I winced. “Not exactly.”
“What aren’t you telling me, Cadence?”
“He broke the engagement because he found out I was pregnant.”
“What!”
Callum’s eyes widened so much, I half expected them to pop right out of their sockets.
Riordan shot us another curious glance but kept silent.
“You need to stop yelling every time I tell you something.” I hissed in warning. “It only gets worse from here.”
“How could it get any worse?” He groaned, rubbing a hand over his face.
“Ryker tampered with my fertility treatment in a deliberate attempt to get me pregnant,” I said in a rush.
My brother went still. His jaw clenched, and he balled his hands into fists. “I should have killed him this morning.”
His words were filled with so much venom that I was momentarily stunned. I had never heard Callum speak with such raw anger before.
“You need to stop provoking him.”
“You can’t expect that from me after what you just said.” He ran a hand through his hair, tousling the brown strands into disarray. “How are you so calm right now?”
“I’ve done what was necessary for me to survive, Callum. Don’t you dare judge me.”
Callum sighed. “I’m not judging you, Little Sister. I just don’t understand how you’re not itching to rip his throat out.”
“Oh, I absolutely want to rip his throat out. But I have more pressing matters to deal with.”
“Fuck.” Callum inhaled a steadying breath. “Let’s get this over with.”
“I also sort of married him,” I said, cringing.
“How do you sort of marry someone, Cadence?” he deadpanned.
At least he wasn’t shouting.
“He forced my hand, but it’s binding all the same.”
“I’m shocked, truly I am,” Callum drawled. “So, not only are you mates, but you’re also his wife, and you’re carrying the future heir to the Unseelie Kingdom. Is there anything I missed?”
“Someone sent an assassin after me, and they almost succeeded, but I used my magic and killed them first. That’s how Ryker found out I was Wraith Borne.”
“Gods, Cadence. Please tell me that’s it. I don’t think I can take one more…surprise.”
When I remained quiet, Callum’s mouth parted as he sucked in a sharp breath. “There’s more?”
“Just a teensy bit more,” I said, holding my thumb and forefinger slightly apart.
“Go on.” The resignation in his tone was hard to miss.
“After he found out about my magic, I escaped with the help of a Blood Fae. She led me into the forest to a group of rebels working against the King. She had planned to sacrifice me to weaken Ryker, but it turned out that I knew their leader.”
This time, it was my turn to inhale a steadying breath. “It was my Da. He’s the leader of the Crimson Enclave.”
Callum opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words came out.
