Page 36 of King

“I’ve been hidden,” Allina says. “Living in the woods and watching over Vaegon from afar. I used my concealment magic to check on him often.”

“What does your seer want with my magic?” Vaegon demands. “And why do you find it acceptable for her to manipulate you and everyone else to get it?”

Allina looks at me instead of answering him. Vaegon and Lucas turn to me, too, making me seem like the villain here. It makes me want to kill Allina even more.

I take a breath and focus on my son instead of my hatred for Allina. “Your magic came from your father,” I say. “I don’t like it, but I think I understand now why the elves sent you here.”

I rub both hands down my face. It’s shameful how naive I was to think I’d actually get my pup back.

Jade steps closer and takes my hand, guiding me back onto the chair. “Please explain it to us.”

I sit and stare at the wall across the room. If I look at Vaegon, I might break down. If I look at Allina, I may actually go through with killing her.

“Faerie is ruled by a soulless queen and her equally heartless nobles. She craves power and despises all species that are not fae like her.”

“Just like Paren said,” Jade murmurs.

I ignore her comment and continue. “Durin, Vaegon’s father, killed a noble to avenge a Beta shifter’s death. He was captured and forced to become a noble himself.”

I glance over at Vaegon in time to see his expression darken. I hurry to defend Durin in case he misinterpreted my words. “He never hurt anyone innocent. He’s been using that position to plot against her.”

Vaegon’s eyes lose a bit of their heat, so I continue. “The queen found out that Durin has the unique ability to grow magic, something he didn’t realize about himself.”

I continue, sharing everything I know about the queen’s failing magic–the sacrifices, the mixed fae shifters, and the alchemist. I explain how she shared her power with Durin in hopes of growing it without his knowledge. The shifters listen intently, and the fair one asks a lot of questions that I do my best to answer. I don’t mention Durin’s role as consort. They don’t need that information right now, and I doubt Durin would want me to share it.

“I don’t see what any of that has to do with me,” Vaegon says,sounding bored.

I can only imagine how it feels to know nothing about your past or where you came from. He’s probably dying to know. It might be uncomfortable for him to hear how Durin and I met and how he came to be, so I’ll stick to why he ended up in this realm.

With a lot of effort, I meet his eyes and speak to him instead of the wall.

“The queen found out about you and demanded Durin bring you to her. We think she wanted to use you to grow more power for herself. We hid among the elves, and Durin shared some of his amplified magic with you for your own protection. But the elves took you away,” I say, glaring at Allina. “They brought you here to grow your magic so you’d be able to help Faerie much sooner.”

“Help Faerie how?” the Beta asks, though I suspect they’ve all figured it out already.

I give him a grim smile and turn back to Vaegon. “The seer claims you’re the key to saving the realm. She says your destiny is to stand with your father and take down the queen.”

I can’t keep his gaze. I have to look away. If my son is anything like me, he won’t give a fuck about fate’s plans, so he won’t be coming home with me.

“My destiny was to meet my mates and build a life with them here,” he says, unfazed.

His response confirms my fear, but it makes me surprisingly proud.

I glance back up just in time to see him lift the Omega into his arms and fill his nose with her scent. Then, he grips the Beta’s hair and smiles down at him. “Faerie’s fight is not my fight.”

He’s right. He’s found happiness here. He has two loving mates, and these other Alphas seem to be very protective of him. This is his family. Why should he leave them?

“No,” I say, getting to my feet. “It’s not your fight. Not if you don’t want it to be.” I turn and head for the door that leads outside.

“Wait!” Allina calls after me. “You can’t just walk away and let all of your suffering be in vain.”

I scoff over my shoulder at her. “You want me to plead your case, but you took everything from Durin and me. We only have each other now. I’m going back to be with him.”

She tries again, this time appealing to Vaegon. “You don’t want an entire realm for your mate-group? A place where your pack and every shifter hiding here can live freely? No humans to worry about? No Beta cough?”

Vaegon glares at her with the anger I just traded for apathy. I don’t know why the elves thought sending a stranger to convince him would work. I think fate just wanted to watch me suffer through this on top of everything else.

Every part of me longs for Durin. I’m not needed here, so I open the door and step out to find my way back to him.

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