads. The tortured notes sounded like a weeping female.
It is the same agonized sound that wails in my bond.
I have no doubt that she would have wanted more for herself than a cruel mate who refused to treat her kindly. Who saw her as inferior. Who refused to love her.
And she would have wanted more for her son.
My father taught me to remain cold and stoic. To rule with fear. He said it was the demon way—that since we are forged by fire, we are superior beings. Strong. Fearless.
Maybe it was not the demon way. Maybe it washisway. Renee was right. My father was an Ulfdamn asshole. And I may be strong but I am no longer fearless.
I did not know true terror until I saw my Omega step through the portal—and my greatest fear was realized. Perhaps that’s why my sire was so adamant about keeping his mate at arm’s length even after she bore him a child. Maybe he treated my mother the way he did because he knew that to love someone is to risk losing them… tofearlosing them.
I rise and pace to the window. Mount Vracor is smoking again. Its rumbles have died down, but I can sense the turmoil within. The village elders are inundating me with missives, begging me to do something about it.
The beads in my beard click as I stroke the braids. It helps me think.
All my life, I strove to be like my father, and what was the result? A neglected kingdom and an anguished Omega. I grew up watching my mother suffer, furious that I was helpless to stop it. I can’t believe I almost condemned my own mate to the same fate.
The snow is still falling. It coats the mountains and hills. Even the edges of the lava lake sparkle with lavender crystals.
The memory of Renee’s reaction to the snow makes me smile. Her enthusiasm was infectious, whether she was talking about Hoo-man customs, or admiring something she found pretty. What did she say?The snow is beautiful. You don’t think your kingdom is beautiful?
My Omega saw the best in my kingdom. She saw the best in me.
Maybe it’s time I lived up to the version of myself she—and my mother—believed in.
* * *
Renee
One hour into girls’ night and my cheeks ache from grinning so much. I couldn’t figure out a good Ulfarri dupe for tequila, so the margaritas aren’t quite right, but they’re still a big hit. Especially with Kim, who’s another pint-sized blonde. What she lacks in height, she makes up for in personality. I’ve never seen anyone so energetic.
