Page 67 of In Plain Sight

"What? We just got home from there. Why are you going back?"

"Because I have to finish what I started, and that is only going to end in one way. I'm so sorry. I don't want to leave you. I don't want to leave our baby, but it's the only way. I didn't come here looking for work like I told you. That was a lie. The last thing I ever expected was to find you. To fall in love with you."

He looked so defeated it was breaking my heart, but I had to hear it all. I had to know the truth.

"Go on," I said with a stronger voice than I felt.

"My name is Branimir. I shortened it to Bran to sound more American. I'm not from the former Indiana Pack. To the best of my knowledge, no one survived from there. It made it an easy, indisputable pack. My father was Kamen, Alpha of the Bulgarians. My brother Nicholai now carries that title."

I tried not to react, but a gasp of shock escaped.

He either didn't notice or didn't care as he continued. "I had sworn my allegiance to another and accepted a position to come here as a spy seeking revenge for my father when my brother refused to make threat against the Westins. You have to understand, Ruby, I was so filled with hate and anger. There was so much darkness in me. You changed that. If I could go back and do it again, would I change a thing? I don't know. I hate that I am bound to this plight, held accountable by an unbreakable blood oath that only ends in one of two ways—Kelsey dies, or I die. Either way, we both know my life is about to end. She is weak, and even with this distance the oath calls to me. It burns through my blood with indescribable pain. But despite it all, even knowing what's about to come, I'd do it all again, because otherwise I never would have met you. You wouldn't be expecting my child. Even in death I will be forever grateful for the time we had together. It was the happiest of my entire life. My only regret is that I can't stay. I have no right to ask anything of you. I know I don't, but as selfish as it is, I want our baby to know how much I loved him, or her, and how much I adored you. Never doubt that, Ruby."

I watched as his hand reached out to me, then pulled back. I took it and placed it against my cheek.

"You aren't getting away from me that easily, Bran. You're my mate, for better or for worse I will stand by your side."

I felt a strange shift in my stomach. At first I thought it was gas, but it happened again. My eyes spilled the tears they were holding back.

I took his hand and moved it from my cheek to my stomach and watched in awe the moment he felt our child move for the first time, too.

"I think someone's saying we're all in agreement about this.”

Bran

Chapter 25

Bringing Ruby along was not part of the plan, but despite Thomas's objections too, neither of us could tell her no. I would much rather her last memories of me be of our time making love in bed up until the moment came to leave, but in the end it had been her decision and final wish.

I was resolved to my death and what I had to do, but that didn't curb the pain from the oath. If anything it was worsening the closer we got. I struggled to hold the dagger in my hand as it throbbed.

"It's getting worse?" Thomas asked as we landed and found a car waiting to take us to Kyle's.

"Yes. I think it must be sensing the end is near and is spurring me on to the finish," I admitted through gritted teeth.

As we arrived back at the house, the burning sensation was almost unbearable.

"How did you know?" Liam asked the second we walked into the room. Patrick tried to silence him, but to no avail. "What the hell, Bran? How did you know Conlin was a spy?"

"Conlin?" Thomas asked.

"I guess I forgot to fill you in on that with everything happening today," I said as an apology to Thomas.

"Conlin was the one responsible for Kelsey's accident. He cut the brake and power steering lines. She didn't stand a chance on the road," Patrick said, filling him in. "All evidence pointed to Wyatt."

"Wyatt?" Thomas said angrily. "No way in hell would Wyatt do something like that."

I cringed at the accusation. No one could say for certain how anyone would react given the situation. He hadn't believed me capable of poisoning my own mate either, yet I had.

"Bran told us it wasn't Wyatt and had us recheck Conlin for connections with the Bulgarians," Liam said. "So again, how did you know?"

"Fecking hell. Liam, Bran's a Bulgarian spy, too," Patrick finally admitted.

Kyle shook his head. He'd been standing off the side, quiet since I'd walked in. "I trusted your brother with this peace treaty," he admitted, looking distraught.

"You were right to," Thomas told him. "Continue your peace treaty talks with Nicholai. He is not our enemy. Appears there's another who has stepped up and is preying on those that feel revenge for Kamen's death is still justified. They aren't pleased with the peace treaty making for easy targets," Thomas told him.

"Who?" asked Patrick. "I need a name."

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