Page 182 of Wrath of the Fae

The doors open. In runs El and Tessa, both out of breath. Tessa rushes towards me.

‘Are you okay? You’re so angry.’ Her hand rests on her heart. ‘I could feel it from my room.’

The manor shakes again.

Lucca and Rhea continue sharing a look.

He heard her think something.

‘What did you hear?’ I ask him.

‘Can someone tell me what the fuck is happening?!’ Cyrus demands, spinning to face them all.

When Lucca approaches my sister and reaches for his sword, Reid steps between them, his sword drawn.

‘Touch her, Lucca, and we’ll have a problem.’

‘Oh, brother. You have a fucking problem, and it ain’t me.’

‘This pathetic routine of the overprotective lover is getting old fast, Lucca,’ Reid warns. ‘If she needs protecting or defending, we will do it.’ Their swords point at each other. ‘You’re fortunate I love you, or I would have cut your fucking hands off for touching her as you did. For drugging her. For locking her up.’

Lucca scoffs and laughs with bitter anger at the irony of it. ‘Does that right extend to Raven?’ Lucca gestures to me. ‘Does she get to cut down anyone you and Cyrus touched?’

‘Raven knows what happened in the First. We held nothing back.’

Lucca peers past him to Rhea. ‘Youdidn’t hold anything back. Seems Rhea did, though.’

Such misery is on Lucca’s face as he meets my gaze. Such sympathy.

‘It’s why she’s telling you, Pup,’ Lucca says. ‘Because now, you are not the only one with the power Ivan needs.’

He can’t say it. The words get stuck in his throat.

But I think I know. Deep down, I think I know.

I recoil from Cyrus.

The manor continues to shake as my heart breaks.

Slowly, I turn to face my sister.

‘You’re pregnant.’ My words are calm and quiet, but everyone hears them.

‘Pregnant?’ Cyrus repeats, turning to look at my sister. ‘You’re pregnant?’ He staggers a little, shocked at the news. ‘Who?’ he asks, his shock turning to anger. ‘Who the fuck dared touch you?! WHO?’ His rage at the mere idea someone hurt her has Rhea sobbing and covering her face in guilt. He then looks back at me. ‘I protected her. I swear it. I did everything I could. I’ll kill whoever did this to her. I’ll-’

‘You,’ I tell him, still looking at her. ‘You’re the father, Cyrus.’

Saying those words makes me dizzy.

‘What?’ he laughs uneasily, repeatedly looking from her to me. Seeing no one else laughing, his brow furrows, and he shakes his head. ‘No. No, I told you, Raven. I never touched her.’ He looks at Rhea and points angrily at her. ‘Tell her right fucking now that I never touched you like that. Not once. Not fucking ever! I was faithful. I was faithful! Even when they made me… I was faithful!’

She just keeps sobbing. Her hands are at her mouth, and every inch of her trembling.

‘Why are you doing this?’ Cyrus hisses at her. ‘I went through hell to protect you. The things they did to me. Made me do. Why are you saying this to her?’ He yells his next words, and they echo off the walls. ‘Tell her now I never touched you, Rhea! I’ve just got her back. You will not fuck this up for me after everything we’ve been through to get here!’

All I feel is the truth from him.

Cyrus has no idea.

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