"What are you smiling about?" Dimitri asked the next morning, running his eyes over his naked mate as they lay together in bed. A sight he would never tire of, seeing Rose's sexy sinuous curves aroused him.

"I was thinking about the first time you saw Eddie and me fight at St. Vlad's. We'd gone running together without him, but you didn't want to hurt his feelings, so you lied and told him we'd met by accident on our run, and then you suggested he and I spar."

"I'd almost forgotten about that," Dimitri said, his mouth pursing, recollecting the earliest days of their relationship. It had all happened so fast. "You beat Castile then landed on top of him. Even then I didn't like another male being that close to you."

"I would have made a great Guardian," Rose stated a little sadly, remembering her past. She and Dimitri still worked out every day, and along with Abe's Guardians, he'd made sure Rose built on her skills from the Academy. When they'd lived in Turkey, she'd considered the Mazur Guardians there Abe's. Having a dedicated Guardian of her own in New York would take some getting used to.

"You would have," Dimitri agreed. "Instead soon you'll have Meredith guarding you, and I'll have Eddie." Dimitri chuckled, thinking about the younger, smaller Dhampir being his 'muscle.' Still, Abe was right; it paid to have a second of sorts, and since he found it hard to tolerate other Alpha around his mate, a partnered Beta and friend was the better option.

"I rang Liss earlier. She will tell Mase and the others they have to be reallocated and also about our allocation offers today. Once they've got their heads around it, she'll suggest they ring us to go through the details," Rose said.

"I'll prepare some paperwork to send across for them to consider," Dimitri replied. As Abe's lead Guardian, since he'd accepted his allocation as a Mazur Guardian, the practicalities of anything to do with Guardians had fallen to him. He'd agreed to continue to look after things until Abe found a new lead Guardian, after which Dimitri would just manage those based in New York. "Did you want to do the standard contract, or something different?"

"Maybe the standard with the option to negotiate refinements?" The gig they were offering Eddie and Meredith would be dissimilar to that of a standard Mazur Guardian. Since there would be little call for protection during the days spent in the office, during those times they'd planned to have the duo helping with business-related tasks. It was when Rose and Dimitri were outside the safety of their office or home, or at Court when a more typical guarding situation would occur. They needed hybrid Guardians—people who understood the Dhampir and Moroi world, yet also had the skills, education, and experience to operate outside of it. As graduates from a human college, Meredith, and Eddie, were unusual amongst Guardians. Even had they not been friendly with Rose, their backgrounds predisposed them for a position in the New York guarding team.

Mason's allocation offer was also atypical, so would also need to be flexible. It would be all expenses paid, and the guarding schedule would not be arduous, but it was hard to articulate all that in a contract when the level of support needed would vary so often depending on where Abe and Janine were at any given time.

There was no guarantee the three would accept their offers. As private allocations, they could decline them and take their chances with a Court-assigned allocation. However, Meredith's comments about loving New York, and doing something more with her life than guarding, hinted to Rose she'd be receptive to the allocation proposed. Whether Mase would choose to guard Abe and Janine was another matter, although he'd be an idiot to decline. Traveling the world, all expenses paid, visiting amazing places - it was a Guardian's dream allocation.

"Do you think they'll accept?" Rose asked Dimitri.

"They'd be silly not to. They won't get anything better in a general allocation," he voiced with authority. He'd been through a few allocation rounds, and knew that no matter how skilled the Guardian, a good allocation was never a given! If he'd been offered an allocation like any of these he would have grabbed it with both hands and not looked back.

Ambrose stood in the apartment he'd not so long ago prepared for Tatiana, grinning at what he saw. With the former Queen's furniture restored to the palace, Ambrose, along with a team of Omega plus some of their offspring, had spent a few weekends doing up the two gifted apartments. Planning each space for maximum comfort, each room was warm and cheery, offering several favorable positions to establish a comfortable nest.

Olympia grinned at her friend in satisfaction. "Any Omega, old or young, would be happy here. This is a marvelous thing."

Ambrose nodded. They had done a wonderful thing. Never becoming a father, Ambrose knew this would be his legacy. He could give a home and guidance to newly declared Omega while supporting the most downtrodden of their community. He was visiting Tatiana once or twice a week, however, he appreciated she would never return to Moroi society. Whether she was jailed, sent to an asylum, or allowed to live out her life in quiet seclusion, her time was over. Change was already upon them, and it thrilled Ambrose to be a part of it.

"So many Omega children helping has been surprising," Olympia commented, watching as several young Royal Moroi helped move and position the last furnishings and décor.

"Their fathers might be Moroi, but their mothers are Omega," Ambrose replied, appreciating that the vast majority of young Moroi there were helping at their mother's request. "They might be Dhampir and Omega—but they're still their mothers!"

Olympia nodded. Her children were here and helping. They felt no shame their mother was Omega. If anything, they were proud. Her husband was the same and had visited the new Omega Center several times to show his support during the renovations. Something which could have caused dissent and been divisive had brought some families and a community together.

"The future Omega will have it better than we did," Olympia said with a wide smile. "I am glad for them."

"Me too," Ambrose said, straightening a print on the wall before excusing himself to head downstairs to assist with the last of the apartment's furniture. There'd be no looking back; it was time to face the future!

"New York," Eddie whispered to Meredith, absolutely stunned. "Together!"

Lissa had explained that Abe Mazur, Rose's father, was semi-retiring to travel with her mother Janine Hathaway, leaving Rose and Dimitri to take over many of his business interests. Deciding they preferred to base themselves in New York, the pair had found themselves in need of Guardians.

"I didn't know any of this was happening," Meredith whispered, also dumbfounded. She'd adored the weekend they'd spent in the big apple. The city was exciting and filled with infinite possibilities. One could believe almost anything could happen there. It was everything Court was not. Meredith would accept pretty much any allocation that allowed her to live there with her lover and experience a taste of that. As such, she was all for accepting Rose and Dimitri's offer.

"Vasilisa said I'd be guarding Belikov," Eddie said, lifting an eyebrow dubiously. Sure, Eddie had proven himself against Strigoi several times since they'd graduated St. Vlad's, but he didn't fool himself he was anywhere approaching Dimitri's skill level. Even three years after all but leaving the Moroi world, the guy was a legend.

"And I'd be guarding Rose," Meredith laughed, appreciating the irony. "Still, they wouldn't have offered if they didn't think we were capable."

"Maybe they were just being kind? The chances of us being reallocated together were non-existent…"

"So what if they were?" Meredith argued. "We need a new allocation; they need new Guardians. What does it matter if they've recognized our situation and tried to help us?"

"It matters because of Mason."

Meredith lowered her eyes to the bed they were sitting on. When their charges had requested a meeting with Mason, Eddie, and her, it surprised none of them. Christian had delicately explained the necessity of their reallocation, stressing it would devastate them to lose the three. Once Christian had broken the news, that unbeknownst to the Royal pair they already knew, Vasilisa had stepped in to announce Dimitri and Rose's beneficence.

Announcing the scant details she knew of the proposed allocations, Lissa had urged her soon to be former Guardians to consider what was potentially on offer, write down their questions, and they could call their potential new employers in Turkey when it was an appropriate time. Meredith, and by extension Eddie, were delighted by what had been proposed. It was a major win for them. However, Mason had looked downcast when Vasilisa had outlined the little she knew of his proposed allocation. Yes, it meant travel. Yes, it was less risky than a standard allocation. Yes, it was all expenses paid with a decent salary. Yet it was not near Rose, so he envied Eddie and Meredith their offers. In his room, Mason was lamenting his misfortune to Celeste.

"You're shitting me?" Celeste all but shouted, landing her fist on Mason's upper arm. He cursed and flinched away. "You're offered a gig traveling around the world with Mazur and Hathaway Senior, and you'd give that up? What the fuck is wrong with you, dude?!" As far as Celeste was concerned, Mason was considering passing up the biggest opportunity of his life. Considering herself his de facto big sister, it wasn't a mistake she was prepared to let him make!

"Mazur has contacts everywhere! A successful stint as one of his Guardians is like a golden ticket to any future allocation," she reasoned. "And that's without all the benefits! You'd be serving alongside Janine Hathaway!" Celeste implored. "She's amazing and you could learn so much! And that's not to mention the travel! An easy gig, traveling the world, learning from one of the best of the best. What's not to want?"

Quietly, Celeste knew exactly what Mason wanted, however, reading between the lines, if the Belikovs had not offered Ashford a spot in their New York team it was for a reason, and having seen Mason's occasional furtive glances at the oblivious Mrs. Rose Belikov, she had an inkling of what those reasons were. When Mason didn't respond, Celeste decided to be cruel to be kind.

"Mason? I see the way you look at her. It's been years. She's mated, married, and claimed by an Alpha. She'll never look beyond him. She'll never see you. She'll never be yours."

"If not for him, she would have been mine," Mason lamented, a show-reel of Rose's infrequent visits and interactions over the years playing in his mind.

"That's not true," Celeste said, pulling the young Guardian she thought of as a brother into her arms a tear trickled down his cheek. "You forget—I was around back then. Take the offer," she counseled, tousling Mason's copper curls affectionately. "You'll get to see her from time to time, but maybe somewhere in the world you'll find another woman to turn your head?"

Mason grunted, expressing his disbelief. Celeste laughed. Her colleague was still young and comparatively naïve in the ways of the world. Even if he couldn't imagine meeting someone to replace Rose in his heart, Celeste knew it was just a matter of time.

While life with Daniella had been boring, at least it had been comfortable. Aware of her lower status, and the role he required her to play, over their years of marriage Daniella had become a consummate homemaker, mother, and wife—devoting herself to domestic perfection. Under Daniella's watchful eye, everything ran smoothly, and his home was filled with comfort and peace. Yet somehow, she'd escaped their marriage with more than half of his assets, and before the ink on his divorce papers was dry, Cassie Conta had attempted to replace her.

Nathan's new partner, several years younger than his son, had proved to be a complete horror show as a homemaker. Immediately stating she couldn't cook, he could have forgiven that had she shown any skill at managing a household. However, in just two weeks since her installation as the new lady of the house, his formerly stately residence was slovenly, the domestic staff had walked, and Nathan's former place of peace and refuge had turned into a madhouse. More often than not, he spent his day away from the house avoiding Cassie and her batch of giggling friends who were using his dwelling as their home base. Gathering frequently to admire Cassie's new abode, her growing bump, and gossip about fuck knows what, Nathan thought if Cassie was his daughter, he would have thrown her over his knee and smacked some sense into her, pregnant or not. That she was young enough to be his daughter was a fact not lost on him. So even though it was Saturday—his day off—Nathan was pleased to be summoned to an Ivashkov family council meeting as it got him out of the house.

"We need to plan how to guide Aunt Tatiana," Bernard Ivashkov said, glaring at Nathan contemptuously as he regarded the cousin sitting in front of him. All seated in Rufus' parlor with coffees, Bernard, Nathan, Rufus, and several other Ivashkov Council members were meeting to discuss the situation of their aunt/great aunt and former queen.

"She can't stand trial," Bernard asserted, Rufus nodding in agreement. "All else aside, she attempted to murder Croft—that can't be denied. There were too many witnesses… If she goes to trial and pleads not guilty, she'll be convicted, anyway. It's better she pleads temporary insanity and agrees to a plea deal. The chances are she'll live out her years quietly somewhere."

"She was a monarch!" Nathan snapped. "By all accounts a pretty good one!"

"But if she insists on a trial, that might not be enough to stop her swinging," Rufus retorted, beyond pissed off at Nathan and his issue. Useless, as far as he was concerned, Rufus resented Randall, Nathan, Adrian, and every part of that branch of the family. He hated them to the extent he would have asked his firm to help Daniella in the divorce proceedings, had it been required. As it was, she'd made Nathan bend over and grab his ankles without his help. And that made him smile! "I've spoken to the Representative Council, and they're willing to be lenient if she admits guilt. As a family, we need to persuade Tatiana that a plea deal will keep her from the gallows. It will also avoid a lengthy, drawn-out, and expensive trial."

Unsurprisingly Nathan and Bernard's ears pricked up when money was mentioned. Tatiana was no longer a queen, but she was still rich. Preserving Tatiana's wealth was a priority.

"I'll go see her this week," Nathan promised, appreciating he needed to tell his Aunt about his divorce and upcoming wedding to Cassie. Oh. And the baby, too. "I'll suggest a plea deal then."

"I'll do likewise," Bernard volunteered, refusing to be outdone by Nathan.

"Rose? It's Mason. Have you got a minute?"

Muting the phone, she told Dimitri she needed to take this before moving out onto the balcony.

"Hey! Wassup?" she asked, doing her utmost to sound upbeat.

Mason sighed.

"Vasilisa told us about needing to be reallocated, and then explained the offers for Meredith, Eddie, and me. Don't get me wrong, we're all grateful, but I guess I'm wondering why Ed and Mer were offered to be with you in New York and I wasn't?"

It was the question Rose had hoped Mason wouldn't ask, but he deserved the truth.

"There are a few reasons," Rose said, sorting the words in her head before she said them. "The first is, I know you've always hoped to travel. While an allocation with Dimitri and me would involve some travel, it's nothing like you'd experience with Mom and Baba. They're planning to spend most of their time traveling. You'd get to see so many places and knowing Abe you'd get to do it in style!"

"Then there is our friendship. I like Meredith and Eddie, but we were never as close as you and I were. I worried if you came to work for Dimitri and me, it would change that. We'd become employee and employer instead of mates."

"That isn't all of it though, is it?" Mason asked, alluding to something Rose had always tried to ignore.

"No, it isn't. I love Dimitri with all my heart, but as an Alpha, he can be a tad jealous and possessive. He'd find it difficult to work with someone who used to like me. It would worry him, and he needs to know as his wife, and his mate, he comes first for me. There will never be another. Since almost the moment we met, two lives became one. I don't want to worry or stress the man I love."

"Could it ever have been me?" Mason asked, despite knowing the answer.

"I'm sorry," Rose said, a tear escaping her eye as she looked across to Istanbul rooftops in the distance. Answering Mason's question meant hurting him, but he needed to be told once and for all. "I do love you—but never like that."

"I guess that's that then," Mason replied. "You didn't have to offer me an allocation with your parents as a consolation prize," he said bitterly.

"It wasn't like that," Rose snapped. "You've always wanted to travel. Abe and Mom intend to base themselves here and in New York. We're remodeling the apartment to give them their own space, but still connected with us, so you'd get to see Eddie, Meredith, and me several times a year."

"Yet you couldn't have me on staff," Mason said, hurt resonating with every word.

"I'm sorry. I am. But I'm married and mated so that's the way it has to be."

"Well, I appreciate you being honest about it." And before Rose had a chance to say anything further, Mason disconnected the call.

A few moments later, Dimitri spoke: "How did he take it?"

Turning around, Rose found her mate leaning against the window frame regarding her closely. He'd obviously overheard her part of the conversation.

"He's hurt," Rose admitted. "He hung up on me."

"It will be ok. He'll come around," Dimitri soothed, opening up his arms for his mate to step into them.

"I'm not sure he will," Rose said, burrowing her face into her husband's chest and sighing as he wrapped his arms around her. "He and Lissa are my oldest friends. I don't want to lose either of them."

"He'll come back to you when he's ready," Dimitri promised, hating that his mate was hurting. If Mason didn't accept Abe and Janine's offer, she'd be even more upset. Initially planning to speak with Abe, it occurred to him that Janine might be a better option. So as he scooped up his wife and carried her back inside, Dimitri decided he'd wait until his mate was asleep before calling her mother and asking for a favor.