Page 46 of Heron's Flame

“I can understand that.”

“What I didn’t tell you was that Pops spent years after they adopted me trying to find my birth parents. He only ended up with dead ends and disappointment. When he died, I lost everything. It felt like any connection I had to family had been erased. I had no one.”

Cerys reached for my hand and gripped it. “Heron, I’m sorry. I tried to help. I never meant to make you feel more stressed.”

“No, don’t do that. It wasn’t your fault, Cerys. You did support me. It wasme. I felt that I didn’t have choices after both my parents died. I rebelled at the loss, and all that focus was channeled into anger. I just floated along without an anchor, even though I had you. But not having a home or family? The loneliness and pain consumed me. I had a hole that couldn’t be filled.”

A sad smile stretched her lips, but she sensed I had more to say and remained quiet.

“I spiraled further than you know after we broke up. Everything got worse. I lived in darkness and doubted I’d ever climb free from that pit. It’s safe to say I almost became suicidal a few times.”

She appeared forlorn at the idea. Tears filled her eyes and spilled over, cascading down her cheeks. I wiped them away with my thumbs and dropped my hands. “Don’t cry, pretty girl. It’s gotten far better than I ever could have hoped.”

“How? Did you find your birth parents?”

“No, but I hope I will one day. Pops was in the military, as you know, and he made a lot of friends. Through those connections, my name got passed along until it ended up with the Royal Bastards MC in Tonopah, Nevada. A biker named Patriot learned of my situation, and that’s how I met Crow. When Patriot called, hope renewed.

“I went to Henderson and my shot at becoming one of them, the Crows as they call themselves. I joined as a prospect, and Crow promised he’d do everything in his power to help me locate my birth parents. After a year, I got voted in and patched a member of the Devil’s Murder MC. Wanna know the best part?”

She sniffled and nodded.

“My club brothers are like me. I feel fully accepted and understood for the first time in my life.”

She appeared confused. “How? Are they all adopted, too?”

I couldn’t help the smirk that lifted my lips. “No, not for that reason.” I paused, hoping she’d hear this next part. “Okay, this next part is kinda wild. I think before I explain it, we need to make sure that you know that you did nothing wrong. It wasn’t your fault that we broke up. And as painful as it was, I think now we both know it was for the best. It allowed us to grow and find the people we’re supposed to be with all along. Our mates.”

I didn’t expect Cerys to lose it with my words. Grief flashed across her features before she began to sob. Shit.

Jumping up, I rushed to her side and hugged her, then decided she needed more than I could give and wasn’t the right person. I decided to call Brax.

“You’re done already?” he asked, answering faster than I anticipated.

Cerys continued to cry, and I knew he could hear.

“What the fuck did you do to her?” he thundered, as I heard a door slam shut and then his engine roar to life.

Well, fuck. He hung up.

It didn’t take him five minutes to reach the house, park his bike, and rush me at the front door.

“What did you do to her? I’ll kill you,” he shouted.

Uh-huh. Crazy ass, overprotective brute. “Man, fucking chill. I didn’t hurt her. She’s upset, but it’s got more to do with you, I think, than what I told her.”

His lip curled into a sneer. “Where is she?”

“In the kitchen. I told her why I acted the way I did back then. That’s all.”

I hoped he understood that I didn’t reveal all of it yet. Not even to Rebel. She didn’t know shit about my crow.

He shot me a look and rushed inside. I walked out, standing on the lawn as Rebel and my club brothers rumbled to a stop on the driveway. They rose off their bikes and kicked down the stands as Rebel raced toward me.

I clutched her to me, knowing that the final secret between us would be revealed soon. I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t want anything coming between us. She needed to know what I was, and I needed her to accept me and my crow. We were a package deal.

Rebel never brought up what she saw while on Alpha Caden’s lands or if the wolves shifted in front of her. Maybe she never saw anything, but I wouldn’t be sure until we discussed it.

That conversation was long overdue.

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