Page 71 of Fortune Fae Academy
You need to bite Rowan,I added into Seifiek’s mind, just in case he couldn’t read through the lines. I didn’t want the Beta to overhear such sensitive information. If the others stopped to think that I, not Seifiek, was the one who had claimed the Betas, they might find a weakness in this mate-circle that could most definitely be exploited.
You’re their Alpha,Seif reminded me.You are responsible for their well-being. Everything you’re so angry at me for? Rowan’s injuries and Zeke’s betrayal? A Beta’s actions reflect the strength of their Alpha. You need to look at yourself before you start pointing fingers at me.
I kept my face expressionless, but damn, Seif knew how to hit below the belt.
Because… he wasn’twrong.
Just do your part, Seif. Bite Rowan. Protect him and Gina, because I don’t know what’s going to happen.
It fucking hurt to have to admit that. The future had never seemed so murky before, but it was impossible to know what was going to happen in the next hour, much less tomorrow. There were far too many timelines and disturbances. New timelines sprang into existence every time Seifiek seemed to have a straythought or Gina fluttered her eyelashes and the shock waves changed the very fabric of space and time.
I had one hell of a mate-circle.
And I wasn’t too proud to admit I needed help maintaining it.
“Time’s up,” the Beta said, cutting into our mental conversation.
Ignoring the urge to skim my claws over the arrogant Beta’s throat, I stood and clapped my hand on Seifiek’s shoulder. “Okay, Seif. You win this one.”
He tilted his head back, giving me a gorgeous view I rarely enjoyed. One with him beneath me and his silver gaze looking up into mine. “Don’t give up so easily, Axel. The game’s not over yet.”
With that cryptic comment, a sliver of gloom lifted from my heart as I left Seifiek and followed the Beta out.
Indeed, the game wasn’t over yet.
It had only just begun.
Is Axel right?I wondered for the thousandth time.
Did I make a mistake?
I didn’t bother to check the timelines to confirm. They wouldn’t show me the future that I so desperately wanted. It had been apparent for a while now that the only future worth living was one I would create with Gina at my side.
Not just Gina,I thought, frowning,but my mate-circle.
That included Axel, as well as Rowan and Zeke.
Rowan’s injuries were healing at a mortal’s pace, leaving blood to soak into the bandages that Gina had lovingly dressed him with. He rested in the large bed with my Omega draped over him.
I was glad to see she could finally sleep. I doubted she’d eaten anything, either, based on the echo of hunger I felt through our bond.
I need to take better care of them,I thought as I embraced the flare of disappointment in myself.
Axel had offered an alternate perspective and he wasn’t my second for just his Dust or his strength, but also his opinions. Especially now that he was an Alpha, I valued what he had to say.
Even if I didn’t show it.
I would apologize when I knew I had done something wrong, but this wasn’t a cut-and-dried situation. Too many factors were at play.
It doesn’t matter,I finally decided as I ventured back into the kitchen and busied myself with breakfast.
I didn’t often cook. It wasn’t my specialty, but I had paid attention to my mother, and picked up a few tricks from Zeke, to learn enough to feed my mate-circle.
I arranged a simple breakfast that resembled human cuisine with sausage, eggs, bacon, and buttered biscuits. A pot of water boiled for tea, and just in case my Omega preferred coffee, I had a cup of espresso made, too.
What does Rowan like?I wondered as I surveyed the meal I had prepared.
I had no idea, and that was a problem. Zeke had cooked for us for quite some time, but I’d never paid attention to what Rowan preferred.
