Page 152 of Juliet & Her Romeos

Then he drew away from me, stroking down his coat to soothe himself. “I told Alpha that I wished I didn’t sleep in so late. I wanted to hear the dawn chorus. But I can’t help how much I sleep. In England, throughout my entire life, I didn’t have anything to do but read and sleep. It’s a terrible habit that I’m trying to break. I don’t want to be a bad Omega anymore. The next day, however, Ambrose got up at five a.m. precisely and recorded the birds for me. Do you want to hear?”

Benedict slipped his phone out of his pocket, before switching it on. He held it up between us.

Our breaths froze to mists and mingled in the freezing air.

“Amby loves you,” I said. “That’s the proof you need that you’re agoodOmega.”

Benedict needed facts. He took things literally.

Simply telling him that he wasgoodmight not work.

Benedict looked thoughtful, before he gave a soft smile. “I can’t read people’s faces. I don’t know what they’re thinking. What I like about Ambrose is thatnobodycan read him. He looks cold and hard. With him, things are simple. You don’t judge by what he looks like but what he does. It should be the same with everyone.And he gave me birdsong.”

When Benedict tapped his phone, a beautiful morning birdsong chorus sang out…like breath and life.

Together and united, two Omegas escaping our pasts, we stood in that frozen garden and listened to the song of freedom.

Now, I push myself to sit up in the bed, glancing around myself.

This is the first time that I’ve woken up in Romeo Hall alone.

Where is everybody?

It’s still early.

Vito and Ambrose are usually up at dawn, but Swan should still be here with me, and Benedict has to be winkled out of his weighted blankets at noon. Usually, with promises of coffee and cake.

Anxiety spikes through me.

I still have a lot of questions about the Romeos.

Why has Ambrose finally been able to return to Sanctum? Was it purely because his mom went to Paris?

Why was he sent away to England in the first place?

How was his face scarred?

Since he’s returned, even though he’s meant to be on mandatory bond leave, he’s been working in his study. Is his mom putting pressure on him or is he working on his own projects?Secret ones?

Plus, Vito has promised to reform certain aspects of the Romeo Ballet Company, but I can’t deny that Ambrose is still CEO of an oppressive institution.

I’m conflicted about his involvement.

Yet Ambrose’s mom is Head Alpha. By law, he must follow her orders.

Does he have any choice?

I glance around, before my lips curl into a smile.

Ambrose has left another note on the nightstand. This time, he’s decorated it with cartoon pictures of foxes in glass slippers dancing.

I laugh.

See, I need to judge Ambrose not by his cold looks but by what he does.

And what he does is leave me heart shaped love notes with doodled pictures of Cinderella foxes.

I have video conferences this morning, including with the Dance Master and Mr. Dimitri.

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