Page 42 of King

That last thought hurts, but it also brings some healing. Vaegon wasn’t alone. He wasn’t afraid. He was cared for and comforted. The realm needed Durin more than Vaegon did. I can see that now. Hopefully, Durin will come to understand it, too.

“You all need to rest,” the seer says, breaking the silence. “Allina, go to your daughter. I’ll show our guests where they can spend the night. We’ll come together in the morning to discuss a plan.”

I watch as Allina hurries off to find her pup. If only I had the magic to trip her. I’m starting to accept the way things are, but the desire to see her face in the dirt will never fade.

Vaegon kisses his mates and clasps the arms of the other three Alphas before coming to stand next to Durin and me. A knot of anxiety tightens in my stomach. I appreciate that he’s given us a moment alone, though. Whatever he has to say is his truth. I will accept and respect it.

He gazes up at the moon, slowly rising into the sky. “My whole life, I thought I’d been abandoned,” he begins. “I was glamoured until right after Paren showed up. But I always knew I was different. I figured that’s why I was tossed aside.”

I know he’s not done, so I stay quiet, holding onto Durin’s arm for support. It hurts to know Vaegon held onto those thoughts despite how happy he was.

It only deepens my hatred for the elves.

He moves his gaze to the clear, shimmering pond and absently runs a hand through his hair.

“I didn’t even know what the bloodlust was until Parenexplained it. Anders soothed me, but only when he was close by. The bloodlust still filled me with rage a lot of the time. I thought I was just damaged. Luckily, once we had both mate-claimed Jade, he could send his calming presence through the bond, even from a distance.”

“That’s incredible,” I whisper.

Mate bonds are a powerful kind of magic. I’ll never get to experience one, but I don’t need to. I have a simpler wish. All I ask for is for Durin to return safely once the battle is over.

Vaegon finally looks at me. A faint smile flickers across his lips before he turns his eyes to the ground.

“When did you lose your glamour?” Durin asks.

“It fell during a battle two seasons ago. We were actually fighting a Beta shifter from this realm. He had built an army of Alphas from our own realm to seize our lands and bring his pack over from Faerie. He wanted to be a hero, happily doing so at our expense.”

“Shit,” Durin says, running his fingers through his hair just as our son did moments ago. “I take it he was dealt with?”

“Yeah,” Vaegon says, briefly meeting his gaze before turning away. “But he recognized me. Said I looked just like you. He spoke of your deadly magic but never what you were trying to do to help. I had a lot of thoughts about you... most of them not good,” he admits.

Durin nods, but his grip on my hand tightens. I slip my arm around his waist and rest my head against his chest, hoping to bring him some comfort. Today should have been a celebration for our pup’s return. I don’t understand why we’ve been buried in so much sorrow instead.

“I thought you’d forced yourself on my birth mother and abandoned her,” Vaegon continues quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Or that maybe you killed her, and I just stumbled into the realm by accident.”

His words pierce my heart like fangroot thorns. Durin doesn’t deserve to be thought of that way. It’s a horrible slap in the face after what he’s been through.

“Paren said she’d heard stories of you helping shifters,” Vaegon continues. “I’ve been conflicted ever since.”

“He would never hurt me,” I say, hugging Durin’s hand against my chest. “He protected me. Hesavedme.”

Vaegon nods. “I can see that you care for each other. Scent match and all.”

“Scent match?” Durin asks, looking sheepishly between Vaegon and me. He shifts his weight to his other leg and clears his throat. “I’m sorry. I still don’t know as much about shifters as I should.”

“It’s okay,” I reassure him, gently squeezing his hand. “A scent match is a shifter’s fated mate. Mother said the same about us. I didn’t believe her at first because you’re not a shifter.”

“I’m only half shifter,” Vaegon says with a shrug. “But Jade is my scent match. She’s my brothers’ scent match, too, even though we share no blood. My family accepted that it was fate. What else could it be?

“I see how you two react to each other. You’re fated to be together, which means I’m fated to be alive, which means at least some of this bullshit the elf was saying is probably true. So, I’m in.”

Hearing that is a relief. Durin won’t have to face the queen alone. Still, I wish neither of them had to walk into danger like that.

“Thank you,” Durin tells him. “We can strategize tomorrow. I’m going to turn in now.” He gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and walks away, leaving me alone with Vaegon.

As much as I want to admire the Alpha my son has become, I struggle to look at him. I have no idea what to say. My mind spins, searching for a topic that won’t be awkward for him orpainful for me. Eventually, I give up and plop down on the grass.

He lowers himself to the ground in front of me, thankfully knowing where to start. “I can see your pain,” he says, pulling blades of grass from the ground nervously. “It’s shitty that it brings me relief. I don’t want you to hurt, but it’s nice to know my parents didn’t abandon me.”

---