Page 212 of Severed Heir

Her expression softened. “Maybe two men searched all of Verdonia to find eyes like yours, and neither realized they were staring into their own blood.”

My throat tightened. “How long have you known? All my life?”

Estella sighed. “I wasn’t certain at first. But when Knox bonded with my wyvern, I began to wonder. And when I stitched up your cheek and saw Hadrian in your face, I couldn’t deny it anymore. But it wasn’t my truth to tell, only to carry. Your mother was my best friend at the Academy. I should be angry she had a child with my brother, but I suppose… it all worked out.”

I sank onto the edge of the bed. “Why is my whole life made of lies? I don’t know what’s real anymore.”

She sat beside me. “Because sometimes lies are stitched into place to keep us alive. Had you known the truth, you would’ve grown up here. In Wrathi. You would’ve never met Andri. Never known Klaus the way you did. And I know losing him nearly destroyed you, but... that grief became part of who you are. Every secret was meant to protect you. Even if it hurt.”

I looked at her, aching for more. “Why did you tell me my mother was pregnant with Charles?”

Her lips parted, and for a long moment she said nothing. “Because you weren’t ready to break. If you had known how it shattered your mother’s heart to let Andri have a child with hisbonded match, you would’ve lost whatever family tether you had left. You were barely surviving.”

I swallowed hard. “How powerful is a truemate bond, Estella? I need to understand.”

She exhaled slowly. “When a Serpent becomes a ruler, they hear a voice in their mind. It is painful to stay away. But that voice can promise power, lineage, and legacy. That voice leads them to someone whose bloodline will strengthen theirs. Some call it a soulmate. Others… a weapon. It is the most definite and unbreakable bond.”

A tear streamed down my face. “So, what happens?”

“You will rule over the kingdom of Wrathi. And I will be here for you, whatever you need, my dear. Smell the flowers, enjoy your life as an heir.”

A knock sounded at the door, and before I could open it Archer entered. “Well, this is quite a surprise,” he said.

She shook her head. “It is destiny. But if you break my nieces’ heart I won’t hesitate to stitch something that isn’t meant to be stitched.”

Archer shuddered. “I didn’t need that mental image.”

Estella cleared her throat, shooting him a withering glance before stepping toward the door. “I’ll send an aide tomorrow to check on you. I heard you’ve been in Malvoria, and gods the kind of horrors that place holds…” She didn’t finish the thought, just shook her head and left us alone.

Archer leaned against the wall, arms folded, his expression sobering. “Speaking of checkups… your body, your choice, always. But I wanted to ask, are you still on your fertility blocker?”

I shifted uncomfortably. “Ugh. Yes. I’ve got a few weeks left.”

He stepped through a shadow in three strides. “Good.”

I pressed a steady hand to his chest. “I told you, I won’t bond with you until I trust Tansia.”

He stilled. Then he exhaled and reached up to cradle my jaw with a gentleness that caught me off guard.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Horny? Perhaps.“It’s the truemate bond,” I said.

“Gods, it’s like my dick has a mind,” he said. “I didn’t realize how weak I was.”

“We don’t have to abstain,” I whispered, fingers trailing along the seam of his trousers. “We just can’t form a bond.”

His breath caught as I undid his belt buckle, slow and deliberate, grazing over the strain beneath. “You’re not the only one struggling to contain yourself.”

I tugged his pants down to his thighs, then turned my attention to his shirt, working each button open. With a soft kiss, I pressed my lips to his chest, tasting the warmth of his skin as I trailed up to his jaw.

“Undress for me,” he murmured, voice rough with want. “Slowly. Let me see you.”

I slid one strap off my shoulder, then the other. The gown slipped down my body, pooling at my feet on the cold stone. I stood before him, nearly bare.

His gaze traveled the length of me, slow and reverent. “Gods,” he said, voice gravelly with restraint.

I let my hand trail down my stomach, a flush rising to my cheeks as I slipped the edge of my underwear aside. “Like this?” I asked quietly.