Page 73 of The Devil's Canvas

"She’ll be fine."

My mother presses a hand to her forehead. "Julian, you’re linking yourself to someone who doesn’t know what that means. You haven’t told her."

My father watches me for a long moment, unreadable. "I guess we’ll see."

A voice cuts through the room before I even see him. "So, you haven’t told her yet."

I already know who it is before I turn. Owen. And, of course, he’s not alone.

My brothersandcousins. They materialize out of thin air like a personal nightmare, all staring at me like I’m the idiot in the room.

I groan, dragging a hand down my face. "What, no grand entrance? No fanfare?"

Owen steps forward, arms crossed. "Figured I’d save you the embarrassment. You’re doing a great job making yourself look like an ass all on your own."

"Fantastic. I so missed our heartfelt sibling moments."

Owen ignores me, eyes narrowing. "You haven’t told her about the deal. The one you made with her father. " Silence. "And," he continues, tone razor-sharp, "I’m guessing you also haven’t told her about the process of claiming a mate."

My Aunt Selene decides to chime in now. "Wait. You haven’t told her either of those things?"

"She’s been through enough," I snap. "I was giving her time to cope. Remember how you all said I had to let her make the choice?"

"Yes," my father says, voice even. "But not while going into it blind, boy. She has to know what she’s choosing."

"You need to tell her the truth," my mother, Liora, adds softly. "All of it. And she has to decide knowing that."

"Well, this is awkward," Adrian mutters, hands in his pockets.

I exhale sharply, already done with this. "Are you all just materializing for fun now?"

"More like showing up to watch you dig your own grave," Lucas says, smirking.

"Fantastic," I mutter. "Did you all schedule this intervention, or was it just a collective urge to piss me off?"

Owen steps forward, arms crossed. "No, just a collective urge to witness your downfall."

I shoot him a glare. "You’re all so helpful."

Damian shrugs. "Look, man, we’re just trying to figure out how much of a disaster this is going to be when she finally finds out."

"You know," Caleb cuts in, rubbing his chin. "The deal you made. The small, tiny detail where her entire existence was collateral."

"Yeah, Julian, when you put it like that—" Lucas whistles. "It actually sounds worse than I thought. And I already thought it was bad."

I pinch the bridge of my nose. "She’s been through enough. I was giving her time to process—"

"Right. Because getting attached before she knows anything is definitely a solid plan," Owen drawls.

"She has to make the choice knowing everything," my father reminds me, his tone like steel.

"Right," Caleb chimes in. "So how much longer were you planning to let her think she has a normal life before it all burns down?"

"You don’t understand—" I start.

Adrian claps me on the shoulder. "Oh, no, Julian. We understand perfectly. You’re screwed."

It begins as a whisper beneath the surface. A low, bone-deep hum vibrating through the estate, rattling the foundation as if something ancient is stirring in the depths. The temperature plummets—not like a mere draft slipping through cracks, but as though warmth itself has been ripped from existence. The air turns thick, pressing against my skin, curling around my throat, leaving behind an unnatural stillness that doesn’t just fill the space—it strangles it.

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