119

“Mila,” I exclaim, surprised to see her here by this hour. “You’re here, why?”

“I got the items. I just wanted to know if it was okay for me to start wrapping them.”

Now I’m hella confused. “Wrapping what exactly?”

She shot me a look. “You wrote me a note, listing items you wanted to buy as Christmas presents. You gave me that along with some gold bars.”

Wait, what? “When did I do all that?”

“Um, yesterday after mass.”

What the? “Mila, I don’t remember talking to you after mass. I would have known if I did.”

“I could show you the note if you want, my lady.”

“Please do.”

She hands over a sheet of paper, and I’m shocked to see it is my handwriting. A jumpsuit for Waxlyn? A manuscript for Elijah? A special wine glass for Eloive, six rings for Ruarc? When did I ever write any of these?

“What’s the problem, my lady? Is it not your handwriting?”

“It is my handwriting, Mila, but I can’t remember writing these, I’m sorry.”

“So what do you want me to do with the gifts?” she asked.

“Do what you want, Mila. I need a drink.”

“You can’t drink, my lady. You’re pregnant.”

I groan. “Ugh! Forget I even asked. Maybe some juice? I need something to drink, Mila.”

“On my way, my lady.”

I let out a sigh as I shut Sia’s bedroom door. Had I really written those things? If yes, then why can’t I remember? Ugh! This reminds me of the time Sia claimed we had sex when we didn’t.

Speaking of which, where is Sia? Confession night was over, so where the hell is he?

“Right behind ya.”

Startled, I turn around. “You scared me!”

“Hmm, seems I’ve been doing that a lot lately.”

“It’s not funny. I could have had a heart attack, and that would have affected the baby.”

He eyed me. “I didn’t know you cared about the baby.”

“Well, someone has to!”

“And it’s you?”

“What? I can take care of it.”

“Sure you can,” he mocked. “You can’t even remember what you did yesterday.”

“So you heard. I don’t remember doing shit. Someone might have impersonated me or...or.”

“Your wolf had taken over.”

“What? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“So what? You don’t believe she can take over?”

“I would have known if she did,” I yell, refusing to believe any of this.

“I don’t think so. I don’t even know when Sycamore takes over.”

“That’s different,” I bristled. “You just have to be lying. You know what, I’m just going to wait here until Mila gets me my drink.”

He raised a brow. “You’re pregnant. You can’t drink?”

“Can everybody just please stop saying that?” I groan, emphasizing the word ‘please.’

“Saying what? The fact that you’re pregnant or the fact that you can’t drink?”

“Both,” I reply, taking off my shoes. “It’s not like I plan on remaining pregnant anyway.”

“What did you just say?” he asked, stepping closer.

I straighten. “I said that I don’t plan on remaining pregnant.”

The lights flickered. I swallowed. “Sia, please stop what you’re doing.”

“I’m not doing anything,” he replied, meeting my eyes. “Somehow he’s able to do that without taking over.”

Now I’m scared. “He?”

“Sycamore.”

The lights flickered again, and I don’t miss the dark veins outlining Sia’s skin. Oh, goddess, don’t let him make an appearance. Not when I’ve threatened to get rid of the child he so badly wants.

“Sia, Sia, listen to me. You can’t let him take over. You’ve got to fight it. You’ve got to be in control.”

“I am in control, Crinka.”

“Then why the fuck are your eyes purple?” I scream. “Would you rather them blank?”

“Sia, please stop this. Sia…”

“Say you hate me.”

“What?”

“Say you hate me and mean it when you do, then I will stop.”

I’m breathing hard. Is it just me or is the bathroom door opening?

“Sia…Sia, I’m pregnant with your baby. Surely you don’t want to harm your child.”

“I’ll make sure no harm comes to the child once you confess your hatred for me.”

“What do you need the confession for?”

“Oh, just a little proof to show father that you no longer care for me. That the bond between us is broken.”

“But it can’t be broken! You said so yourself!”

“It can. There is a way, but you need to be pregnant for that to happen, which is why the news of your pregnancy has me overjoyed.”

“Because it means you’ll be free of me, wouldn’t it? And after all this time I thought…I thought...”

“That I’d come to love you? Hmm, maybe. Maybe if you hadn’t slept with Sycamore, I would!”, he yelled.

“What did Thjis promise you in exchange for the child?”, I ask him, sober. “What did Thjis promise you, Sia?”

“Father doesn’t want the child, he just wants you gone. The witches do because it’s the ultimate key to putting an end to the beast that hunts them all.”

And I’m guessing that beast is Sycamore. How the fuck is my child going to end a beast as old as Sycamore? None of this makes sense. Oh, what I would do now for a life back in Bluestone. I could care less about what title I possess. All that matters is that I’d be away from the curse of the Icelanders, whatever that may be.

“What did the witches say they would do in return?”

“I get my freedom. Not only would I be rid of Sycamore, but the blood bond would also be broken.”

Of course. I should have known. “Sia, do you want to be rid of me so much that you want to sacrifice my child, your child for it.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m doing you a favor, Crinka. Once the blood bond is broken, you’ll never have to deal with any of us anymore.”

“And you need the child for the blood bond to be broken, do you not?”, I ask him, grasping a pocket knife in my palm.

“Yes, I do.”

“Then let’s see how you want to break it once the child is dead!”, I yell, raising the knife, but he was faster. He grabbed my hands and pinned them to the wall. My chest heaved as the knife fell to the ground.

“You will never try that again,” he snarled.

I spit in his face. “You wish.”

He tightened his hold. “You’ll never try that again, Crinka, for if you do, I’ll kill everyone you love.”

I laugh bitterly. “You’re the only one I love.”

He laughed. “I know you have a fondness for Thane, Elijah, and Eloive.”

“You wouldn’t dare”, I spit out. “You wouldn’t dare hurt your own blood.”

“That child in your womb is my blood, is it not? Yet I will sacrifice it for my own selfish gains and yours. I would go to any lengths to get what I want, Crinka, even if it means murdering my own blood.”

“You’re a sick fuck. Why does it have to be me? Why not Nuella or even that stupid bitch Anita?”

“The witches made it clear what they wanted. A red wolf. You were the only one available, so I had to get to know you once I saw you. I knew setting the clubhouse on fire would get me on your pack lands, so I did it, not caring who got burnt along with it. I waited years for you to be born, Crinka, that is why when your mother drowned you in that river, I saved you and had Izal heal you.”

I can’t believe this. My whole life had been a lie. “You...You must feel proud. Everything is just falling in place. I should have known you had an ulterior motive the moment you stepped foot on my lands!”

He chuckled. “How could you have known? I was just a rogue, a handsome one at that, and you were just an alpha who needed someone to hold her, and I just happened to be there. You loved it when I scent-marked you, didn’t you?”

“Go to hell.”

“Been there. I know this is too much for you to take in, but you just have to swallow it,” he said, releasing me.

“I’d rather eat shit, thank you.”

He smiled. “I can arrange for that.”

“You’re...the devil itself, Sia! A fucking bastard!”

His smile only widened. “Yet you love me anyway. Happy Boxing Day, Crinka. Better go wrap those presents.”