Page 168 of A Fate of Blood and Magic
Teddy laughed nervously, pulling away as she fanned herface. Her expression serious, she nodded at whatever Kieren told her while I kept my distance to give them privacy. If it helped bond Teddy to Kieren and earn his trust back, then I’d remove myself. These relationships were so important, so vital, to Teddy.
Eventually, Alastor walked through our door with Ryenne, Nate, Donnie, and Cierra behind him. My heart squeezed as I waited to see if Javier was with them. Alastor caught my attention and shook his head.
I couldn’t help the way I deflated. It was stupid to hope for something I didn’t deserve.
“Bon couldn’t make it?” I asked, trying to hide my disappointment.
“Her littlest has been giving her trouble about falling asleep both during the day and night,” Alastor said. “Without Koa to help, she’s been tired.”
Knowing that made me feel guilty about having her stay with the girls earlier. “She’s welcome to come here and sleep, and I’ll watch her younglings.”
“She won’t take you up on it, but I’ll tell her you offered.”
Donnie lifted a large bag. “I made burgers,” he said.
Teddy rubbed her hands together. “Hell, yes.” She nudged Kieren’s shoulder. “You’re in for a real treat.”
She was right, and I couldn’t help but smile. While the night of the barbecue had ended horribly, burgers had quickly become one of my favorite dishes. Coupled with the cheese in Niev, the burger was sure to taste amazing.
“Where’d you get the meat?” I asked.
While we had animals similar to cattle in the human realm, it wasn’t quite the same. If the shifters managed to populate their cattle to the point they wanted to trade, I wouldn’t mind getting a few for our kingdom.
“Cierra got them for us from the human realm,” Donnie said.
When Ryenne and Nate applauded, she curtsied. “Maybe hold your applause until we know Donnie didn’t ruin them.”
Donnie grinned. It was strange to see him with a well-kept mustache and short beard, but I already knew there wasn’t much a male wouldn’t do to please his mate.
“I didn’t ruin anything,” he said.
“I don’t know.” Teddy tapped her chin. “Remember that time?—”
“We don’t talk about that time,” he said, glaring at her.
“I think we should talk about that time,” Cierra said.
The girls ran out of their room in loud squeals and giggles, but they quickly died out when they looked around the room.
“Where’s Uncle George?” Jasmine asked, her hand on her hip.
“He couldn’t make it tonight,” Teddy answered.
“He hasn’t been coming over or seeing the girls,”I told Kieren, wanting to reassure him we weren’t going against Javier’s wishes.“The only times he’s seen them was after Javier approved it.”
“I didn’t know Javi didn’t want George around the girls,”he said, looking at me curiously.
“He didn’t tell you—” I paused.“Didn’t he tell you what happened?”
“Only that you and Teddy lied to him about how his father died,”Kieren said slowly, as if he weighed each word he spoke.“Aidas thinks you were responsible for killing his father and that Teddy kept it from him.”
“He’s an empath,”I said, understanding how my mother’s magic would pick up on the tiniest of clues. Not that I’d been all that subtle the night Javier mentioned his father’s death. I wasn’t sure how much Javier would want Kieren to know orhow much I should share with him, except that I wanted him to know. As a fae, he’d understand my innate need to protect Teddy. I didn’t expect him to speak to Javier on my behalf, but I simply wanted Kieren not to hold my decisions against Teddy.
“I am responsible for his father’s death,”I said, swallowing the bile that rose with my honesty.“When I tore through the veil, I thought he was killing Teddy. I didn’t think, just reacted and ordered George to kill him while I tended to Teddy’s wounds. Teddy was hysterical”—I winced at the word, remembering how angry Teddy had gotten when I’d called her hysterical—“so I erased her memory. She didn’t remember until much later. She didn’t tell him because she thought she was protecting him. I hope one day he comes to realize none of this was Teddy’s fault but purely my doing. He has every right to hate me, but Teddy . . . all she’s done is look out for him and his sisters, even before I gave her, her memory back.”
“The problem isn’t that he hates either of you.”Kieren cast his eyes down without uttering another word.
But I heard what he left unsaid. He loved us. Or maybe it was hope that made me hear those words. Although he hadn’t been gone very long, I missed him.
