Page 19 of Fallen Heirs

It took a few moments, his reluctance to answer me clear, but then he said, “Based on the circumstances, the players involved, and the fact that you’d barely come into your power, you being there wouldn’t have made a difference to the fates they suffered. In fact, Constantine would have taken you that night.”

“What? No, I mean—”

He sighed and told me, “During the war, I found out from my father that Constantine had been trying to harness phoenix fire that night. His intent hadn’t been to murder your parents. But things didn’t go as planned. Your parents refused to help him, so he tried to harness it by force.”

His words were like a sucker punch. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“I was waiting until things calmed down for us. I was actually planning to tell you in the next few days before Electi Academy re-opened.”

“And your father knew all this time?”

“Yes.”

“Him and his secrets.”

“I know and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to continue in that vein, but I couldn’t risk telling you sooner when—”

“When I was unstable. Yeah, it’s okay, I get it. Thank you for telling me now, Ore.”

He nodded.

“So you really think he would have taken me?”

“I have no doubt. He wanted phoenix fire. Coming into contact with a baby phoenix so new to it all would have been an amazing in for him. He would have groomed you to become what he needed—his own personal phoenix weapon to unleash at his will.”

“I would have spent years in captivity and—”

“Can we not get any further into it?”

“Ore, what—”

He shot from the couch, raising his voice, really pained as he cried, “You would have been used and abused like Alena was! Ruined, all right? You never would have been the same again. He would have snuffed out the spark in you! Just like he did to her!”

“Ruined?” a voice came from the doorway and we both looked out to see Alena standing there with Xavier by her side.

Shit.They’d come in from their hunting training out back early.

Ore spun toward her, mouth agape.

X stepped forward, telling us, “We had to cut it short. We got a little worked up, lost focus.”

“Happens sometimes with a vampire hunt, right?” I responded, trying to veer off the other subject matter and somehow blow past what Alena had just clearly overheard.

“Sure does,” X said, working with me, and gesturing to the bulge in his jeans. He reached out to Alena. “May I request your pretty mouth on my very needy cock, beautiful?” he said, stroking her arm sensually over her leather jacket with all the tassels.

I chuckled at his phrasing and he grinned at me. “Like that, firebird?”

“Fuck, yeah.”

Our redirect didn’t work, though, and Alena pulled from X and strode into the room toward Ore.

“You told Constantine that I could never beruinedto you.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—it just came out.”

“Things don’t justcome outfor you.”

“They do when I’m upset.”

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