Page 68 of Our Haunted Omegas
“Flower bombing a golf course is not treason,” I sighed. “It’s an annoying crime. It made Clarence spend some more money. That’s it. I don’t even think it’s a crime. Maybe something minor but I’d like to see a Moonscale judge throw you in jail for planting flowers. Are you doing illegal things too? Planting fruit trees isn’t illegal. Grandpa gave you the go-ahead. Trading withother countries for food isn’t illegal. Businesses do it all the time. Just because they spend money to do it doesn’t mean it’s not trading.”
“There’s more to it than that, Co. So much more but it’s not just my business,” Teal frowned.
“Are you planning a coup? You’d tell us, right? You’d tell us if you were planning to lock up our grandparents in some tower and take over, right?”
“Do I look like a man who wants to run a flight? No, I want the people fed and I want zero wars. So, we’re working on it.”
“Zero wars isn’t a thing. Somewhere a war is always waging,” I sighed. “It’s a sad but true fact, bro.”
“Maybe but it doesn’t have to happen in our territory. So, we keep our ears to the ground and anything that sounds like Mundanes Before Magic we stamp out, okay? No hate groups on our watch. We feed the masses. We educate the masses. Hell, we volunteer to do just about anything for the community but at the end of the day you could say hate has fertilized more of our fields than anything else has.”
The color drained from my face and I leaned back against the truck seat. Teal glanced at the warehouse doors. Lights were on inside and his friends were waiting for him to check in.
“Are you going to freak out? If you are let me know now. It started around the time Meda was almost one. I’d just started seed bombing and then one of the guys I worked with heard a rumor. It was someone who only vaguely supported Mundanes Before Magic when they were a thing. A rumor that they planned to take her. So, I got him to pose as someone willing to do the job. When he was paid for it, we offed the guys behind it. If you’re willing to pay for a kidnapping, you’re in balls deep, right? I’m sorry we missed whatever happened yesterday. If it’s really about the office building we tore down to grow more food, I’m sorry. If it’s about something we did to protect someone, I’m notsorry. I’ll do better in the future. I’ll be more vigilant now that we have our kids to think about. I don’t want you or Indi to ever think that I don’t care because I do.”
“Can I ask you a fucking ridiculous question?” I sighed.
“Go for it,” he said finally unfastening his own seatbelt.
“Why did you get so mad about the term murder dog?”
“Because murder means it’s in cold blood and what Guardie did wasn’t in cold blood. He wanted to protect you and Odie. I get it. Would I have let Uncle Nicky banish him if it meant keeping things under wraps? One thousand percent yes because it’s not just our family I’m keeping safe. It’s other people’s too.”
“Teal this is how people get themselves killed,” I said.
“I’d rather die trying to make this territory a safe place for everyone to live than live hiding in the dungeon while others fight our battle,” Teal said and got out of the truck.
“I’m not a coward. I just---”
“I never said that. If we all did the same job nothing would get done. Believe it or not, your antics kept the eyes off me. Sometimes I thought you did it on purpose. Like you timed it all because you knew I had something going on.”
“Why is Crilus really mad at you?” I asked, following him up the sidewalk.
“Because I’m not his mate. Because I can’t pretend I am. I don’t have it in me, Co. I’ve seen too much. It’s not about an ex or whatever. I’ve seen too much of what the world is really like and I painted a target of blood on my back. Getting too close to anyone puts them at risk. He thinks he’s bad ass and maybe he is but I’m not putting anyone else in danger if I can help it. Before we go in I need to know if you’re going to tell the others.”
“Tell them that my brother is a morally grey assassin? I don’t think they’d believe me,” I laughed. “I’m not telling anyone. I hate to say it but after what I found out about Reve, I figureyou’re doing what needs to be done. If you need help, I have your back, under one condition.”
“What’s that?” Teal asked, turning back around to face me.
My brother’s heart thrummed against his chest. He thought I wanted him to tell Indi or our grandparents.
“If someone ever threatens Odie, Ambry, or one of our kids you have to tell me. You can’t leave me out of that loop and blind,” I said.
“I wouldn’t do that. You know better than to think everyone is your friend. You knew that before I did, you and Indi both knew it. It’s why you never took dating seriously until now. It just took me some time to catch up. We should dye our hair again,” he changed the subject. “Just to give them all something to write about. We’ll talk to your omegas first, of course, but maybe green this time or something.”
“We’ll see,” I sighed and followed him inside the warehouse.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ambry
Our mating feast passed without much fanfare. After the explosive events of the day before Clarence and Medwin agreed that it was a good idea to keep the event small. My father stayed on at Moonscale Manor overnight and if he was furious about what happened at Moon Rocks he didn’t show it. It wasn’t until the feast was winding down that I asked him how he felt. Explosions were a sensitive subject with even the most hardened Londoners but the war had made us particularly sensitive.
“You’re alive. Regardless of what saved you, you’re alive. I know everyone keeps saying how horrible it was and I’m sorry you all had to go through that but at the end of the day, I think we’re all incredibly lucky to have had all of you here for a mating feast today,” he said. “I’m lucky to even know I have the chance to be a grandfather. I didn’t get a chance to tell you when we last spoke at your apartment, but Missy was rather impressed that you put the ‘giant oaf’ to work straight away.”
“He just started working,” I shrugged and told him everything the triplets had told me about growing up with an ag engineer for a carrier.
“Explains all the pickup trucks. I thought they were a rebellion against their grandparents,” Dad laughed. “I’m happy that you’re happy. I’m happy that you have them too now. You and Odie both.”
