Page 38 of From the Edge

A small rose was extended to her with a bud nearly ready to unfurl. Rowan touched the stem, and it released in her hand. She turned and handed the flower over to Keres. “There you go.” She started giggling and waved them out.

They left, and she locked the gate behind them. She was still giggling.

Mell saw her in the main hall and said, “Rowan, why are you doing your dirty-joke giggle?”

She snickered harder.

Keres paused in her sniffing of the flower and said, “Wait, what?”

Rowan kept her chortling to herself, and Mell sighed. “Where were you?”

“In her garden.”

Mell looked at the rose and clapped a hand over her eyes. “From her bush to yours.”

Rowan howled with laughter as tears streaked her cheeks.

Keres pulled the rose away and blinked, and then she started laughing. “Got it. My sister is a pervy little omega as well. Her jokes are a lot less benign.”

Rowan perked up. “Is she magic?”

“Not yet. She’s cute and agro with four baby girls.”

“One mate?”

“Four.”

“Ouch. One is an omega.”

Rowan grinned. “Is his primary alpha a giant bug?”

“A spider. Do you know them?”

“I know Carlos. He’s a friend of the family. All the old families with giant houses used to get together for a potluck. Carlos’s wife is a bitch.”

Keres smiled. “She’s been relocated out of the country indefinitely. She used to abuse Carlos’s natural daughter, and now she wears the mark of every slap she gave to the child that is now a very powerful mage.”

“Oh, shit. That must have been a fun Thanksgiving.”

“I think it was just a Friday night family dinner. Either way, she’s gone, and Emhara’s free. She has three dark elite deltas. It’s quite the scandal in our community. The deltas are highly prized.”

“Oh. Collectibles. Nice.” Rowan smiled.

Dante snorted.

Achilles came in and looked at Rowan. “Do you want to see her?”

She didn’t answer but sprinted past him and outside to see the statue of Aspen, her head tilted back and mouth open as if singing.

Rowan blinked away tears and covered the opening with a defensive spell, just in case the early birds found the statue tempting.

“You look gorgeous, Aspen, and your butt is rock-hard.”

The wild music played when she was speechless, and Aspen was speechless now. Hope spiralled in every note.

Rowan smiled and nodded. “Do you want me to stay out here with you?”

A lullaby played.