Page 66 of Wild Wolf

His hand dropped to rest on my shoulder and my heart lurched and jerked like it was riding a mechanical bull. “I see what we are, boy. There’s no denying it, and I find I do not want to now that the truth has settled within me. You are Serenity’s son. My son,” his voice cracked on the last word, his fingers squeezing my shoulder.

Those words mended something in me that had long been left wrecked in the shadow of my soul. It was pieces of my childhood self, stitching back together and coming to life once more.

I dropped the knife still clasped at my back and flung myself at him, throwing my arms around him and hugging him tight, tight, tight. He gasped in surprise and when we parted, I blurted everything at him. I told him about my childhood, of Jerome, how we used to get into all kinds of trouble, how he would send me on jobs to kill his enemies – but I would always, always check if they were bad guys first – then how Jerome had sent me here and how it was such a funny coincidence.

“Jerome is going to laugh and laugh,” I sighed, looking to Rosalie over his shoulder who was shaking her head frantically at me. Aw look, she was so happy for me that she couldn’t contain it.

“Jerome Novius is a wanted man,” Tiberius growled.

“As am I,” I sang.

Tiberius fell quiet, probably because he was thinking about how great all this was. His fancy man brain needed some time to catch up with it. “I will return shortly. Remain here until I return.” He took off down the hall at a fierce pace and Rosalie lurched forward, grabbing my arm.

“We need to leave.”

“Leave?” I scoffed. “Why would we leave. Tibsy – sorry, my dad – has probably gone to make us cookies. I wanna be right here when he brings them back.”

“He’s not gone to make cookies, idiota, he’s gone to summon the FIB.”

“Psh,” I waved her off, stepping into my dad’s room and switching on the light. I let out a low whistle, taking in his finery. “Wow, am I like, an Heir to the throne now or something?”

“No,” Rosalie gritted out, grabbing my arm again and tugging to try and make me leave. But I wasn’t going to leave. I had cookies with my dad to look forward to. Then maybe we’d all go on a fishing trip together and I’d catch an old boot on my hook and Dad would say ‘well son, at least the fish won’t be able to run as fast now’ and we’d laugh and laugh and-

“Sin.” Rosalie rounded in front of me, slapping a hand to my chest. “Tiberius knows who you are and he’s been on Jerome’s tail for months. Do you really think this news is going to change those facts? You’re wanted for multiple murders. The press are calling you the deadliest Fae in Solaria.”

“Really?” My chest puffed out. “Little ol’ me? Do you think Dad’s going to get me a trophy with those words engraved on it? I don’t have a shelf to put it on though, maybe I could make Hastings carry it around…”

“You’re not hearing me,” Rosalie snarled. “He’s going to arrest us. We’ll be put back in Darkmore.”

I frowned down at her, thinking on that for a sec, then dismissing it. “Naahhhh. He wouldn’t do that. He’s my dad! Oh look he has a painting of a lemon tree!” I ran over to where it was hanging on the wall. “If that’s not fate, I don’t know what is.”

I took out the Atlas I’d stolen from Rosalie, calling Jerome and holding it to my ear.

“I found the location of Roland Vard,” he said. “He’s in the Polar Capital, I’ve just forwarded you the coordinates. Is Tiberius good and dead?” he asked keenly.

“No, but listen, I have even better news! Turns out, Tiberius Rigel is my father.”

“What?”

“Yeah, it was a shock to me too. First I was like woahh, then I was like woahhhhhh, then I was like wowee, then I was like-”

“Sin,” Jerome cut in. “What the fuck is going on?”

I explained in all the detail I could and Jerome fell so quiet on the end of the line that I had to check if he’d hung up. But he hadn’t, he was just playing little baby mouse with me. “It’s okay, bro. I told him everything about you, from your dodgy friends to your many hideouts, to your kill list. He’s a really good listener actually. And don’t worry, he’s my dad, he’ll totally let you off. We’re cool.”

“We are not cool, you fucking moron!” Jerome bellowed.

I hung up, deciding to give him some time to mellow his jello. He’d understand when he realised what a funky fancy man my dad was.

Rosalie started pushing me toward a window across the room while I continued to admire the décor. “What’s on your mind, sex pot?”

“Sin Wilder, if you do not start running for your star-damned life this second, I will knock you out and carry you away from here myself,” she hissed.

“You’re not leaving,” Tiberius’s voice boomed from behind us and we whirled around to look at him.

My arms stretched out for a hug, but he left me hanging, pulling someone into view in the doorway beside him. My eyebrows arched as I took in the man from the photographs with his jet black hair, handsome face and piercing brown eyes. Tiberius’s son. Max.

“Baby brother!” I cried, running toward him, but he cast a whip of water that caught me by the wrist, yanking me back.

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