I exchanged glances with Lorenzo. He wanted me to have the agency to tell the story myself, and I was grateful for that, even though it meant I had to do all of the talking.
“It’s kind of a long story… Can we take this somewhere more private?” I asked.
* * *
My mother poured us tea,then sat across from us at the table. I sipped my tea anxiously. My body was tense and tight, and it wasn’t from the caffeine.
“I would like to know why you were at Skrofa clan,” my father said. It was more of a curious tone than an accusatory one, but it made me nervous anyway.
“Well… Do you remember the poachers that attacked me, before Lorenzo arrived here?” I began.
Immediately, my parents’ expressions turned serious and afraid.
“Did something happen?” my mother cried. My father gripped the head of his cane tightly.
“No, we weren’t hurt,” Lorenzo said quickly. That quelled some of their nerves, but not all of them.
“But theydidfind us and try to attack us again,” I added.
“Let me clear this up first,” my father growled. “Were these poachers from Skrofa clan?”
“Yes. Chief Sotu knows about them, and dealt with their punishment,” I said. “Apparently, they were banished from Skrofa clan. Without their clan’s help, they quickly went broke and turned to crime to make money…”
My mother muttered a curse or two under her breath.
“Chief Sotu offered us a place to stay for the night, since it was late,” I explained. “He was nothing but nice to us the entire time. And he made it clear that those poachers weren’t going to be out of jail anytime soon.”
“Good,” my father grunted. He turned to Lorenzo. “And you protected my son?”
“Yes, sir. I did everything in my power to keep Raja safe,” Lorenzo said seriously.
“He did,” I added. “In fact, he… He saved me from making a really stupid decision.”
Everyone looked at me. Lorenzo’s expression tightened with anticipation. He reached for my hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
“What is he talking about?” my mother asked Lorenzo.
“Mother, Father, I’m about to tell you something, and… I want you to promise to hear everything before you jump to conclusions,” I began carefully.
Immediately, my mother’s eyes widened. She set her jaw. “Okay, Raja.”
Fear welled in my stomach. My hands would have been shaking if Lorenzo wasn’t holding them. My throat felt like it was full of cotton.
“The poachers blackmailed me,” I began slowly. “They wanted to capture me, and they had evidence to use against me.”
“What evidence?” my father asked indignantly.
I couldn’t go back now. I’d gutted the truth and now I had to spill it - all of it.
“It was a recording device. They recorded my voice earlier when I called Lorenzo my fake mate.”
They both blinked slowly. My mother was the first to react, confused. “What? Fake?”
“Yes.” I swallowed hard. “They knew if they came to you and told you our marriage was fake, you would probably disown me. That way, it would be easier for them to capture me, because there would be no retaliation.”
Before I knew what was happening, my mother reached across the table and slapped my arm. Her face twisted in anger and grief, tears falling freely down her cheeks.
Every muscle in my body tensed. She was furious. Abort the plan. I grabbed Lorenzo’s hand, wishing for him to get us out of here and fly us away to the safety of Cinderhollow - before I heard my mother’s words:
