Page 209 of Harley & Her Ferals

He rests Harbinger back on the pillows, before scrambling off the bed. He rushes to Lionzio to try and grab his hand.

Lionzio pulls away. “Don’t.”

“You’re my best friend,” River persists, snatching Lionzio’s hand. “My student. The man who suffered to allow me to become a medic. You gave me a workshop and with it, my dignity back.My happiness.”

“But I…” Lionzio’s lip trembles. “…was harsh with you.”

“I forgive you.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“Live with it.”

River pulls my brother into a hug, which startles him. Tentatively, he pats River on the back.

River’s happiness coils around me in the bond.

Lionzio nervously looks over River’s shoulder to meet my gaze. “Is this okay?”

“He’s my Beta,” I reply, pointedly. “But he’s your friend. We both love you. It was Dad and Allegra who worked to break us apart. I remember every time that you protected me from them. I’ll never forget what an amazing brother you are and I’dneverabandon you.”

When Lionzio buries his head on River’s shoulder, I’m certain that it’s to hide the tears in his eyes. “I love you too, sis.”

“Shouldn’t you be asking the Alpha in the room, if it’s okay to be cuddling our Beta?” Harbinger grumbles. “Sure, you get the shit beaten out of you and suddenly, no one’s scared of you anymore.”

“Maybe because even I could hand you your ass right now,” Lionzio mutters.

Despite myself, I chuckle.

Harbinger looks outraged, trying to haul himself out of bed, before he settles back with a groan. “When the room stops spinning, I’ll show you who hands who their ass.”

“You do that.” Laurent fixes Lionzio with a piercing stare. “But there are two Alphas in this room. And theChief Alphaisn’t growling possessively right now because he can sense that I’m right about Lionzio being his brother. Well, my guess would be half-brother.”

Lionzio pulls away from River, backing up to the wall.

His expression is guilty. He doesn’t appear to know what to do with his hands.

“He’s telling the truth, isn’t he?” I’m breathing too fast. “And all these years,you knew.”

Lionzio raises his agonized gaze to meet Feral’s.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers.

My stomach is tied in knots.

Lionzio held the remote control to Feral’s shock collar in his hand. He never used it buthe held it. He locked and unlocked Feral’s cage. He watched the fights.

Feral thought that he was alone in the world, and Lionzio allowed him to continue to think that.

It was a lie.

How could Lionzio do that?

“How could you not have told Fer?” Furious, I storm toward Lionzio, but Feral catches me by the arm.

He still hasn’t looked away from Lionzio.

For once, I can’t read Feral’s expression. His emotions are equally conflicted through the bond.

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