You’re welcome.I kissed her temple and waited for my grandmother to finish serving everything. I would have offered to help, but I knew she’d scold me for trying. She liked to entertain. This house was her domain, something both my grandfathers knew and respected, so they didn’t try to assist either.
Omegas were particular about their space.
Especially with a nest nearby.
She adorned the table with a platter of eggs, a dish of bacon, a basket of breakfast pastries, and more red-tinted shakes. Then she placed a floral fruit salad in front of Aflora adorned with leaves.
“Oh look, mustard berries,” Zeph said conversationally.
“I believe they’re called mouseberries,” my grandmother corrected.
“See?” Aflora arched a brow. “Mouseberries.”
“Hmm,” he hummed, reaching across the table to steal one from her plate. “Delicious.”
“Liar,” she replied, grinning. “Thank you, Zen.”
“Of course, dear. I didn’t think you would enjoy the bacon.” She sat down with a flourish as my grandfather Kodiak began to assemble her plate. She might have served us all, but he would ensure she had the first helping.
We all waited as the Fortune Fae Alpha worked. He assembled a dish for Grandfather Vadim as well, then started on his own before handing the serving utensils to Zakkai.
It was a symbolic gesture, one that said he felt Zakkai was the equivocal alpha of our circle.
Kols met my gaze with a smirk, having heard my thoughts. Don’t tell Zeph.
Not today, anyway, I agreed, momentarily entertained. But when this is all said and done? No promises.
Deal,Kols agreed.
Zakkai, who was very well-versed in Fortune Fae formalities, assembled a plate for me first, suggesting he saw me as the group Omega. I rolled my eyes at him. “Hilarious.”
He just grinned and went about creating a dish for Kols, who was equally unamused by his antics.
Then he started assembling a dish for Zeph, only for the Guardian to say, “I’ll get my own.”
Whether he understood the significance of that or not, I wasn’t sure.
Zakkai replied by finishing the plate and handing it to Ella.
“Thank you,” she whispered, clearly overwhelmed by the table politics.
Zakkai didn’t acknowledge her gratitude, instead looking at Aflora. “Do you want anything else, little star?”
She shook her head, already halfway through her fruit plate. “No, thank you.”
He kissed her temple, slowly fixed himself a plate, and eventually passed the utensils to a quietly simmering Zeph. “Here,” he said.
Kols bit his lip to keep from smiling.
I just shook my head at their dominance war. Apparently, the little fuck fest yesterday didn’t solve their alpha duel problem.
But it was a little less tense, like the two of them knew how to see eye-to-eye and work together now. At least where Aflora was concerned.
She sipped her shake through the straw, then watched as I took a bite of eggs with bacon. Her nose crinkled as she leaned forward to sniff my plate. “Troll fat?” she asked, making me choke.
“What?”
“Cooked troll fat,” she replied, grimacing. “You call it bacon?”