Page 39 of Sworn to Revenge
His fist slams against the table, rattling it. “I hope you’ve brought a solution because I’m not about to sit here and wait for this to happen!”
Alin grabs his arm, trying to calm him down. “If anyone can find a solution, it’s my mother. She’s working on it now. We have some time. This is a potion that takes at least a month and a half to make—at best,” she explains, and I don’t envy her for being so close to him right now. I know all too well what it feels like to be the reason his temper flares.
Before he can respond, she adds, “It’s not just me. It’s Bay—” she swallows, “and Pedro.”
Ding, ding, ding. Surprise.I release another sigh.
We’re getting the news delivered, and I’m definitely not ready to take the reins from her just yet. My brother looks like he’s clinging to every ounce of self-control he doesn’t have to avoid exploding right now.
Now everyone turns to me in unison. “Pedro? What does Pedro have to do with your bloodline?” Mariano is the one brave enough to ask the obvious question.
I lift my hand, showing them the moon symbol scarred into my right palm.
“Isn’t that the Mal-El lineage mark?” Luca’s voice is lower now, his gaze travels back to Alin. I hope Alin has told him about her own mark’s location because I really don’t want to start imagining how he found out it was under her tongue. Nope, definitely not going there. Yuck.
“Yeah. It’s the Mal-El’s mark, and I got a new pair of eyes with the package deal,” I answer before Alin can, remembering how freaky I looked in the car’s mirror, “I’m now part of their bloodline until death, from what I understand.” I raise an eyebrow toward Alin, seeking confirmation.
“Yes. My idiot brother-in-law here was brave enough to try and stop a spell to protect Bay, and now he’s got this mark on his hand. And that’s not all,” she explains to everyone’s confused faces around the table. “He also gained powers, and apparently, the tail is sticking with him too.”
Luca shoots a questioning glance at me. At least it’s not his angry stare. “You’re telling me my brother—”
“Turned into a fish?” Mariano finishes Luca’s question, rising from his chair and moving closer to Luca’s working desk. “I’ve got to see this.”
“At least until we find a solution,” Bay adds, clearly sensing the pressure building in my chest from hearing that fact again.
“So not only did you put my wife’s life in danger, along with her entire family, but you joined them? And now I have to deal with the fact that I could lose my wife and my brother at any moment, and there’s nothing I can do except wait?” Luca vents his frustration, dragging our attention back to him as he tries to process everything that’s been thrown at him.
That’s pretty much sums it up, “Yes,” I nod, feeling the pressure in my chest intensify. “But that’s not all—” I start, but before I can finish, water pours over my head. I quickly turn around, only to find Mariano towering over me, an empty glass clenched in his hand.Oh, come on, not again.
The fabric of my pants rips as my blue tail replaces my legs and I curse under my breath.
“Fuck,” Mariano blurts out when he realizes we weren’t joking. “What in the name of—”
“And here I thoughtIhad a hard time processing things,” I sigh and glance at Alin for help. I might actually need her to teach me how to get my legs back.
He spins my chair to get a better look at me. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this sh—”
“It’s not fair! I want a tail too!” Cora interrupts him this time, now poking at my tail like I’m some zoo exhibit. So this is how Alin and Bay feelevery time? I can definitely see why Alin kept it a secret.
“You don’t want anything to do with tails until we sort this out,” Alin quickly runs her hand over my tail, returning my legs.
“Oh no, my eyes!” Cora playfully covers her eyes, but bursts into laughter when Mariano frown his eyebrows at me, like it’s somehow my fault.Idiot.
“Yeah, it’s not exactly an easy sight to bear,” Alin quips, tossing her own jab as Mariano slips off his pants and hands them to me, leaving him in just his boxers.
“Cocky. My legs are way more muscular than yours. What are you so proud of?” I retort, chuckling but grateful all the same. I’ve lost every shred of masculinity I’ve ever held onto in a single day.
“In your dreams,” Cora defends him, standing proudly by his side.
“I’ve got to agree with Cora, he does look godly in those boxers,” Bay chimes in, eyeing him up. A strange surge of possessiveness washes over me again.
“Eyes off!” Cora and I shout in unison, while Bay dissolves into laughter.
“Relax, it was a joke,” she says, barely holding back a laugh. I quickly pull on Mariano’s pants, already feeling the burn of Luca’s glare on my back. I’ve crossed the line with him, and there’s no turning back.
“You don’t get to look at any other man like that,” I lean in and whisper a low threat into her ear. She exhales heavily against my neck, and I can feel her body tense. I’m wrapping this thing up with Luca today, or this tension is going to kill me.
“Aren’t you going to tell him the bigger news?” she quickly tries to change the subject, pulling away from me.
