Page 14 of The Fate of Eternity

Carefree. Joyous. A fucking delight.

The complete opposite of me, and I love it. She deserves it.

“So this is what it’s really like for you to have those legs working, huh?” I panic my amusement might hurt her feelings, but thankfully, she throws her head back with a laugh.

“Please, I was made purely to bring you disaster and delight. You’re welcome,” she sings, pushing up to her feet and offering me her hand, but before I can lace my fingers with hers, another body looms over me.

“She really was.”

My smile spreads across my face, my heart racing with happiness instead of despair, which is exactly the shift I need. Taking his hand, I stand and quickly wrap my arms around his middle.

“Hi, Dad.”

“Addi,” he breathes into my hair, warming my bones from head to toe as he squeezes me tight.

“Was there a reason you two were rolling around on the floor?” he asks, pressing a kiss to my temple before he slackens his hold.

“I’m being disastered and delighted, apparently,” I explain, using Nora’s words, which makes her giggle, filling my heart with joy at the beautiful sound.

“Kryll.” A woman’s voice cuts through the air, pulling me from my father’s embrace.

“Mother,” he replies, cutting the distance between him and the ethereal queen, who stands with her arms out wide, ready to embrace her son. It’s amusing watching the bulk of a guy soften in his mother’s arms, but it’s a feeling I experience with my father, and I know all too well how it’s grounding and not weakening like I once thought.

“Oh, you brought the handful,” the queen muses, releasing her son to glance at the others.

“Which one is that?” I blurt, completely intrigued, and I get my answer before she can even open her mouth.

“What? You love me more than your own sons. Don’t play me like that, Mamma E,” Brody says with a pout.

“I’ve never known a mage to be so sure of themselves when it doesn’t relate to wisdom,” she muses, rolling her eyes at thehandful.

“I’m one of a kind. You’re welcome,” he retorts with a wink, strolling toward her with his arms out wide, and she hugs him just as tightly as she did Kryll.

“You’re something,” she mutters, the amusement clear between them, but the moment she lets him go, the jokes are gone, and our problems linger in the air.

I clear my throat, feeling acutely aware that I’m pretty much the reason we’re here. No one says it, and I’m sure no one will, but I feel it nonetheless.

“Shall we discuss what’s going on?” my father offers, reaching for my arm with a comforting touch.

“We should,” the queen declares with a nod, eyes glancing over the five of us. “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet,” Cassian answers, speaking up for the first time, and she nods in understanding.

“Then let’s eat and talk,” she insists, waving for us to follow after her without a backward glance.

With my father on my left and Nora on my right, I let my walls down for a split second, allowing myself a moment to bask in the true warmth of their presence. It doesn’t last long, but it’s enough for me to feel settled, especially after last night. A fact I must explain to my father too.

I gulp, the panic threatening to work its way up my throat, but I quickly tamp it down. I’m half-wolf. I’m not ashamed or embarrassed, and I know my father won’t make me feel anything but pride, either. I just need to find the words.

The queen leads us out to the patio where I first met her, only the table is bigger, offering enough space for all of us. I settlebetween my father and sister, much to Raiden’s disappointment. He sits directly across from me, his jaw tense and his gaze narrowed on me, but to my surprise, he keeps his mouth shut.

I make a mental note to thank him later. It’s clear he’s taking a rare moment to be selfless, even with something as small as me sitting with my family, and he deserves a pat on the back, at least for being a good little vampire.

I bite back a smile that curls at my own thoughts, schooling my face before anyone asks. Instead, I take in the spread of food laid out around us, watching as everyone serves themselves.

Everyone but me.

Everything Nora puts on her plate, she insists on putting on mine, explaining how delicious and amazing it all is until there’s not a single inch of space left.

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