Page 86 of Cursed Love
“Yeah?”
“Why did you leave? I mean, if you hadn’t left in the first place, Aja wouldn’t have put a whammy on you and kidnapped you. Did I—”
Ryan shifted, placing one leg between hers and putting his weight on an elbow. “No, sweetheart, you didn’t do anything wrong. It was stupid of me. I guess I didn’t consider I was in any danger until it was too late.”
Looking up at him, she nodded. “Okay, so why?”
Ryan looked past her ear at the mattress. “I woke up from a dream. I can’t explain it, but the need to look at my grimoire was unbearable.” His eyes shifted to hers. “I haven’t read over the family history since I was younger… I forgot.”
“Forgot what?” she asked, her brows pinching together.
“There was a page missing. I’d asked about it, and I’d been reminded that not all witches used their magic for good. Time passed, and I never asked about it again. When the grimoire was given to me officially, I’d been much older, and to be honest, I’d gone over the book so many times, I never really opened it unless I had something to add. After the dream, I rushed to my apartment. I knew Peter would keep you safe, so I scoured the book. I’d never noticed the slit before, and inside it I found the missing page.”
Brandy cupped his cheek when he remained silent for far too long. “What did you find?”
Remorse flowed through their connection before his gaze met hers. “It seems one of my ancestors had been exiled. In a fit of jealousy, she cast a spell on a family line, preventing the mother from surviving her seventh pregnancy.”
Brandy froze, her eyes growing to the size of saucers.
Ryan exhaled a shaky breath and looked away. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I’m related to Suzanna.”
She shook her head, the words tumbling around her mind as she processed what he had revealed. “You’re telling me that generations after Suzanna cursed the Broderick women, her descendant not only fell in love with a Broderick woman—he impregnated her?”
“Don’t forget the part about us being soul mates,” he said, his lips quirking up.
Brandy laughed, a deep belly one, leaving her breathless. “Do you think she’s rolling over in her grave?”
He nodded, smiling brightly at her. Ryan shifted and placed his hand on her flat stomach. “There’s more.”
She raised her brows expectantly when he paused. “Well, go on! Don’t kill me with the suspense.”
Ryan pressed his lips to hers and glanced down at where their tiny baby grew. “It seems after Suzanna cursed your family, mine did all they could to break it. When nothing worked, they did their own magic.”
Brandy’s heart raced at his words. His handsome face was not giving away the information. He leaked it at a snail’s pace, but she could not find it within her to get frustrated, not when his eyes shined with so much love and hope. He stared at her belly as though he could see past all the tissue to their child.
“The family decided the best course of action was for the two families to bond. Only then would the curse be broken.”
Her brows knit with confusion. “Huh? What does that even mean?”
“When one Broderick family member, you, found their mate with a Palfrey family member, me, their love and soul mate bond would break the curse.”
Brandy’s mouth opened and closed, flapping in the wind at his words. Ryan grinned and kissed her forehead. “Webroke the curse?”
“I think we did. I want to show Serena the two family lines and confirm with her our findings, but yes, sweetheart, I think it’s broken.”
She exhaled, releasing with it a trunkful of worries at his words. She did not even care they needed to chat with Serena. The witch had helped them find Ryan, and it was clear she was not as bad as Brandy had initially thought. There was no need to worry about the high priestess. It helped knowing Brandy was much stronger than the witch, but she did not envy Serena’s position. Her responsibility over the coven was one Brandy had no desire for.
With Volark gone, Brandy hoped to return to her old life with a few exceptions—the biggest two being Ryan and their baby.
Ryan squeezed her hip, pushing aside any thought of demons or babies. “I’m still mad you risked yourself and the baby, but I’m so glad to be here with you.” He lowered his face and took her mouth in a desperate kiss. It was filled with unspoken promises and so much love, her heart expanded within her chest.
She skimmed her hands over him, saying a silent thank-you that everything had worked out. She could have just as easily brought the pack, Peter, Serena, Ethan, and herself to a massacre. She caressed him, memorizing Ryan as he freed himself from his shirt. His hand flicked toward the door, and the lock clicked in place.
His deft fingers undressed her faster than she thought possible. “I don’t want any interruptions as I remind you how much you mean to me.”
Chapter 33
Ryan had made good on his promise. They made love on and off throughout the night, proclaiming their love between pants of ecstasy until neither could do more than hold the other.
