Page 100 of Degradation

“I believe we have some clothes that will fit you, sir,” he said. “If you’d like to follow me to the cottage, I’ll help you get settled; then you can speak with your daughter.”

“No, I?—”

“Let your father dress, Sparrow,” Eadric said. “He’s suffered enough injustice, don’t you agree?”

I listened to their retreat as I shook out my dress and watched the others help Edmund to his feet.

“Are you unharmed?” I asked.

“All but my pride,” he grumbled.

“Due to the fall or the fact I asked about my father first?”

Edmund scowled at me, and I knew it was the latter bothering him.

“I have been with you, by your side, for months but without my father. If your parents suddenly appeared, I would not begrudge you a moment spent caring for them so long as, at the end of the day, you returned to me.”

“Very reasonable of you,” Daemon said. “Don’t you agree, brother?”

“I do,” Darian said.

“We need to win over his favor, Edmund,” Eadric said. “Earnestly and quickly. We cannot have him refusing us Sparrow’s hand with our babe in her belly.”

All motion and humor left them. Except for Eadric, the astute rogue.

I sighed and shook my head at him. “Your timing is deplorable.”

“How so? I waited until we knew your father was right and well so as not to distract the rest from your goal or, worse, give them a reason to delay you. But I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to face another caster while carrying our child without warning them.”

“Is it true, Trouble?” Edmund asked roughly.

“My monthlies may be a touch overdue,” I said.

“And you told Eadric and kept it from the rest of us?” Darian asked, projecting his hurt.

“No, I told no one. Eadric apparently keeps better track of the passing days than I do.”

“Nah,” Eadric said with a smirk. “Your breasts are simply a bit swollen and more sensitive of late. That’s how I knew.”

“And you didn’ttellus?” Garron demanded.

“Nope. I figured it was like that time you had her remove your memory. If we all knew, we would do foolish things that would result in upsetting Sparrow. I didn’t want her or the babe to suffer, so I decided to wait until it was safe.”

“Are you even our brother?” Daemon asked. “How could you keep such a thing from us?”

“He made the right decision,” I said. “If you had tried to keep me from coming to my father, from casting the spell I just did, or anything between now and then, I’m not sure what my reaction would have been. You’re an overprotective lot. While I love you so very much for it, I also know my control is still lacking, and I never again want to send any of you flying due to my anger.”

“See?” Eadric said with a smile. “I was wise.”

Garron cuffed him from the right and Daemon from the left. I kissed both his cheeks to make up for it then gave them all my saddest, most pitifully pleading gaze.

“Will you still dote on me when I'm swollen, round, and irritable?”

Edmund swore softly and reached for me. Too slowly, though. Daemon’s hand on the back of my head turned me for his ravenous kiss. I melted under the onslaught and held on. Darian stole me from him when he started peppering my face with kisses. After Darian vowed to spoil me endlessly, Liam wrapped me in his arms and simply held me as I caught my breath. When he released me, Edmund picked me up and pinned me against a tree. His kiss was filled with a loving aggression that both confused and heated me.

“Don’t you dare remove my dress,” I said, breaking away from his kiss after feeling the direction of his thoughts.

His intense gaze held mine. “Tonight. Iwillsee for myself if what Eadric noticed is true.”

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