Page 93 of Secrets and Ruin

“Subira,” Hasan finally said. Only her name, a plea and an order. It was a question and a statement. He just said her name, and it was a million different things.

“He’s not the man I fell in love with. He’s not the man who raised our twins. He’s watched all of our children grow. And, I’m sorry for not seeing that I had to protect you from him. It is a mistake that won’t happen again.”

I nodded, dropping my head as she reached up to touch my cheek.

“The human tradition you follow is that a man gives away a woman in marriage, correct? Well, he cannot stomach the idea of your love for your chosen. I will gladly step in if you’ll have me. Heath Everson makes you happy, and therefore, he makes me happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. He is more than welcome in my heart as a son—”

“You can’t—”

As Hasan went to interrupt her, Subira lifted her staff and slammed it back on the floor, puncturing the hardwood floor. A second later, Hasan was sliding across the floor as magic filled my nose.

“Ican,” she snarled. “And Idid.”

Hasan hit the wall with a hard crash that cracked the drywall. He stood up, not seeming shaken at all, but didn’t walk forward.

“You.” Hasan paused to snarl, his eyes closed as he refused to look at us for a moment. “You can’t mean that.”

“I do,” Subira replied, hissing over her shoulder. “With everything I am, I have meant every word I’ve ever said, Hasan, son of No One.”

I gasped. So did a few others in the room, including Zuri.

We all knew who Changed Hasan. We knew, but I had never heard Hasan ever introduce himself with werecat naming. He was always Hasan, ruler of the werecats, member of the Tribunal.

“Now, you will wait patiently while I talk tomydaughter.” She turned back to me. “You haveeveryright to disown Hasan. No one will ever challenge you. No one has leave to question your judgment. I saw it too late, my brave girl. I saw too late that he was always asking you to be someone you aren’t as Jacqueline, daughter of Hasan. I do not want you to feel like you aren’t loved by this family. I love you, and I’m sorry I have taken so long to do what must be done. The hardest thing I have had to do in a long time.” Subira took a shaky breath.

“So, I ask you, as an imperfect woman, to allow me to continue to love and cherish you. I promise to be in your life, to celebrate your love, to accept you for all you are. You cannot andshould nottolerate a life as Jacqueline, daughter of Hasan, but maybe you could tolerate this family as Jacky, daughter of Subira. I would like to try. It would be the greatest honor you could give me.”

“I…” I saw this woman now—ancient, powerful, and more than a bit heartbroken. The man she’d loved for thousands of years had broken something in their family. It had been difficult for her to see it, but she didn’t shy away from her mistake in that oversight. She was pleading with me. She wanted this family just as badly as I had for so long. Her love never wavered because she said her love was unconditional, and she meant it. I could smell the truth of her love mixing with her magic. She hadn’t seen that Hasan’s had been so conditional.

Hasan’s problem, not hers.

“I would be honored to be Jacky, daughter of Subira,” I finally said, tears flooding my eyes as I let my head drop.

“Thank you, my brave girl. The gift of your heart will always be protected. I promise this.” She reached for me, wiping my tears with her free hand. “Now, it is time for some changes in this family.”

She tapped her staff again.

“Jabari, Zuri. Attend.”

I heard them move, and suddenly they were flanking me, each holding their staffs.

“It is time for me to deal with you,” Subira said, turning around to face her mate. “You broke your promise to me, Hasan, son of No One.”

“I broke it?” Hasan walked closer, his gold eyes bright with anger. “I promised to build a world that is safer for our children than it ever was for us. I did that and continue to do that. If that means I need to keep our children from acting recklessly and endangering everyone else in this family, then so be it.”

“You also promised me that our children would be happy,” she snarled. “Do any of them look happy? I ignored you for too long, living in ignorance while I attended to our greatest secret while you drove our family into ruins! You even rejected our grandchild! You would cast him out into the cold!”

“I willneverclaim those werewolves. He is no grandson of mine, and Heath will be no son. I will never—”

“They are part of this family—”

“They killed Liza!” he roared, shaking everyone. “They will never be part of this family!”

Even Subira was silenced but didn’t seem surprised. As if she’d found something interesting, a piece of the puzzle to put into place, she approached Hasan, the scent around her full of new understanding to pair with her anger.

“Dirk Brandt, Landon Everson, and Heath Everson did not kill Liza,” she said, her words far gentler, a calmness flowing off her, even while she was furious. “They didn’t do that. Dirk wasn’t alive. Heath and Landon were on the wrong continent. They helped Jacky when he tried to hurt her.”

“They’re werewolves,” he growled, not moving any longer.

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