CHAPTER 262: A TRAUMATIZED BROTHER

Natalie~

Zane’s arms wrapped around me the moment I stepped off the last stair. His warmth. His scent. The steady, fierce rhythm of his heart. Everything I’d needed after the wreckage of what just happened upstairs. I pressed into him with a sigh, and I allowed myself to breathe.

His hand stroked my hair gently. "Are you okay?" His voice was low, roughened with concern.

I leaned into his chest. "I am now. It’s over. All of it."

Zane pulled back just enough to see my face, his eyes scanning mine like he was searching for cracks. "You did the right thing, Natalie. I know it wasn’t easy, but... you did good."

That did something to my chest. Made it ache and swell at once. I hugged him tighter. "Never again," I whispered. "I’m done letting people ride on my kindness. Griffin made his choice. Now I’ve made mine."

"Damn right you have," came Fox’s voice from the hallway.

We both turned to see him strolling toward us with his usual swagger. His red hair looked even brighter under the hallway lights, and those golden eyes sparkled like fire.

He smirked. "Cute little hug fest you two got going here. But if you’re done, I’ll handle Griffin. I’ve got just the right amount of sass and fire to show him the exit."

I laughed, stepping out of Zane’s arms just enough to nod at Fox. "Thanks, Fox."

Zane gave him a grateful look too. "We owe you."

"Yeah, yeah," Fox shrugged dramatically. "Owe me a lifetime supply of chili fries. Now go, lovebirds. Get out of here. I’ve got this."

I didn’t wait another second. I grabbed Zane’s hand, my fingers lacing tightly with his. A flick of thought, a twist in space—and we were gone.

We appeared in a rush of wind and shimmer, landing right in the center of Zane’s massive bedroom in the palace. Moonlight spilled across the dark stone floors and danced on the navy silk curtains that framed the tall windows.

And there, curled up like a sleeping kitten in the middle of the king-sized bed, was Alexander. His tiny fingers clutched a plush wolf with one floppy ear. His little nose wrinkled as he stirred, then his eyes opened—and he saw us.

"Mommy, Natalie! Daddy!" he shrieked the moment he spotted us.

In one bound, Alex flew off the bed and into my arms, his cheeks wet and his breath hitched from crying.

"I was so mad at you!" he sobbed. "You left me behind! You didn’t tell me where you were going! I looked everywhere!"

He sniffled, nestling his face into my shoulder. "Uncle Tiger and Uncle Eagle were pretending to be you and Daddy. But I knew it wasn’t really you."

Zane crouched beside us and wrapped his arms around both of us, holding us close. "I’m sorry too, champ. We didn’t mean to scare you. We were dealing with something very important, but we promise—"

"—We won’t do it again," I finished.

Alexander sniffled, his little arms clutching my neck. "Promise?"

"Promise," Zane and I said in unison.

A smile finally broke through his tears, and he nestled into me with a happy sigh.

That peace lasted exactly three seconds before the door burst open and two familiar figures stepped into the room—and I lost it.

Because standing before us were two people—no, not people. Tiger and Eagle. But they looked exactly like me and Zane. Down to the last detail. My hair, Zane’s jawline, my exact gown, Zane’s royal tunic.

"Darling, it’s not easy being you," the Natalie-double said, tossing a fake version of my hair over his—Eagle’s—shoulder.

The Zane-double smirked, clearly Tiger in disguise.

I burst out laughing. "Oh my moon—you really look like me!"

Zane, on the other hand, was stone-faced. "This is... terrifying." He narrowed his eyes at Tiger. "Don’t ever wear my face again."

I was now doubled over in laughter, tears forming at the corners of my eyes.

Tiger shrugged, and in a flicker of light, he returned to his original form.

Eagle sighed and in a shimmer of wind, returned to his original form as well, adjusting his silver robes with flair. He looked absolutely traumatized "You’re welcome, by the way. Do you know how long I had to stand still for the royal tailor to measure every inch of this—" he motioned at his now masculine body, "—to fit a ceremonial gown for you, Natalie?"

I blinked. "Wait. What gown?"

Tiger shook his head. "Here we go. It’s been two days. You’re being dramatic."

Eagle gasped, offended. "Two days? I had to stand for five hours while the royal tailor took measurements of every inch of me. FIVE! HOURS!TIGER! Don’t tell me I’m being dramatic. You weren’t the one standing there like a mannequin while that woman debated which shade of blush would best compliment Natalie’s eyes. I’m telling you, she tried every. Single. Shade."

Zane’s lips twitched.

I folded my arms. "You wore my dress?"

"I had to!" Eagle barked, scandalized. "The palace is in full prep mode for the royal mating. Since I was pretending to be you, I got the honor of testing your ceremonial gown. I’m fairly certain you’ll hate it. There are lace ruffles, Natalie. Ruffles! And don’t even get me started on the shoes. The last time I wore heels was in the 1700s, and that was only because I had to sneak into a vampire wedding dressed as the bride’s third cousin, twice removed! You think I wanted to do that again?"

Zane laughed out loud now. Actual, unfiltered laughter. "You wore heels?"

Eagle pointed at Tiger. "And you! You didn’t even stand for fittings! You just sat there drinking tea and letting me suffer!"

Tiger’s expression didn’t even flicker. "You volunteered."

Eagle gasped like he’d been shot. "I most certainly did not. I was nominated—by you!"

Bubble suddenly appeared at the door, grinning. "I did say he had the best legs out of all of us."

I pressed my fingers to my temple. "Oh moon, how ridiculous is this dress?"

Eagle crossed his arms, utterly scandalized. "It has thirty-two pearl buttons. THIRTY-TWO. I counted. While holding in my wind eagle instincts not to blow away the entire room."

Zane was wheezing now, doubled over with laughter. "Oh, this is amazing."

I glared at him playfully. "Keep laughing, Zane. I’ll make sure your ceremonial cape has a unicorn on the back."

But before I could fire back with another joke, something inside me shifted.

The room spun slightly. My stomach lurched, and a wave of nausea washed over me so suddenly I swayed.

"Natalie?" Zane caught me before I tipped forward, his arms steadying me. "Hey, what’s wrong?"

Alex’s little hands tugged at my dress. "Mommy? Are you okay?"

I nodded, but I was sweating. The heat flushed up my neck and the tightness in my chest made it hard to breathe.

"I... I’m fine," I said, even though the floor still seemed to tilt under me. "It’s probably just leftover fatigue from the fight with Kalmia. I pushed myself and Jasmine too hard. That’s all."

Tiger frowned. "Are you sure? You’ve never looked like this after a battle."

I waved them off, forcing a small smile. "I’ll be fine. I just need rest."

Bubble and Eagle exchanged glances, but nodded.

Zane didn’t look convinced, but he walked to the bed and helped me lie down. He fluffed the pillows and tucked the blanket around me, his hands lingering as he gently pushed hair away from my face.

"Call me if you feel anything weird," he said.

I nodded. "I will. Promise."

Zane stood, brushing a kiss against my forehead. "Get some rest, Snowflake."

Alex pouted but kissed my cheek too before Bubble swept him into his arms, promising to take him for cinnamon bread in the kitchen.

Tiger was already at the door, and Eagle lingered only a second before sighing, "Try not to pass out again. I can’t be you and me at the same time."

"I’ll try," I said weakly, smiling at him.

The door shut behind them, and the room fell silent.

The pillow was deliciously cool against my cheek, like the breeze from an open window on a too-warm night. I finally let go—muscles melting, limbs loose, every bit of me sinking into the mattress like I belonged there.

But the peace didn’t last long.

"Mara."

Jasmine’s voice echoed in my mind, soft and deliberate. Not urgent, but... weighted. Like she was treading carefully through the quiet corners of my thoughts.

"What is it?" I replied, not with words, but with that internal whisper you save for someone who knows you too well. I was too worn out to actually speak, barely tethered to consciousness.

"There’s something I need to tell you."

I let out the smallest groan. Not from irritation, but pure exhaustion. My eyelids were already halfway down the road to never coming back. "Can it wait?"

Silence answered first.

Then, gently: "Yes. Sleep, Mara. I’ll tell you when you wake."

With those words, the weight I’d been dragging—pain, fury, betrayal, all of it—slipped right off me, like someone unbuckled it from my chest and let it fall away.

The noise inside me quieted.

The chaos dulled.

The betrayal blurred.

And I drifted—down, down—into a sleep so deep it felt like the universe had wrapped me in warmth and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

But somewhere inside me...

A flicker sparked.

A pulse rose and fell.

It felt... unfamiliar.

Like something quietly stretching its limbs in the dark.

Like something waiting.