Page 142 of Shameless Royalty

Mihai snorts, nudging Giovanni lightly. “Careful, Gio. That sounded dangerously close to genuine encouragement.”

Giovanni laughs, shoving Mihai off. “Shut up, asshole. Don’t ruin the moment.”

I shake my head, feeling lighter than I have in months. “Yeah, I got my second chance. He forgave me. But he wants to find himself first, figure out who he is without everyone else controllin’ him.”

Konstantin hums again, thoughtful. “And you’re okay with that?”

I nod without hesitation, a certainty settling deep inside me. “I owe him that. After everythin’ he’s been through, after everythingIput him through, he deserves freedom. And if that’s what he wants, I’ll wait as long as he needs. He’s worth it.”

There’s a beat of silence, the guys exchanging amused, knowing looks around me.

“Fucking whipped,” Nikolai mutters again under his breath, grinning smugly.

I shove him hard enough that he stumbles sideways, laughing loudly. “I swear to God, Niko—”

He holds up his hands in surrender, still laughing. “Relax, Connor. It suits you. Actually humanizes your cold, arrogant ass.”

Giovanni snickers. “Yeah, might even make people around campus stop pissing themselves whenever you walk by.”

Konstantin grunts in amusement, eyes twinkling. “Let’s not go that far. Fear is still useful.”

I roll my eyes, smirking despite myself. “Fuck all of you. I’m happy. Deal with it.”

Mihai chuckles low and squeezes my shoulder again. “We’re just messing with you. Honestly, brother, we’re glad you figured your shit out. Malachi’s good for you. He balances you.”

I nod, exhaling deeply. “Yeah, he does. More than he even realizes.”

We walk in comfortable silence after that, each of us lost in our thoughts. I can’t stop replaying last night in my head—the way Malachi looked at me and the softness in his voice when he told me he loved me first. The fierce stubbornness in his eyes when he demanded time for himself, demanding freedom without letting go of us.

That’s what I love most about him. That fire, that strength hidden beneath his bratty exterior.

As we cross the quad, Nikolai suddenly clears his throat, a wicked grin returning to his face. “So, when are you bringing him around to meet us?”

I arch a brow, side-eyeing him warily. “Why? So you can traumatize him?”

Giovanni laughs loudly, nodding. “Obviously.”

Nikolai smirks. “Come on. We deserve to meet the guy who brought the almighty Connor Cunningham to his knees.”

I scoff, shaking my head, but I can’t quite hide my grin. “Fine. Soon. But I swear, if you scare him off—”

Nikolai waves me off, already chuckling. “Yeah, yeah. You’ll feed me to the fishes. Heard it all before.”

Mihai smiles warmly, nodding. “Malachi will be fine. He survived you, didn’t he? Compared to that, we’re harmless.”

Giovanni snorts. “Speak for yourself.”

I laugh, shaking my head as we keep walking, my chest feeling light and easy. It’s a new feeling, strange and unfamiliar, but I can’t deny it feels good. Better than good.

Malachi gave me something I didn’t know I needed—something real, something worth fighting for. And I’ll spend every damn day from now on proving to him that he chose right when he chose me.

But for now, surrounded by my brothers, laughing and giving each other shit, I let myself soak it in.

Because Malachi Dawson is mine, and for the first time in my life, I feel whole.

Chapter 56

Malachi

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