Page 2 of Bonded to the Fallen Shadow King

"Fuck!" Ember slammed her fist against the pale-gray granite counter. "It has to be a fae thing. Nothing else makes sense."

The wordfaesent ice through my veins despite the burning in my hand. Ember and I had believed they were just fantasy stories until a week ago, when our Many-Greats-Grandfather visited us.

We shouldn’t have been surprised. Humans didn’t believe that wolf shifters, witches, and vampires existed, and the few who did were considered crazy.

"But why?" The crimson flames pulsed brighter, and I could feel each movement slither across my skin. “I thought you said that only your fae magic would be activated, not mine.”

Ryker's brow furrowed. "We don't know enough about fae magic to—"

The burning sensation suddenly shifted, transforming from a piercing agony to a gentle warmth pulsing beneath my skin. I sighed in relief. The fiery butterfly continued its dance across my hand, but now it felt almost…pleasant. Like fingers gently tracing patterns on my skin.

"The pain is receding." I flexed my fingers, wanting to know if that would impact the tattoo, but it remained steady.

Ember's eyes darted between my face and the mark, her look anything but reassured. She exchanged a loaded glance with Ryker, whose jaw had tightened into a hard line. They were having a private conversation through their mate bond—I could tell by the way their expressions shifted in silent communication.

My heart dropped. I hated when people worried about me. There were so many other things that deserved their attention.

I forced my lips into what I hoped was a convincing smile. "Hey, I'm okay. Besides, we still have to finish this cake." I pulled my hand out of the water and dried it with a paper towel. "The icing won't make itself, and those strawberries need to soak in the syrup for at least thirty minutes before serving."

Ember's eyebrows shot up. "Are you serious right now? You've just been branded with fae magic, and you're worried about dessert?"

I shrugged, trying to project a nonchalance I didn't feel. My stomach was in knots, but that didn’t mean everyone’s needed to be. "What good will panicking do? The mark's already here. Might as well have cake while we figure it out."

Ryker's lips twitched, almost forming a smile despite the tension in his shoulders. He placed a hand on Ember's back and said, "She has a point. We need time to research this properly anyway. Finishing the cake will give us time to think clearly."

“Fine,” Ember huffed, and turned to open the cabinet to get a clean mixing bowl for the icing. “But this conversation isn’t over.”

I bent down to pick up the larger pieces of broken glass from the floor. I couldn’t register what the two of them were talking about as I threw the glass into the trash, then carefully wiped up batter and the smaller shards. The entire time, Ryker tracked my movements.

The intensity of his gaze made me pause, so I walked past the island and into the walk-in pantry to grab the broom and dustpan. But as soon as I walked out, Ryker was watching me again. My skin crawled.

What?I began sweeping up the remaining glass.

You won’t fool me, Briar. You’re still scared,he linked to only me as he smiled at Ember.I can feel your emotions through the alpha link.

My shoulders slumped slightly.Please don't tell Ember how worried I actually am. She's finally starting to relax. She deserves a night without feeling worried or like I’m being threatened.I tried to seem unbothered as I discarded the last of the tiny glass fragments.Besides, this is just a weird tattoo. We've been through worse.I didn’t have to mention what that meant. Both his childhood pack and ours had been slaughtered.

For now, I’ll let it go. She’s so happy baking and being with you. But after we eat, we tell her. I refuse to keep things from her.

Ember strolled across the room and opened the silver refrigerator to grab a block of cream cheese, seemingly oblivious to our silent exchange. "We need to finish the frosting. Briar, can you measure out the powdered sugar while I beat this?"

"On it." I stored the broom, grateful for the distraction. The mark on my hand pulsed with warmth as I came back and washed my hands before getting to work.

Briar,Ryker pushed.

Fine, after dinner.There was no stench of a lie, because I meant it. I just hadn’t clarified when after dinner I would. I was hoping for never, but I was quite certain I wouldn’t get away with that for long. Not with how much Ryker cared for my sister and, by extension, me.

He seemed satisfied as he focused on Ember, watching her do the other thing she loved most—baking.

* * *

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of forced smiles and feigned normalcy. The cake turned out beautifully—three layers of red velvet with cream cheese icing and syrup-soaked strawberries. But I barely tasted a bite.

Unfortunately, our other pack mates, Kendric, Gage, and Xander, had decided to stay with King Harry, our wolf shifter ruler, and his daughter, Princess Liv, to protect them, which meant I got to eat with Briar and Ryker alone.

Great.

Throughout dinner, Ryker kept glancing at me, his eyes narrowing whenever I avoided eye contact. The butterfly mark pulsed beneath my skin, a gentle reminder of whatever magic had claimed me, so I kept my hand under the table as much as possible.

---