I want to argue, but I’m too tired to, so I just return to the fridge and grab a seltzer out, more for something to do than anything else. I crack the can and take a sip before repeating, “I mean it. You should go. Let her know you’ve returned with yourvillainous omega in tow. Kiss Isadora for the cameras. Do what you need to.”
The scowls on all of their faces only grow the more I talk, but I’m being serious. “Wouldn’t want to stand in the way of your duties now would I? I know how important they are to you.”
“Pixie,” Court chides. “Come on.”
I lean my forearms on the island, hunching over. “I’m tired. I’m going to eat and take a shower and then fall onto the couch and not move for hours. I’m not going anywhere. You all have things you need to do now that you’re back, go and do them.”
Piers moves next to me, one of his hands rubbing soothing circles between my shoulder blades. “I’ll stay with her. The queen wouldn’t expect me to be there anyway.”
“She accepted you, Piers,” Forsythe reminds him, reminds all of us. “She’ll expect you to act as part of the pack now.”
The beta lets out a harsh, humorless laugh. “With all due respect, Sythe, I don’t really give a fuck what she expects of me. Not anymore. She’s known I’m a member of your pack for years and she’s never once been anything but dismissive of me.”
“But that’s changed now,” the prince protests.
“It’s changed because she thinks it’ll make you more compliant. That by ‘giving’ you me, you’ll give up Florence. You can see that right? It's a manipulation, Sythe. Pure and simple.”
“I know, Piers. Believe me I am well aware of what she was hoping to accomplish by telling Isadora to claim you. But the fact remains that you have been claimed by the Ashbourne pack, by the Ashbourne name, and that means you have been claimed by the same duty as the rest of us.”
Piers’ hand remains steady on my back, the circles slow and soothing, even as I feel tension invade his body. “The only duty I have,” he says softly, but determined. “Is to Florence. I told you I was picking her and I meant it, Sythe. I am here because she is. If she’d stayed in Granton, that’s where I’d be.”
“Piers.” I straighten and his hand falls to the small of my back, before slipping onto my hip and squeezing.
“It’s the truth, sunshine. I know you came here for me, to give me time to make sure you’re what I want, but I don’t need it. I’ve known since our first conversation. You’re what I want, who I want, for the rest of my life.”
I want to tell him that’s a lot of pressure to put on a girl, but I’m too damn grateful. I’ll take whatever he can give me.
Forsythe’s jaw ticks. It does that a lot I realize, his one tell for when he’s frustrated things aren’t going his way. He glances at his watch. “I have to go. The rest of you… do whatever you want.”
He leaves us then, striding out of the kitchen and to the door.
“I feel bad,” I admit as the door closes behind him. “I don’t want to be the reason your pack breaks.”
“Don’t feel bad, Pix. None of this is your fault.”
But isn’t it, at least a little? Guilt rears its head again, just like it did back in Granton, after Piers said he was staying with me, and I realized what he would be giving up. Guilt that led me to agreeing to come here.
“Someone should go with him.”
Thayer sighs, rubbing a hand down his face like he’s as exhausted as I am. “I’ll go. Don’t want to, but I will.”
Court’s green eyes run over me, assessing. Then he nods. “Me too.” He moves around the island toward me with more energy than he has a right to have. He spent the same amount of time travelling as the rest of us, goddammit. “Don’t worry. We’ll keep him safe.”
My brow wrinkles. “I’m not worried about that.”
He gives me a soft smile, pinching my chin. “Aren’t you?”
Before I can answer he bends and brushes a kiss on my cheek. With one more caress of my face, he steps out of the wayfor Thayer, who pulls me into a hug. “Get some rest, omega. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
I nod against his chest, taking a deep inhale of his coffee and parchment scent, before he releases me, grabs Court by the shirt and drags him after Forsythe.
Piers, Grieves and I watch them go, and I can’t help the small pinch of disappointment. It's ridiculous. I told them to go, told them to follow Forsythe, to give him the support he needs, but… well, I’m greedy and I sure would have preferred for them to stay with me. All of them.
Piers turns to look at me. “Why don’t you go take a shower or a bath, get cleaned up and into some pajamas. We’ll get the food ready for you to eat when you get out?”
I nod. Even though some part of me wants to argue that I can do it myself, that I shouldn’t let them do everything for me, get used to depending on them. What’ll happen if Piers does change his mind? If he decides being the Royal pack’s beta is a better deal than choosing a broken omega?
But it’s just this once, right?
