Page 134 of Fated or Knot

He looked at me thoughtfully. A scattering of stars had returned to his gaze, promising that the dream warden illusion over his eyes would return in due time. I couldn’t wait to explore those purple-threaded nebulae again. “Then you can complete Pack Sorles,” he added, flashing an eager smile.

I snuggled into him, no longer seeing a reason to dread my heat or push it back. Except… “What if I don’t survive it?” I whispered. It wasn’t exactly common for an omega to suppress a heat for as long as I had. As I’d experienced during my brushes with the end of my pre-heat, the temperature felt more intense the more it was delayed.

“Your heat won’t kill you,” he said immediately. “I’ll need to do some research, but there has to be information on long-suppressed heats and how to handle them.”

Not that Kauz got up to visit the library. We spent the rest of his recovery together, which annoyed Fal and Marius, who’d take breaks from their duties to visit my nest and find Kauznotresting and me either encouraging his bad behavior or lying around in a satiated afterglow. Not that that stopped them from joining in.

In the meantime, I found that my pixie dust blended well with Kauz’s skin tone, even when the sparkles noticeably darkened as the days passed. I told him how his essence had turned my wing scales half silver, and he promised there was an easier way to blend our magics together, though he’d show me later. He wouldn’t be casting any spells for a couple more weeks at the earliest.

The only male I didn’t see much of during these few days was Tormund, who came around at night to sleep in my nest and disappeared before I woke. Fal had whispered that the redcap needed time to work through some things. I didn’t hassle the gentle giant with that in mind, even though this new distance between us felt awkward. I missed him and the sunshine he brought to the pack.

When it’d been a week since I’d woken in the infirmary, I got up, washed, and dressed to await Thalas in my receiving room. I satin the middle of one of the couches by the fire, between Fal and Marius. Tormund was in the hall, acting as a scout.

The house moths prepared refreshments while we waited. Jani and Lon were joined by two male beta mothkin. The lot of them were nearly identical in appearance, though the males wore the tunic-and-trouser version of the palace uniform. I’d later learn they were assigned to Kauz and had relocated here after house moth gossip had revealed to them that the winged prince had every intention of staying in my suite permanently.

The dream warden was on his feet behind us, waiting to meet his father’s eye and reassure him that he was okay. He and his brothers all tilted their head in the same way from some invisible cue from Tormund over their pack bond. “Five incoming. Just as I suspected,” Fal said.

Stars, I was going to be ill with a rush of nerves. “The whole royal pack?” I practically yelped.

He threaded his fingers through mine, giving them a squeeze. “Relax. Mother loves you, which means her males do too.”

Marius’s ear flicked in displeasure. “Why are all of them here? Are they just thumbing their noses at the protocol they taught us?”

“Patience. They can’t say anything if and when we jump forward a step as well,” the dark elf replied with a wink my way.

He also was the first to slide into a more formal posture when Thalas and Rennyn entered the room first. The latter male took a look around and elbowed his brother. “Hey, it’s our missing lads!”

Fal called to his father, “I’ve been around, doing my duties.”

Rennyn scoffed. “Please. Elion’s noticed you half-assing things and disappearing. You can’t fool us.” He pointed downward. “We’ve been in your shoes.”

“I have all my fingers and toes crossed hoping this isn’t the time you want to provide fatherly advice,” Fal said dryly.

“If you need my advice for what you’re implying, you’ve got bigger problems, kid.”

I listened to them go back and forth with a small smile. Thalas had rolled his eyes and gone to Kauz, asking him a few hushed questions after they had a big, wing-tangled hug. Their calm presences at my back soothed my nerves a bit, but I had my fingers tangled in the fabric of my skirt as I watched the door.

I hadn’t re-met two of the kings, and they happened to be the larger-than-life personalities, the lord and the protector. They’d liked me when I was a kid, but I’d beenthree. I couldn’t help but worry, even with Fal’s reassurance.

The next pair of fae to walk through my front door was Nemensia and Tormund, though the last two kings in question were right behind them. She was still the immediate center of attention and spread her arms with a sunshine expression. “Hello! Good morning, everyone,” she said. We said a chorus of hellos back.

The royal pack gathered in a hum of male voices, momentarily distracted by the team of mothkin that passed around tea. It gave me a moment to inspect Theodred and Elion.

Tormund was the largest male I knew…until I saw him next to Theodred. His father was several inches taller than him and built even broader, like a wall of solid muscle. He hadn’t changed much, actually. Age hadn’t softened a single line, only lengthened his forward-facing horns a bit and faded some of the red vibrancy in the fuzz of hair on his head and short beard, shooting orange and blond threads throughout.

He wore a sleeveless shirt and knee-length shorts, showing off the pairs of blood-red knot tattoos that circled each limb in helix patterns. I wondered what they represented. Maybe I’dask Tormund later, because I couldn’t imagine having a full conversation with such an intimidating alpha.

Nemensia came around the couch to coax her sons into hugs. As I made to stand, she rested her palms on my shoulders. “Just sit tight, Metalark. We’re here to set you free.” She knelt down to hug me long and hard instead, the two of us purring in greeting. There was a momentary lull in conversation around us.

I smiled while thinking of Kauz. He’d already set my mind free. This was nothing. Right? I tried not to sound nervous as I said, “I hope I get to walk after this.”

“You will, as long as your wounds from theolcanusare sealed,” Thalas put in from behind me. “Magic affects the healing and scarring process.”

“Aye, well, I think Lark is tired of having every alpha in her life trying to prevent her from standing. Let’s crack the thing open,” Rennyn put in. When I glanced up at him now crowding the space behind my couch, he flicked his lucky coin over, and I caught it. I circled my thumb on the flat gold surface, hoping some luck rubbed off on me.

Marius gestured for his mother to take his spot next to me. Nemensia eased onto the couch, folding her fins around her outline as she rubbed her rounded belly. She released a sigh of relief upon lifting her feet off the ground. “Elion, look at our wild boy,” she said, smiling up at Marius.

“I was just noticing. Already claimed.” The kelpie king inspected his son with a nod. There was a buzz of alpha authority in his voice, though it wasdifferent than Fal’s. It was like I could feel a layer of his approval for Marius, who’d stilled before soaking in the moment with a lift of his chin.

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