Page 110 of Wrath of the Fae

‘Not today,’ he replies, resting his hand over the place I stabbed him in the Seventh Kingdom.

Reid turns back to me still pressed against the wall, as if I’m the moon, stars and heavens themselves.

‘How’s the wife, Reid? You know. The second one.’

The fucker laughs.

‘Something funny?’ I sneer.

‘This is the best moment of my entire fucking life, and no amount of you glaring, stabbing or arguing with me will change that, Raven fucking Rivers. Slit my throat, and I will die with the world’s biggest smile because you’re in the world again.’

I shove him away. He staggers back and stands beside Cyrus.

‘Rhea and El are in love,’ Reid states. ‘They are a couple, and we protect their relationship, pretending to have relationships with them both. I have not touched another woman since I lost you. Not once. Not like that.’

The two face me, hands at their sides and eyes focused on nothing but me.

Both of them. Side by side. The three of us together again.

Part of me wants to shout and scream and hit and threaten.

The rest of me wants to throw myself into their arms and return to what we were. I want to feel whole again so desperately. I want to kill this void and emptiness. I want the pain to go and never return.

I hate them.

I love them.

I want them, but I don’t trust them.

I long for their kiss. For their hands on me. For their limbs to entangle mine as we sleep. For their loving glances.

I want what we had. What I thought we had.

But I can never have it. And I hate myself for not forgiving them, even though I think I would hate myself even more if I did.

I know that they are here because they are forced to be. And I know that they have suffered. I also know what the Leviathan King told me. I need them. They were made for me.

I just wish, beyond all measure, they hadn’t broken my fucking heart!

‘I don’t know if we can fix this,’ I tell them, tears exploding from me. Ugly, brutal tears that make them jump. ‘I want to forgive you with everything I am, but I just don’t think I’m capable of it! And it’s your fucking fault!’

I slam my hand over my mouth to seal them inside. To try and stem the flow of grief and anger that I’ve had building and building.

Unable to hold myself up, I fall to my knees and stare at them through my teary vision as I just lose all fucking self-control.

‘Everything is so broken. And I don’t know what to do. Tell me how to fix this! Please tell me how to forgive you because that’s all I want to do. It’s all I want to do!’

I wail like a baby. The pain in my heart tears me apart.

Both are at my side in a second, and I’m wrapped in their arms. I’m softly kissed. My hair is slowly stroked.

They sit with me. They sit and hold me in silence as I cry and cry and cry.

twenty-one

Theslowandrhythmicsensation of fingers running through my hair stirs me back to life. My body aches all over, and my head feels fuzzy and slow.

Did I pass out? I don’t recall much after breaking down between them.

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