Page 95 of Wicked Thirst
“Come on, Gray. Breathe. Just breathe.” I didn’t know how long I held him there, but I couldn’t let him go, couldn’t stop rocking him as I held him and just cried.
Silence.
I waited for them to say something. But they didn’t move, didn’t speak. I tried to drown out the others and just focus on Piper. Her jaw dropped. She snapped it back shut and shook her head. Her eyebrows shot up, then she straightened her features. “I, um . . . What?”She held her hand up, stopping me from talking. “What I mean to say is WHAT?”
“I know it’s a lot—” I started.
“A lot doesn’t even begin to cover it.” She started pacing. “So, Titus is Grayson’s real father?”
“Yes,” I answered honestly.
“And everyone thinks Graymont is really his father because . . .” She trailed off, waiting for me to finish.
“My theory is when Marius’ magic mixed with Titus’, it backfired and spread over the entire kingdom. I waited for someone to say something, anything. But they never did. They all just said their condolences for Graymont. For better or worse, I went with it. Because when Titus woke up, he didn’t remember a thing.”
Zinnia raised her hand, looking like she was about to explode with questions. “So Titus has no idea he’s Grayson’s father?”
I shook my head. “No.”
Ophelia sauntered around me in a little circle. “Well, well, well, Moira with the surprises. Bagging two brothers. Impressive.”
“I didn’t bag two brothers.” I threw my arms up. “Really, were you not paying attention?”
Ophelia winked at me. “Then you played friends for two hundred years? That’s badass.”
“It saved my son and my husband. What else was I supposed to do? There was no other choice. If I stayed, then at least I had some semblance of a family and Gray had his father.”
“I mean, I get it . . .” She paused and her face fell. “I think.”
“So Marius was a Warlock?” Beckett crossed his arms over his chest.
“And you’re his sire?” Piper continued pacing.
“I buried him just outside the castle walls. I didn’t know what would happen, if he would rise or not, but when he rose, I knew I was. I’ve been watching him, and I still can’t tell if he knows what happened or not.” I shrugged. “But he changed after that. He lost his magic and it did something to him in his head.”
“It would do something awful to any of us.” Serrina glanced around at the group. “Our magic is who we are. I would imagine he’s been harboring some resentment.”
“You think?” Piper rocked back and forth as she paced. “I mean, he’s got two hundred years of resentment built up, and he attacked the castle on Christmas. I’d say he’s pissed off.”
I sighed. “But the truth is, it was all his idea. He didn’t wait. He didn’t think it out. He just acted.”
Zinnia held her hands up in surrender. “Point taken.”
“I don’t know about you guys, but my mind is blownnnn.” Piper hunched over and sucked in a deep breath. “Titus is Grayson’s real father and your husband. Graymont is only his uncle and wasn’t even killed by the curse. Marius was a warlock and now a vampire with a vendetta. And you have been holding on to this by yourself for two hundred years. Oh, Moira . . . I’m so sorry.”
It was the first time I’d been able to talk about any of this. I blew out a long breath and tears fell from my eyes. “It feels good to get it off my chest. I mean it’s so silly. Titus and I didn’t even like each other when we first met.”
“I somehow find that hard to believe.” Piper waved her hand through the air. “You’ve been by his side this whole time and never even tried to tell him once.”
“I didn’t want to lose him to the curse again. And I knew if he knew he would try to make it right. And there is no making this right.” I gave a humorless chuckle. “He used to sneak out of the castle and come to my home to find me wandering around in the forest to spend time with me. It was a lifetime ago and all seems so trivial now.”
“No Moira, none of this is silly.” She shook her head.
I hated to admit to any of this. “In truth, it has been very lonely.”
Piper hurried toward me and wrapped me up in a tight hug. “I bet.”She froze in my arms and pulled back. She quickly shoved me behind her and turned to face into the darkness of the dungeon. “There’s something back there.”
The others all let their magic flow around them, ready to attack. I sucked in a sharp breath. “Whatis that?”
