“Mundanes aren’t supposed to know about the supernatural world,” I explained. “It’s safer that way. Safer for everyone. There are exceptions—humans born to empowered parents, like the mastria. They don’t have magic, but they’re trained to protect and work with the supernatural. But hybrids? We’re not exactly accepted. And a tri-bred—someone with three bloodlines?” I shrugged, a bitter laugh escaping me. “There’s no record of that. I’m the first.”
Liam stared at me, his eyes narrowing slightly as he processed everything. “So, you hid all this to protect me and Dad?”
“Yeah,” I admitted, my voice heavy. “I didn’t want you to grow up in a world that would judge you just for existing. And I didn’t want your dad caught in the middle of something he couldn’t understand. It was easier for everyone just to leave it behind.”
He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. “But now I’m in it.”
I nodded, meeting his gaze. “Yeah. Now you’re in it. And I’m going to do everything I can to protect you.” It was true, even when he didn’t remember this conversation.
He didn’t say anything for a long moment; he just looked at me with his sharp eyes, much like his father’s. Finally, he nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction.
“Okay,” he said quietly. “But no more secrets. If I’m in this, I need to know the truth.”
I swallowed hard, his words settling in my chest. Some truths—like the one about Luke—were too dangerous to share, at least for now.
Liam looked at me, his brows furrowed, his gazeunwavering and piercing. “Why did you come back?” he asked, his voice quiet but weighted. “And why did you leave Carnell in the first place? You seem to have a good relationship with him now.”
I sighed as the memories I’d tried so hard to bury clawed their way to the surface. “It wasn’t them,” I said, glancing briefly at Carnell and Cal. “It was the others. The way they treated me, the way they treated my mom. It was suffocating. Like we didn’t belong, like we were a mistake just for existing.”
Carnell’s expression darkened, and his jaw tightened as he looked away. “I should have done more,” he said softly, his voice edged with regret. “I should have protected you.”
Cal nodded, his arms crossed over his broad chest. “He’s right. We both should have.”
I shook my head, my voice decisive. “No. It’s not on you. If I hadn’t left, I never would’ve met Luke. I wouldn’t have had Liam. Leaving gave me a chance to live a life outside of all this.”
For a moment, the room was silent, the shadow of everything unspoken pressing down on all of us. Then Cal’s deep voice broke through, his tone softer than I’d expected. “And if you hadn’t come back, you wouldn’t have met Greyson.”
I blinked, caught off guard by his words. My lips twitched into a reluctant smile as I glanced at him. “Yeah,” I admitted quietly. “There’s that.”
Liam looked between us, his confusion giving way to a flicker of understanding. He didn’t say anything for a long moment, but the tension in his posture softened just a little more. He was processing, piecing together the fragments of a life he’d never known existed.
“Coming back wasn’t easy,” I said finally, my voice steady. “But it was the right call. For me. And for you, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.”
Liam nodded slowly, his gaze dropping to the table. “It’s just… a lot,” he admitted, his voice quieter now.
“I know,” I said gently. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to help you through it.”
My phone buzzed, cutting through the tense silence in the room. Glancing at the screen, I saw Victor’s name and quickly answered. “Yeah?”
“We’ve got another murder,” he said without preamble, his tone grim. “And it looks like Krampus again.”
I exhaled, gripping the phone tighter. “Where?”
“Between Ravenholde and Mystic Falls, near the trailhead. It’s bad, Faith—same M.O.—bindings, birch branches. You need to get here. I will text you the address.”
“On my way,” I said, already moving toward the door. The call ended, but Liam’s voice stopped me in my tracks before I could pocket my phone.
“What’s a Krampus?” he asked, his brows furrowed as he looked between me and the others. Victor’s voice traveled.
I hesitated, my stomach twisting. After a beat, I sighed. “The jerk who attacked us earlier,” I admitted. “Krampus is a supernatural bounty. All of my bounties are supernatural here.”
Liam stared at me, his expression shifting from confusion to something sharper, more determined. “Then I’m going with you.”
“Liam, no,” I started, holding up a hand. “It’s dangerous.”
“All the more reason I should go,” he shot back. “You’re not doing this alone. You need backup.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he stood firm, crossing his arms in a way that reminded me way too much of myself. It was clear he wasn’t going to budge.
