Page 18 of Foretold

When I stay silent, he sighs softly, then says, “My father had a son before he mated my mother.”

Arching my brow, I cross my arms over my chest. “And where is he now? Why isn’t he the heir?”

His lips tighten. “My mother didn’t want him. You know the fae customs. It was within her right to disown him. And she did. He was sent away, and then he was killed.”

“And you were scared I’d do the same to Vale?” I ask, blinking slowly.

Does he truly think I’m capable of doing that to a child?

Does he not know me at all?

“My mother was a good woman and a wonderful mother. I would have never thought she’d be capable of doing something like that,” he admits, his head resting back against the door, his eyes closing for a few moments before he opens them. “I just couldn’t take the chance that you would disown Vale or send him away. I’m sorry, Astrid, and I truly fucking mean that. It’s been hell here without you. I can’t eat or sleep, and my soul just fucking misses you.”

“You got everyone who made me feel comfortable here to lie to me,” I say, laughing without humor. The sound makes him flinch. “And then you expect me to come back and act like everything is fucking fine just because we’re mates?”

Rave had become my safe place. My home. And now I no longer feel like I have that.

“They hated lying to you,” he replies, raking his hand through his hair in frustration. I can see the regret in his eyes, but I stilldon’t feel any sympathy. He did this. “Trust me. This isn’t on them. After what happened to him, the king didn’t want me to tell you either.”

Everyone knew except me.

“This place was starting to feel like home,” I whisper, my breath hitching. I raise my eyes from my hands back up to him, pinning him with a stare. “And now it’s a fucking prison.”

“Astrid,” he whispers, hanging his head between his knees. His shadows reach out to comfort me, stroking my cheek, and I let them. I physically feel his pain through the bond, and it’s stifling, but I know he feels mine too.

He’s broken, but he is the one who messed it all up.

And I don’t know if we can ever come back from this.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Astrid

After Rave leaves, Soren arrives. My once-warded door, which was to keep everyone else out, now lets other people in.

“What do you want?” I ask, scowling as he steps inside. He’s not armed for the first time I can remember, and I wonder if it’s because he doesn’t want me trying to use his weapons on him.

“Princess.” He nods, smiling sadly as he pulls out a chair and sits. I’m sitting on the edge of my bed, and he’s keeping a safe enough distance. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Vale. But it wasn’t my secret to tell.”

“I know,” I reply, folding my legs underneath me and leaning back on the silk sheets. “It’s all on Rave. Trust me, I know that. But it doesn’t make me feel any less foolish or betrayed.”

“So, what do you want to do then? Live with the incubi, and let your soul miss your mate? You won’t be able to stay away from him… you know that, right? It would hurt you both if you did that,” he says, his gray eyes flickering with sympathy. “And for the record, I told him to tell you. So did Pandora. We all fucking did, except for the king and Vera.”

“Can I ask you something?”

He nods.

“Were Rave and Vera together before I came along? I mean, I know nothing about their relationship or if they were still sleeping together,” I admit, sighing.

And I’m too proud to ask Rave about it, even though I know he’s the one who should be explaining this to me.

He rubs the back of his neck, and I imagine the question makes him uncomfortable, not wanting to upset his best friend. “They were on and off again for years. They never had a stablerelationship. She was not a good match for him, but when she fell pregnant, he tried again for his son. It didn’t work out, though. It never does between them.”

That tells me everything and nothing.

And he doesn’t answer about whether or not he was still fucking her just before I showed up.

“I don’t want to be here,” I whisper, my lower lip trembling slightly. “But I don’t want to cause a war between the kingdoms either. What do I do, Soren?”

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