Seri was no longer pregnant. He had nothing to protect besides himself. And he didn’t really care about the pain the man could cause him. He’d bleed, but so what. It wouldn’t be the first time. Nymphs healed fast.
Besides…the man’s moronic henchmen blowing up the building would likely stop Preston from touching him intimately for now. The leg cast was too large and cumbersome. Which was the only thing he was grateful for. Seri didn’t think he could stand the man touching him again after being with Severo. He’d likely throw up.
“Don’t be so smug, Seri. That little friend of yours won’t be able to do shit,” Preston said stiffly. “It’s only a matter of time before I have my child.”
“My child. Not yours.”
Preston backhanded him, the sound of flesh slapping flesh was deafening in his ears. Cheek stinging, he slowly faced him again, glare still in place. “You can beat me all you want, Preston. It won’t change the fact that Skya is my child, not yours. She will never be yours. You will never touch her. You think they don’t know you have someone on the inside? You think they won’t find them?” Seri scoffed. “They will, if they haven’t already. And you will go down and become one with the garbage you employ as you sit side by side with them in a cell.”
Preston smoothed down his lapels. “It seems your mouthiness has returned during this ridiculous attempt at independence.” The man sniffed. “No matter, I have plenty of time to remind you of your place.”
Seri growled.
Preston scoffed. “Who are you trying to scare with that, Seri? Stop acting out. Be a good girl, and return to that obedience we both enjoyed months ago. Now, change.”
He laughed. “Change? What is my nighty not your style?”
The man stiffened, cheeks flushing. “I’m only going to ask you one more time, Seri. Change into your proper form, before I make you regret it.”
“Never in a million years. I will never change for you or anyone else again! Because I will NEVER be a woman. Nothing you do, say, or force me to do, will ever make me one. If you want a woman so badly, then FUCKING change into one yourself.”
Preston surged forward, gripping his jaw tightly, his face twisting in rage. “YOU. WILL. CHANGE!”
Cyrus looked up at a gasp,just in time to see Severo appear out of the shadows by the main entrance to the underground containment cells in the North American CEB Headquarters. The man needn’t have snuck in. Cyrus had cleared out the building of anyone who he still wasn’t sure about since the call three days ago…at least, all except one person. Surprisingly, no one complained about getting a three-day vacation…the slackers.
Severo’s gaze flicked around, the man eyeing everyone suspiciously. Clutched in the man’s right arm was a small baby dressed as a fuzzy lion, looking tired and very sad. Her eyes were wide and full of unshed tears. A baby bag hung off his left shoulder, and Severo looked unharmed, besides his left arm being bandaged up.
The man’s expression hardened on locking eyes with Cyrus.
Cyrus sighed, already guessing what was to come. He knew how his family's ways were not always agreed on by those who didn’t understand what they saw. Sometimes there was no way to avoid conflict for the choices they made, even if they were for the better.
“I wish you had listened to me,” Killian huffed next to him as Severo stormed down the hall towards them.
“It will all work out in the end.”
Killian crossed his arms. “I’m not taking care of any of your injuries.”
Cyrus chuckled, but flinched back when Severo stopped right in front of him, eyes narrowed and full of unreleased rage. The Dweller dropped the baby bag to the floor before turning to Killian and saying, “Hold.”
Killian’s eyes went wide when the man handed the baby over to him, followed by pulling a pair of earmuffs from his jacket, and setting them over the child’s ears. He was pretty sure the man had taken the child out of shock at someone actually handing one to him, more than because he wanted to.
Severo’s fist connected with Cyrus' jaw, and he went down, the man roaring, “You fucker!”
Yeah, he probably should have been focused on the Dweller over his lover’s reaction to being handed an infant.
He blocked blow after blow, but the man kept trying. Even if it was slightly deserved, Cyrus wasn’t going to let him just do what he wanted. People came running over, and Severo eventually, after getting in a few more hits, was dragged off of him. Face red and angry, the man’s eyes were daggers as he stared.
Cyrus held his hands up in defeat. “I was wrong.”
“Don’t placate me, Cyrus,” Severo spat. “Get off me!” he growled at the men.
“Let him go,” he ordered, before standing and rubbing his jaw. “Clear out, everyone.”
Those who had held back started to leave.
Severo jerked one arm free first, and then the other. The two men stood there staring, looking ready to grab the Dweller if he tried for Cyrus again. But after giving them a look, they left with the others, leaving just him, Killian, Severo, and the baby in the hall.
His gaze leveling on Cyrus again, Severo said, “We both know you’d do it again in a heartbeat. You’ll choose whatever your bullshit threads tell you over the safety and wellbeing of others. Over the people others care about. Well, I don’t forgive you. And I don’t trust you anymore. And I know now I was a fool to ever trust that you had our best interests at heart, when you couldn't care less, as long as it follows the path you Fates deem as an acceptable option.”
