He swallows, the ink on his face wrinkling with his worry. “You’re not a liar, Loch. You’re the noblest of all of us.”
“Doesn’t feel like it. Feels like I’m the worst one.”
Sire doesn’t know what to say. Not even his scripture can change my reality, so I ask, “Did you tell Wren who you are? Whoweare?”
“Yeah.” He nods. “Told her a few days ago.”
“And she didn’t hate you?”
“No.” His eyes warm. “She only loves me more.”
I suck my teeth, more determined. “Good to know.”
Sire reads me, lowering his voice and brows. “Brother, it’s for Nash to tell Alena about us, notyou.”
I fume, “Love tells the truth. If her dad won’t do it, I will.”
“Not yet,” he warns. “The family needs to discuss it.”
“Our family has lied to her her entire life.”
His nostrils flare. “For her protection. Do I need to remind you why?”
No, he doesn’t.
I remember the man who invaded our home. My mom was babysitting Alena. She was a toddler when a stranger tried to abduct her from her crib, but my mom fought him off.
I tried to help, fighting to protect Alena and my mom, but I was a little kid. I couldn’t win. We fought him until Nash got there and lived up to his name. He gnashed the man’s throat open before choking him to death.
We never knew who the man was.
A deranged stranger, a pedophile, kidnapping girls.
An enemy we’d made through our vigilante work here.
Or a Bratva soldier, sent by my father.
But that’s what started Alena’s protection. Ever since, my brothers have made sure of it, while I’ve felt born to do it.
Sire reads my silence, yanking me into a hug. “Hang in there, man. We’ll talk soon,” he promises before leaving. He lives two blocks away and can’t get home to Wren fast enough.
Then Nick and Zar leave with Grant and Delphine, who insisted on celebrating her fellow queen with a late-night dinner.
Thirty minutes later, Nash joins Jace and me with Axel in his imposing office.
We’re gathered in leather chairs, cognac snifters in hand, when I decide to fight for Alena.
And win this time.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
LOCH
Nash swirls his cognac,grinning with his praise. “Wren’s our next queen, that’s for damn sure. She may be young, but she can run circles around him.”
Jace chuckles. “Sire’s finally settling down. ’Bout damn time.”
Even Axel smiles about Wren before hissing an amber sip over his lips. Behind him, his office wall of shelves with leather-bound tomes imposes its wisdom over the room, while I’m ready to share mine.
