Page 215 of Filthy Royal

Scarlett sat up, clutching the covers to her chest.

She’d feigned sleep to give Damien some processing time but had wondered who he’d messaged on his comms before slipping from the room.

Now she knew. “Luc?”

“Yes, it’s me.” Her brother lingered in the doorway, the dim lights in the hallway casting his expression in shadow, but his steady presence soothed her immediately.

She should have known Damien would be thinking of her.

Good thing she’d thought of him too. He might believe he needed to be alone, but she knew better. She’d used the comms on the bedside panel to reach out to his brothers the moment the door slid shut behind him.

“Come in.” She patted beside her on the bed, then used the bedside panel to turn on the light.

Luc shuffled closer, and her breath caught in her throat. His appearance wasn’t unexpected, but it still hurt. His handsome face was stamped with a grief so heavy his cheeks looked sunken, his eyes buried by pain.

One more loved one she hadn’t been able to protect.

But then again, she wasn’t the only one who could do that for him now.

“So, you and Kadon”—she waggled her eyebrows— “finally.”

Luc didn’t smile. Only drew in a sharp breath.

So much for misdirection. “So, I take it you’ve heard what the doc had to say?”

His gaze shifted away; his jaw clenched so tight she feared it might break. He was still standing too. “Scarlett, I—”

“He said itwillhappen. Not that it’s happeningnow.” She’d already decided she was done with shock and sadness for the moment. There was much to accomplish still. “I don’t want this to mar your new happiness.”

A muscle twitched in Luc’s jaw. “Sorry, no can do.”

She sighed to herself over Alpha stubbornness. “Well then, I’m glad you at least finally have someone who can get you through the sad parts and give you plenty of good reasons to be happy anyway.”

A full-body shudder passed through Luc.

“Believe it or not,” she whispered, “that makes it easier.”

His hand shot out and seized hers, his grip a little too hard, but still sweet. “Nothing”—his voice cracked— “will make this easier.”

“Oh no.” She jerked his hand and, miraculously, brought his face closer while assuming her best bossy-little-sister expression. “We are not doing the whole sad thing when it’s not yet time. And you’re not going to mess this up or revert to your earlier foolishness. You’ve used up your excuses for a lifetime. I know you only wanted to protect me and Kadon, but that self-sacrificing stage is over. You’ve told Kadon you love him. You guys are together now, and that is that.”

Amusement cut through the shadows in Luc’s gaze. “I don’t want to go back.” He swallowed hard. “I’ve wasted enough time as it is.”

“Thank the Goddess.” She released his hand and fell back onto her pillows, ignoring the body twinges for the sake of dramatic flair.

“I just—”

“My brother doesn’t speak much.” She talked over him, addressing the ceiling as if it could listen. She refused to allow Luc to hijack their conversation and return it to sadder concerns. “But at least when he does, he’s finally saying the right things.”

Scarlett hid a smile.

She didn’t usually speak to her brother with such irreverence, but she’d picked up a few tips on outrageous behavior from her Alpha and intended to put them to good use.

Earlier in her life, there’d been a painful distance between her and Luc. The affection was there, but he was a stoic, silent type of Alpha. He’d kept his thoughts and secrets to himself, and she’d followed his example. He was still that guy, but now at least some of his secrets were out, and, after four planetary rotations of barely getting to see him while worrying over him with every heartbeat, she refused to go back to how they’d been.

Damien said what was on his mind; he showed her everything that was in his heart—the good, the bad, the filthy, and the fearless. She’d learned so much from that. Especially the foolishness of pretending or leaving unsaid what needed to be spoken aloud.

“I love you, big brother.” She shifted her gaze until it locked with his. “And I’m so happy that we’ve both found the Alphas of our dreams.”

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