Page 121 of The Arcane God

“So…no one’s gonna give Turner shit about that nice little surprise he gave us?” she asked flippantly. “Where is your mate anyway?”

Turner collapsed his head onto the table, hiding it in his arms. “Fuck,” he said. “I was hoping we’d avoid that. Can’t we talk about you beating Ty to a pulp instead?”

“I’m so glad you brought that up,” Ty said to Lara, before turning to pin Turner with his stare. “Turner—care to explain what the fuck you were thinking by not telling me you are sleeping with my sister?”

Turner sighed, guilt evident in his honest eyes. “I’m so sorry, Ty. I should have…I wanted to. It’s just…I was trying to catch up to it all myself, and I think, deep down, part of me still doesn’t believe it’s real.”

“You and me both. I had no idea you two were even a…thing,” Ty said.

“So how did it happen?” Ena asked eagerly. “Why don’t you start there?”

Turner sighed. “Well, I’m not going to lie, there was an…attraction right away. From the moment we met.”

“Ooooh, an ‘attraction,’” Lara teased. “You mean you thought she was hot?”

“Don’t forget that we’re talking about my sister here,” Ty said, raising an eyebrow at Lara. “Don’t make this weird for me, I beg you.”

“Ugh, yes! See? This is why I didn’t bring it up. Because I know she’s your sister,” Turner exclaimed. “And even though you didn’t know each other that well, it’s still weird.”

“Well, my best friend is fucking my cousin, so why shouldn’t my other cousin be fucking my sister?” Ty asked, looking over at Steig, and the two of them smiled at each other before clinking their glasses together. Lara and Ena burst out laughing at the absurdity of that statement, but Turner notably did not.

“I guess,” Turner said, rubbing his forehead in dismay. “But if I’m being honest, maybe it wasn’t that. I think…I think I was thrown by how much I liked her, and the fact that she was stryx, and then when things started to…escalate, and she claimed me, I was scared.”

“Why scared?” Ena asked, sensing Turner’s inner turmoil.

“Because I still felt like I would lose her somehow, like I’d fuck up being her mate, or she’d change her mind,” Turner answered quietly.

“Why would she do that?” Ty asked.

“I dunno,” Turner said, swirling his almost-empty glass. “Because I’m me. No one ever chooses me.”

Ena shared a look with Ty, finding the same sympathy she felt for Turner reflected in his eyes. How could they convince their friend to feel differently about himself? To feel worthy?

“We all choose you, Turner. Every single day, and that will never change,” Ty said, reaching out to place his hand on the man’s shoulder. “And honestly, I love my sister even more for choosing you too. I can’t think of a better mate for her.”

Turner smiled shyly, and Ena could tell Ty’s words had hit home.

“I wanna get back to the good stuff,” Lara said, interrupting the heartfelt moment. “Tell us the details. When exactly did things ‘escalate’?”

Turner laughed to himself. “On the journey here,” he said wryly.

“You mean you’ve been sneaking around for weeks!?” Ena asked incredulously, pleasantly shocked at the scandal of it all.

“Yes,” Turner admitted sheepishly. “But I should have warned you all before the Convening. Again, I’m sorry.”

“Doesn’t matter now, as long as you’re happy,” Ty said. “And you are…happy with her?”

“So fucking happy,” he said, collapsing his head onto the table again. “I’m an idiot in love.”

Steig laughed at his obvious infatuation, and clapped him on the back. “I think Ty and I know the feeling well, brother. Sounds like we have one more thing to celebrate,” he said, lifting up his glass again.

“To Turner and Xena,” Ena offered.

“Turner and Xena,” the rest of them echoed before taking gulps of their woodwater.

Ena welled up, feeling emotional all of a sudden at the love surrounding her.

“Well, I, for one, can’t wait to properly meet her,” Lara offered. “Aside from sitting across from her at the Convening.”