his business in the bathroom, and then went downstairs to forage for coffee. He loved the two-story house he and Ronin had purchased a decade ago, when Kell and Braun both realized that the home their two families once shared was simply too small and stifling. And about six years later, Tarek had been shot and paralyzed from the waist down, so he’d needed a home with better mobility access. Then Braun, Tarek and Rei had moved into the mayor’s mansion.
Their two families were exactly where they were meant to be.
He was a bit surprised to see Emory already awake and munching on a bowl of cereal. Emory usually slept in after a big night of being on display as one of the Cross twins, thanks to Kell’s notoriety.
“Hey, baby boy, I figured the house would be asleep,” Kell said as he reached for the coffee machine’s carafe. “You okay?”
“I don’t know,” Emory replied. “I’m uneasy. But not because of anyone here in the house. It’s something else.”
Kell slid into a chair next to Emory at the kitchen table. “Does it have to do with what happened between Rebel and Dorian last night?”
“Maybe.” He put his spoon down in the cereal bowl, shoulders hunched. “I heard a rumor last night that Dorian is Hyatt Lee’s bondmate. Is that true?”
“It is. Does that trouble you?”
“A little.” Emory’s familiar green eyes went liquid. “I can’t imagine discovering my bondmate is related to a person who hurt my family. Hyatt must be so confused right now. I think maybe that’s why I’m uneasy. A lot for him and a little for me.”
“That’s because you have a very sensitive soul.” When Kell first met Ronin, Ronin had confessed that his own omegin had a rare insight with his ability to sense the moods of his children. An empathic ability that Kell truly believed had been passed down to Emory, who had been aware of the moods and emotions of others from a very young age. It worried Kell sometimes, but it also proved how extraordinary his youngest truly was.
“I wish I didn’t. Have a sensitive soul. Maybe then Caden and I would still be friends. I miss my brother, Dad. I miss being an us instead of…whatever it is we are now. Separated. At odds. I know life has always been poised to take us in different directions but I miss my twin.”
Kell pulled his boy into a hug and held him tight, wishing he could take these burdens off his shoulders and knowing he couldn’t. Multiples at birth were extremely rare, and Kell and Ronin had possessed no handbooks on how to navigate life with twins. As they entered their late teens, alpha Caden had resented being a twin, while omega Emory had embraced it. Kell and Ronin had supported their children as best they could, but sometimes it didn’t feel like enough.
“You are going to do amazing things in this world, kiddo,” Kell said. “You and Caden and Branson. You three are the best things I ever did in my entire life. One day, Em, you will meet the most wonderful alpha bondmate, and once me and Papa approve of him, you’ll have an amazing life together. Every breath I take is to ensure you and every single omega in Sansbury Province and the Northern Territory has a safe and happy life. A loving life. You deserve that and so much more.”
“Thank you, Dad.” Emory clung to him, chest heaving a bit harder than usual. “I’m barely nineteen and in no hurry to meet my bondmate. I just worry for Hyatt right now.” He pulled back, eyes still wet but no tears had fallen. “He’s so kind. He deserves an amazing bondmate.”
“Yes, he does. So do you, baby boy.” Kell kissed his youngest on the forehead. “So do you.”
“Why are you up so early? Same reason?”
“Pretty much.” Kell checked his phone but still no texts. “I’d hoped for a message from at least Jax that Rebel had been set free with no charges. I guess last night was pretty complicated for a lot of us.”
“That’s an understatement, but especially for Hyatt and Dorian.” Emory bumped his shoulder against Kell’s. “You too. The fundraiser was supposed to be about Light House, and it devolved into a fist fight.”
“We still got the donations we were hoping for, so that’s something. I’ll fight for Light House for the rest of my life, so that doesn’t worry me. It’s the people whose lives are impacted by