Page 5 of Blood of Two Crowns

My eyes narrowed.Did this female fuck my birth mother?

I wasn’t entirely sure I felt about that.

“And Zurie is in the habit of sharing her harem?”

Thalia shrugged. “I won’t deny that she’s a recluse and hasn’t had many visitors since your father, but as I said, her guards have seen me many times. If one of her guards say anything, I’ll just say that I brought him from my own harem.”

My eyes darted to Lokus to find him grinning. “I’m gonna lose my mind if I have to stay quarantined in this dusty-ass wing of the palace, brother.”

Growling, I continued the long walk to my bedroom. “Thalia canfolda few of them to your room. Offer them a vow of silence in exchange for their freedom. Pay them handsomely enough to start a new life. And if this causes us any trouble, I will fucking castrate you.”

The hairs on my arms rose as a distantly familiar magic swept into the room, dragging my eyes open. I’d fallen asleep in the bathing pool of my new bed chamber.

Miroslav.

“Your soulbound is unwell.”

Anger and sadness returned to me with a merciless weight.

“She will live?”

“Yes.”

“Malekai is with her?”

A pause.

“Yes.”

My jaw clenched so hard, a tooth cracked. Thank fuck it would grow back. It wasn’t the first time. I spat out the shard into the bathwater, watching it sink beneath the clear surface to the darkest blue tile floor.

“Well then, she has no need of me.”

“Wrong.”

Silence settled heavily between us, his presence behind me felt like a ominous cloud. I just wanted to bathe in peace. Finally, I twisted to look at him. His silver-white gaze was unsettling as ever.

“Isn’tmy motherwaiting for you to return or something?”

My mother.

Another spear of betrayal lanced through me.

She still had my precious babies, Peanut and Bellona. Their absence, especially now, was enough to choke me. It was nearly on the tip of my tongue to ask Miroslav to fold them here, but it wouldn’t be fair to keep them trapped indoors, and the ruckus of canines would draw far too much attention. Thankfully, Pumpkin was safely tucked away in the stables due to the considerate male before me.

Miroslav’s gaze became scornful. Or was that pity in his eyes? Either way, it had some strange emotion suddenly clogging my throat.

“The first time I saw you, you were no larger than the palms of my hands.”

Oh, fuck.

My mind may not have known where he was going with this, but something in my soul did. Emotion fisted my throat with an unforgiving grip.

“Just after Zurie gave birth to you…”

“Do you know who my father is?”

“Yes. And no I cannot take you to him. Only Zurie has the power to do that.”

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