Page 66 of His Fate

"It seemed simpler. You suffered such guilt and pain over what happened to your mother and how it affected me; it just seemed simpler to make you forget. When I met Anna I thought maybe we could start over but then she left us too, and I was in too deep to change it, especially without any proof to backup what I would have to tell you."

"Which is all evident now." I motion to his markings, his miraculous recovery. "I'm still fucking livid but how did you get like this? You've been in that fucking chair for twenty years." I laugh morbidly. "Or so I thought."

"I have. I know things don't make sense right now, Posey, but they will."

Henrich clears his throat and looks at me warily. "And I can answer any questions about your father's current state."

"Of fucking course you can." I motion for him to continue. "Answer away, asshole."

I watch as Henrich looks to Kai and feel myself get even more pissed.

"Fine. Don't answer." I get to my feet. "Check with your king all you fucking want but let me remind you he is in the same goddamn boat you're in and that fucker is sinking fast."

"Your father was stabbed with a dagger coated in wolves-bane poison, something lethal to all shifters but the dose wasn't enough to kill him. A microscopic piece of the blade chipped off into your father's spinal column, and remained there which is why he was paralyzed and began having the strokes, why he began to age. I was able to extract it and use my gift to heal him. It's taken several sessions and a vigorous physical therapy routine but he should return to full health and regain the ability to shift. It will not reverse the aging process though, it just stops it." Henrich rattled that off so fast he actually has to stop and take a breath. "With the help of Janet we've been able to—"

I spin toward my dad. "And what the fuck is up with that? If my real mother was your fated mate how the fuck are you able to act like an idiot teenager over her the way you have been?"

"Do not be disrespectful to Ms. Spruce just because you're pissed at me, Josephine Claire."

"I'm not!" I snap. "And fuck off with the full name shit! I have every right to lose my shit over all of this and there isn't a damn thing anyone can say to change that ironclad fact!"

He glares, hard, but relents. "Janet and I are both widowed, both of us living for someone else until her mother passed a few months ago. Sometimes, when we lose our fated mate and have not succumbed to the madness yet, we are given the chance to find another before we do. It is almost unheard of but it can happen and Janet is my second chance."

"Congratu-fucking-lations."

"Josephine!"

"I'm sure when I have the chance to process all this I'll be thrilled for you two because lord knows you need someone, deserve someone in your life to make you fucking happy, but right now I'd honestly just like to punch you right in your no longer mute mouth!"

Kai and Henrich both snort but when I narrow my eyes on each of them they clam up.

"So let me see if I have this straight, you are a dragon of a pretty much extinct clan, the woman I thought was my mother is basically nothing to either one of us, you found a second fated mate, Henrich fixed all the things that have crippled you for years." I start ticking things off on my fingers. "I'm basically seventy-five percent shifter, almost one hundred years old, have no memories of my life other than bullshit ones you've fabricated for me and I'm now technically a dragon queen with all sorts of shit going on inside me, like being able to tell who other shifters are when you guys can't even do that. That cover everything?"

My dad, the smartass he is, tilts his head back and forth like he's considering my words then nods firmly. "Pretty much."

"Fucking great." I turn to walk out but I hear everyone get to their feet so I stop. "What? Forget to tell me something? Some other mind blowing truth that will surely turn my world completely upside down?"

"Actually..." Henrich says while looking between Kai and me. "There are a few other things you-"

Just then my front door swings open and I immediately hear Casey's laugh. I look around the stack of boxes clearly packed in anticipation of my dad and I moving into Kai's house to see not only Casey but Grace, Milos, and Andrej come strolling in, all happy and laughing and shit. Well, not Andrej, he is still pretty stone-faced and the second they all see me it stops.

"Fuck me, man." Goddamnit, one of my best friends is a fucking shifter and the two of them are mated to Dragovihk assholes.

"Posey, uh, hi," Grace says super cautiously. "We were just—"

I hold up my hand. "Save it. You're a fucking tiger and Henrich is your mate." I point hard at Milos and Casey. "The two of you are obviously mates, even if I couldn't see your fucking marks, and every last one of you assholes knows damn near everything I just found out and probably more since I have no desire to keep listening to anyone in this fucking house."

"Posey, honey, just calm down." Casey lifts her hands as if she were talking to a child throwing a tantrum. "A lot has happened in the last few days and really you should be pumped because Grace and I are basically your sisters now, we're moving in with everyone too and—"

"Shut the fuck up, Case."

Milos growls at me but the second I stare him down he drops his eyes and has enough sense to look scared. Fucking smartest thing anyone has done all day.

I push through the four of them but Grace grabs my elbow. "Where are you going?"

"Wherever the hell I want! Just because almost every single person I love is under one goddamn roof does not mean I have to stay here, and it sure as fuck doesn't mean I have to like any one of you assholes right now!"

I yank my arm free, dig my keys out of my pocket and round the long line of vehicles that were stupid enough to leave my truck unblocked. Kai steps onto the porch, his face panicked, heart pounding.

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