“Yes.” Tension seeped under my scales, making my back straighten.
“Your Seth Harris?”
“Yes,” I said, adding more texture to his hair. I couldn’t quite depict its perfection.
“I quite like the look of him.”
Finally, I turned toward her. “So do I.”
“I figured as much. What brought this about?”
“Seth. He likes my paintings, and I wanted to capture him.”
“I love him already. Where is he?”
“Having lunch with a friend. What can I do for you?” I moved to the couch. Lucy was crouched directly in front of me, tail flicking as she stared at the screen.
“Your father is concerned about your lack of communication,” she said. “Your brothers and Monqilcolnen have been advocating for you. They all say you're busy with your new mate.”
“He almost died.” The mere words made my soul quiver.
Her expression softened. “I know, Little One. Is he alright?”
“He’s recovering.”
“I’m glad.”
My hands tightened into fists on my thighs. “I’m different now. I swear. But I couldn’t handle your concern when he was sick.”
“I do understand, Kalvoxrencol. We love you.”
“I know.”
Mother cleared her throat. “Has he perhaps made a decision?”
I grinned.
“I suspected as much. You’re talking to me to boast,” she quipped, but her soft tone took any bite from her words.
“My mate chose me.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“Me too,” I confessed. “He’s…” I had no words to describe Seth’s importance. He simply was.
“Something I understand all too well. You often forget the Crystal brought your father and I together. That feeling of rightness and completion cannot be spoken.” Her green eyes, the same ones all my brothers shared, turned distant. “When your father found me, I could hardly believe it.”
My parents' romance was a famous story. Mother had been no one. She hadn’t lived on the main planet, and she’d been drowning in debt as she tried to take care of her parents.
My father had come for my mother when the Crystal revealed her as his soulmate. She’d rejected him, uninterested. He’d spent the next few weeks courting her. Mother hadn’t cared if he was her soulmate or the heir to the throne. Both had been negatives in her opinion. Finally, he’d won her love, though he always said he had no idea how, while Mother said it was because, for the first time in her life, she felt safe.
“I remember,” I said.
“Your father is the best thing to happen to me, and he brought five more perfect things into my life.”
“Seth is the same for me.”
The door opened, and Seth froze, gaze trapped on the screen. I saw the indecision play on his expression. For a moment, I wondered if he would back out of the room. Instead, he stepped toward me, and I held out a hand. His clammy fingers slid into my hold. I tugged him against my side.
