Page 231 of Night's Fall
“Okay,I’llask your mother about that too,”Imumbled.
“Are we done with this?” he asked tersely.
Patience,Laura, patience!
“We haven’t been together for years,Aleksei.”Itried a shaky smile. “Evenif it feels like it, in a good way.SoIdon’t quite know how to navigate this, butI’mdoing my best to support you.”
“Your best would be not waylaying me from important matters in order for you to take my time to point out how hard you’re working to support me.”
Perhaps it was his suggesting the unthinkable, rehoming my cats, even as a for instance.
Perhaps it was him weaponizing whatI’dsaid weeks ago about howIworriedI’dmade us all about me.
Perhaps it was that this wasn’t a heat-of-the-moment reaction to traumatic events, which plausibly would cause tempers to flare, but instead a cold distance while delivering seemingly calculated cuts meant to draw blood.
Mostly, it was all of that.
SoIdidn’t lie.Ididn’t know this male.
AndIdidn’t like him.
Whatever it was,Iwas less cautious with my words thanIshould have been whenIretorted, “Ido understand you have important matters on your mind, and thoughI’llnever understand what a heavy burden you have to bear,Iknow it’s there.Thatsaid, it might be nice if you understoodIhaven’tbeen taught how to deal with a male shifter in times like these, and as such, perhaps you might put some small effort into not behaving like a dick.”
At that, his head ticked, and his gaze darkened to a starry night.
Dang.
Then he spoke.
“And maybe we can have this discussion whenIhaven’t been up all night, knowing the citizens of theFallare riled, they want blood, but before that, they want answers wedo not have.Notto mention, finding it impossible to sleep knowing that my mate has been in the sights of a streamtwice.I’veseen the vid from the cam on that street,Laura.Iknow how close you were toAntheme, thusIknow you could have been hit by the stream that burned a hole through her gods-damned heart.I’vealso been in a cold, clinical room and seen for myself a lifelessAnthemewith a hole burned throughher gods-damned heart.”
Oh gods.
He’d seen her?
“And the last thingIwant on this earth is to lose my mate and turn into a weak, bitter piece of shit like your fucking father,” he concluded.
With that,Alekseiwas done talking,Iknew, because after he finished speaking, he walked out on me.
Chapter35
Caelyn
The member of staff (a chambermaid namedLinzy) quickly retreated from the pandemonium that was going down in the breakfast room after she escorted me into it.
I didn’t blame her, because this pandemonium includedTimotheeshooting from his chair, angrily tossing down his napkin, then leaning toward his mother, his face red with anger, his eyes glowing blue, and his mouth shouting, “You’velost your fuckingmind!”
“Timothee, for goodness sakes, calm down,”QueenCalisareplied.
“Tim, let’s go take a walk,”Aleecesuggested.
Timothee turned on his sister. “Fuckthat.Youknow she’s insane to even consider this.”
“I know you needed to fly last night,”Aleecesaid carefully. “Andyou didn’t.Maybeyou should do that now.”
“I can’t.”Timothee’saccusing gaze swung to me standing in the door, like it had been me who’d confined him here. “I’vebeen forbidden.”
“I’ll talk toAleksei.He’llunderstand,”Aleecesaid.
