The Dawn’s Dusk - 19. Chapter 19- The Edesias' Disdain

Warning: Emotional offspring abuse. The Edesias.

The following morning, during breakfast, Sepherus walked over and whispered something into Owin's ear. My brother's expression soured immediately. What was that about?

"Is something wrong?" I asked from across the table.

"Our parents are here," Owin responded through gritted teeth. "When I went to them for help in finding you, all they cared about was if I knew what alpha had mated you to demand compensation!"

Compensation? He must mean the tradition of troth gifts sent from the older mate to the younger mate's family to celebrate their union. Emery would have surely been too busy searching for me to attend to such a tradition. I was pleased that he didn't send them anything, as I would ask him not to do such a thing. If my parents asked Owin about which alpha mated me, that meant they knew nothing about Emery being my mate. No more spies in the Vesper estate.

"Should I send them away again?" Sepherus asked.

"Yes-" Owin began at the same time as I responded, "No."

"What? Why?" my brother questioned me.

"I want to make it clear to them who my mate is," I replied. "I have nothing to hide."

The look on Owin's face made it clear that he was not in agreement. But, he still gave Sepherus the nod to allow the elder Edesias in. Both of us then stood up to head towards the entrance hall.

"One would think I taught my sons better manners than to turn away guests day after day!" Our mother whined as she walked in with our father.

"I see you've indeed formed a bond," Oswith Edesia stated as he glanced in my direction. "What spineless Alpha did you mate that would delay so long in sending us troth gifts?"

My stomach turned as I regarded them. They were indeed a frightening couple that was well-matched to care for only status and greed over the safety of their own children. Though it didn't seem like they'd ever change, I knew that I had. I was no longer the distressed whelp that had been cast aside and treated as less.

I knew better now. My gaze drifted to Emery as he walked up to me and placed a supportive hand on my shoulder. He looked concerned, but he needn't be. I knew my worth...at least the worth that truly mattered to me, in the eyes of those who truly cared about me.

"While I will always be grateful for having found my mate Emery through your...schemes," I began, glancing from one parent to the other. "Know that you will not be receiving any gifts or compensation for our union."

"The Dusk beta?" Oswith hissed.

"Such a fool!" Rina added. "You finally had a chance at greatness, and you threw it away?"

My father straightened up as if the wyvern scales of his other form were bristling. I had never seen so much anger in his eyes. The eldest wyvern in the room then reached out to point his finger at me.

"If this is how you repay us, then we completely disown you. As far as we're concerned, you're no longer an Edesia!" He proclaimed.

"Oh, that is IT!" Owin exclaimed as he stepped forward until he was only three feet away from our parents. "You know what? You can keep the troth gift that Sepherus sent you because you're not getting anything else from us ever again! If you're disowning Rhyad, then you're disowning me, too. Neither of us wanted to be Edesias anyway!"

The Edesias turned their noses up at their eldest son and turned to leave. Rina glanced over her shoulder and shot a scathing glance at each of us in turn. "Such a waste of time and resources on such ingrates," she huffed.

"Why did we bother raising them in the first place?" Oswith scoffed. "We should have given them both up for adoption as soon as they hatched."

Their parting words meant nothing to me. I had been stung by them so many times in the past that it hardened me against their insults. But, their words ended up hurting Owin. My brother curled in on himself and ended up weeping against Seph's chest. I reached out to gently rub the coral wyvern's upper back.

"They're not worth your tears," I whispered. "They're not even worth a second thought, Owin-twin. We're far better off without them."

"Rhyad is right," Sepherus agreed. "Anyone who forces a whelp to fly during a storm or poisons their children, leaving them vulnerable, isn't a parent at all."

Owin wiped his tears away with the back of his hand and nodded docilely. Seeing him so upset tugged at my heart. My brother had always been a fierce, shining pillar of support to me. It was my turn to be the same for him. I stood on the tips of my toes to press a kiss to the top of his head.

"You have Sepherus, myself, and Emery now," I affirmed. "We're your family, and we will never leave you. Soon, you may be the best uncle that has ever lived."

The golden-eyed man let out a loud gasp. "Azure above, I'm going to be an uncle!" He responded as he took hold of Sepherus's shirt and shook him gently by it. "We're going to be uncles!"

The alpha gave Owin a gentle, relieved smile. "Yes, we are," he replied.

As my brother dragged Sepherus away, all the while talking about supplies and whelp-sized clothing, I was finally able to breathe easier. Owin and I were free. Free from the responsibility of trying to be everything that our parents wanted us to be. We were free to form our own family and live the way we truly wished, at least to the best of our abilities.

"Emery," I said while sending my mate a shaky smile. "I'm going to need some help thinking up enough names. According to Lady, we may have anywhere from one to up to twelve whelps. So, I'd rather be prepared!"