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The first thing Cristina noticed after Mark and Kieran came back to the cottage was that Mark was shaking. The second thing she noticed was his fear scent.
Kieran met her eyes. “Can you make a nest for Mark?” he asked. “He needs it.” And in those words, Kieran sounded nothing like the king he was. Instead, he was only a concerned boyfriend.
And since Cristina was a concerned girlfriend, she nodded. “Of course.”
Immediately, she rushed to her own room and picked out clothes filled with her scent. Her boyfriends had referred to her omega scent as sweet and comforting, but of course, she had never thought that way about her own scent. Dropping them in a pile in Mark’s room, she headed to Kieran’s and took clothes heavily scented with his alpha scent, then dropped them in a pile as well. She began to spread them out, making a nest.
Kieran entered the room, his arm draped around Mark’s shoulder. Mark was still shaking, his eyes unfocused. Cristina reached out to take him into the nest. Kieran looked at her gratefully.
“What happened?” Cristina asked.
Kieran looked away briefly. “We were in Faerie. Me as the Unseelie King, and Mark as a delegate of the Shadowhunters. To deal with the faerie that murdered mundanes for fun.” Cristina knew this, it was why she and Mark had come to the cottage this time. “The faerie has a brother in the Wild Hunt,” Kieran continued, and Cristina did not know this. “The Hunt knew about Mark and I’s relationship. He knew that Mark was my mortal lover. He mocked him, and Mark withstood it, until the faerie brought up a memory that his brother told him about.”
“What sort of memory?” Cristina whispered, though she was sure she already knew.
Kieran’s eyes darkened. “One from before I came to the Hunt.” It was clear he did not want to elaborate, and Cristina did not wish to force him to do so if that was not what he desired.
For a moment, Mark’s eyes became more clear, and Cristina immediately dropped to her knees next to him. She gently took one of his hands in hers. “Mark,” she whispered to her fellow omega, grief filling her at his persistent fear scent. “Are you okay?”
Mark’s eyes met hers. “Yeah,” he whispered.
Relief filled Cristina at hearing him speak, but, “You aren’t okay.”
“Then why’d you ask me if you already knew?” Mark asked, but he was smiling slightly.
His fear scent was slowly fading away, Cristina realized. He recognized their scents. He recognized them. He knew that he was safe.
“Mark.” Now Kieran was crouched on Mark’s other side. “Would you like for me to give the death sentence to that faerie?”
Mark seemed to choke for a second. Cristina worriedly patted him on the back a few times before he managed to speak. “No! I mean, don’t do it because of what he said to me. Do it because he’s a murderer!” He smiled. “But I’m glad you’d be willing to do that for me.”
“Alright,” Kieran agreed, but he was smiling slightly too. Cristina had the feeling that his question may have been meant as a joke.
“Can you… lie down with me?” Mark asked quietly, and his voice sounded so vulnerable that Cristina’s heart broke.
“Of course,” Cristina whispered, and climbed into the nest next to him. Kieran lay on his other side and draped a protective arm over his boyfriend. Cristina immediately did the same.
“Thank you,” Mark whispered, before his breathing began to even out and he drifted into sleep.
When Cristina woke up, she saw that Kieran was already awake, gazing at his partners with affection. His smile seemed to brighten when he saw that Cristina’s eyes were open. “The sun rises again, Lady of Roses,” he said.
“Good morning to you too,” Cristina said with a yawn. “I’d make breakfast, but…” she looked at Mark.
Kieran looked at him too. “Yes, I would rather not leave him until I’m sure he is alright, and I’m sure you feel the same.
“I do,” Cristina whispered, brushing her fingers lightly through Mark’s hair. The omega did not awake, too deep in sleep, but he did seem to lean into her touch.
“Let us remain at least until Mark awakes, then,” Kieran said. “Or longer, if that is what he wishes.”
Cristina nodded. “Of course.”
It took one more hour before Mark got up, blinking dazedly. As his gaze caught on Kieran and Cristina, a smile spread across his face. “Hey,” he whispered, leaning forward to kiss Cristina lightly before doing the same with Kieran.
“Are you alright?” Cristina asked him.
His gaze flicked back to her. “Yeah,” he said. “I just… I just needed to sleep on it, I guess. It was an unpleasant memory, definitely, but I probably overreacted.”
“You didn’t.” Kieran’s voice was sharp, but it gentled as he continued. “You did not overreact, Mark. I heard what the faerie told you. Just know that if you ever want to talk about it, I’m right here.” He looked at Cristina. “We both are.”
Mark flushed a little bit. “If I kiss you, will you shut up?” he muttered.
“Perhaps,” Kieran said, and Mark did just that.
“I didn’t really process it earlier, but…” Mark turned to Cristina. “Did you make me a nest?”
Cristina nodded. “I did. I took clothes from both Kieran’s and I’s closets.”
“And I do not even know what clothes you took,” Kieran admitted. “I was too focused on Mark to focus on the nest.”
“Feel free to look now,” Cristina said, and both boys did.
“You grabbed some very expensive clothes,” Kieran said. “I must erase them of their scent before I wear them in front of my kingdom again. As much as I would love the scents of my two beloved omegas on them, I do not think the gentry will approve.”
“Keep them here,” Mark suggested. “Wear them in front of us.”
A smile appeared on Kieran’s face. “I just might.”
“Besides, aren’t all your clothes expensive?” Cristina questioned.
“They are,” Kieran admitted.
“Still find it hard to believe sometimes that you’re a king,” Mark said, grinning.
“Breakfast?” Cristina asked, and both of her boys nodded. She got up, then hesitated, looking at Mark. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Mark nodded. “I am. And… I may take you guys up on that offer. About talking.”
Cristina smiled and left the room.