Page 180 of Claimed

“Now, girl. Save the chitchat for later. I’ve waited over three decades for this. To have my magic back. You’re the key tomegetting myself back. Take. It. Off.” She points to her throat.

“You’re gonna give Wyatt poison to help him hurt your son and people he cares about,” I accuse.

She studies me.

I keep going, “You think I’m going to help you get your power back so you can make more potions to help him destroy the Arcana Falls pack?”

“Your brother is a stupid, selfish fuck,” she says softly. “Brawn of an alpha but certainly none of the brains. He’ll probably cock it up. Or someone will intervene.” She gives Aphra a wide smile.

“You gave him bullets that can destroy every one of them in that pack.”

My eyes bounce between them during the pregnant pause. Finally, I break the silence. “I can’t take that chance!”

Soleil huffs. “Yes, you can. Sheena saw it’d work out for you. You’ll give birth and Greyson Blackwood will be by your side. Sheena can’t see how it’ll work out for me but saw that this will work out for you and my son. You’ll have five children according to Sheena’s visions. Now, take the necklace off.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“Take the fucking necklace off!” she hisses, grabbing my wrist and digs her nails into my skin. “Take it off or I’ll ram a batch ofone of Aphra’s potions down your throat that’ll make your little seed shrivel up ten seconds after you swallow it. Don’t fuck with me, girl, or maybe I’ll use a coat hanger instead, making sure you can’t give him children before I have spells cast on Greyson’s half-sibling as well as hold you hostage until Greyson removes this cursed chain holding me back. It’ll happen some way, I won’t give up. So, save your child. Save your mate’s half-sibling. Now! I’m done waiting!”

I look at Aphra again.

“Will it be okay?” I shakily ask her.

She shrugs. But she looks upset.

“You don’t know, or you won’t tell me?”

“I don’t know, Stacy,” she croaks. “I don’t have control over what I see and what I don’t see. I didn’t know the nail polish potion would hurt your mate’s stepmother and I didn’t know why I had to make the potion she dipped those bullets into or that she’s threatening you with. All I knew was I had to make a bunch of recipes and cast a few spells over them to get my little girl back. And I had to get her back, Stacy.”

I swallow down a lump of fear.

Aphra did what she had to do for her child. And I have to think the same way, don’t I? I alreadydothink the same way. I poisoned Arcana Falls pack members and shot Tyson to save my pack. Aphra and me aren’t very different.

And suddenly, I have the most important job I have ever had in my life. I need to protect my and Grey’s baby. This baby trumps everything else.

I don’t know why Soleil’s magic was suppressed, but I do remember that Grey put a necklace on Aviva Starling to suppressher magic because of what she’d done. Soleil obviously did something awful, too.

“What’s it gonna be?” The woman who gave birth to, gave magic to, and is also responsible for the gorgeous eyes on the man I love demands.

I reach for her necklace with both hands. She leans in closer, madness in her eyes dancing close to the surface.

My fingers shake as I take it between my index fingers and thumbs and begin to roll the barrel. I roll it and roll it, feeling it turn but it still seems fully attached.

Soleil is trembling. Her eyes fill with tears as she anticipates this.

“Maybe it won’t work,” I whisper.

“Keep working at it,” she says gently.

I watch the clasp as I continue. After another moment, a thread in the screw reveals itself.

And she jolts. She must feel something.

Excitement lights up her expression. And yes, madness.

Yes, it’s my job to protect this baby. Our baby. This little individual that’s part me and part Grey. I haven’t even met this little bean yet, but already I would give my life to save him or her.

I have no choice; I have to do this. I continue to spin the barrel with one hand, holding the other side steady as I watch more of the threading reveal itself until it lets go, detaching from the other side, leaving the necklace open.

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