Page 34 of Dreikx

“Never mind,” I say and move away so Raven can show the world his son.

As Tamey and I stand behind Raven, who lifts the boy up, I drown out the shouting and cheering in favor of processing this moment. The boy didn’t breach my walls. I allowed the baby to slip inside. I invited him. Tamey read the boy’s feelings right away. She is an empath. When a Regha Alpha bonds an Omega, he sheds his green armor in favor of red armor. I’m a Telean. I have no armor. What is the one thing that I have that can be enhanced? My telepathy, a gift I have developed.

I open my mind, scanning, trying to determine my range. Howhoner’s thoughts drift into my head. He’s tending to Anna, who probably feels worse for wear, but one would never know unless they’re an empath, because Anna smiles as she chats with Tabby and Leah, the girls eating cookies and sweets they brought as gifts.

Raven returns, and Tamey places the dagger on the baby’s belly. She smiles, eyes glossy with tears. She looks up at Raven. “Now you can take your rightful place as the Regha king.”

Raven remains quiet.

Tamey stands before him, determined, shoulders squared back, eyes locked with his. I look between the siblings. Again, they seem to communicate with no words, and I know they’re not telepaths.

Tamey lifts the purple bag she carried from the house.

Raven eyes the bag. “I can’t fucking believe the lengths Father will go to get what he wants. He wants me or, frankly, his grandson on Regha, and he will fucking have it.” Raven looks up at the sky. “I should’ve seen it coming.”

I’m rewinding all the events, piecing together years, decades of Tayseer’s movements, while listening to this extraordinary conversation, noting these two siblings have a special connection, one I can’t understand. They seem to understand each other without much effort, which is why I’m left to my own devices to uncover what exactly they’re talking about.

“Everything he does is for the good of his people,” she says. “Ours is the strongest bloodline Regha has ever known. You are Regha’s strongest Alpha, and on Regha, you shall reign.” Tamey opens the purple velvet bag and unfolds a soft cloth, revealing the pendant worn by every Regha king since the beginning of their people. She rises on her toes, and Raven bends so she can slip the pendant over his neck.

Silence falls in the courtyard.

Tamey slips Raven’s crown off his head and turns to me.

I stand there, shocked. She stretches out her hands but can’t quite reach.

“Bend before I slap reality into you,” Raven says.

“Yes, of course,” I say and bend my head.

The metal slides down, and I fix it. It slides a bit again, and I fix it. This will take some measuring for the correct position. For now, I pull back my shoulders, thinking about the meaning of this, recollecting every conversation I’ve ever had with Tayseer, projecting possibilities and trying to figure out what he’s done. When it hits me, I utter, “Brilliant.” Tayseer promised me Tamey as a bride. I thought I was the clever one, the one who tricked the mighty king, and I have. Yet he found a way to turn it into an advantage. He positioned a Regha princess on Earth so that he could pass the throne to his son on Regha and retire.

Tayseer wants the heir secured on Regha. Before, Raven had refused to return to Regha, mainly saying he couldn’t leave the Earth’s throne. Now he can. Tayseer’s eldest will sit on it.

“Lo and behold, the first Telean prince,” Raven says. “Honor it.” At the edge of the building, he grabs a rope. The Horde rattles as one as their new king swings from the rope and joins them.

Chapter 13

Dreikx

“You’re so pretty,” Tamey says. She sits on the small bed and strokes Anna’s hair.

Raven’s Omega, the princess made a queen ten minutes ago, is pale, looking like a herd of hounds ran over her. Her swollen feet peek out from under the blanket, and she can’t move because a toddler-sized baby came out of her only one human hour ago. Pretty is utterly inaccurate. I open my mouth but snap it closed as Tamey says in my head, “Tell her she’s beautiful.”

I sigh. “You are beautiful.”

Anna narrows her eyes. “Is that a crown on your head?”

“It is.”

“Prince Dreikx,” she says.

“Dreikx will do, dear.” I approach the window.

“We need a baby shower,” Leah, Sotay’s Omega, says.

“What is that?” Tamey asks.

“It’s a party where girlfriends get together and bring baby gifts.”

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