“Callum is special to you,” Briar told me. “We’ve already told you our feelings on the matter. That we welcome him gladly.”
“I wouldn’t say gladly,” Rowan said under his breath, then jumped away before Lake could whack him.
“However.” Briar ever so subtly scowled at Rowan before returning his tired eyes to me. “You are no ordinary man, love. If Callum wishes to become part of our family, there are things he must know. For your protection.”
Oh shit.
I expelled a shaky breath. “He needs to know the truth about me.”
“What truth?” Callum asked.
As my heartbeat elevated, I tried to find courage in Lake and Maddox against me. But I felt too antsy to stay still. Important discussions always amped up my nerves. Especially when so much could go wrong.
Where did I even start? Callum didn’t know about me being from another worldorthat I was the long-lost son of a prince. What if he didn’t believe me and thought I’d lost my mind?
“There he goes again,” Rowan said. “Pacing before a big reveal.”
I halted in the middle of the room, not even realizing I’d been doing it. All eyes were on me. Waiting. So, of course, I shuffled forward, then spun and shuffled the opposite way.
“He’ll wear out the floorboards eventually,” Maddox said. “You don’t happen to have any of your wine on hand do you, physician?”
“Regrettably no,” Briar answered. “He’ll need to do this without it.”
“Ev?” Callum stood in front of the bookcase. “What’s going on? You’re worrying me.”
Taking a deep breath, I made my way over to him and took his hand. Nerves tightened the skin around his eyes.
“This is going to sound nuts. You might not believe me. But I swear every word of it is true.”
“Just tell me,” he said with a pleading stare. “Please.”
“To start, my name is Evander. Evan for short.” My chin trembled. “And my dad was Prince Elias of Bremloc.”
Chapter Seventeen
Welcome to the Harem, Dear Knight
“I think you killed him, little treasure.”
Callum sat in front of the hearth, staring at the fire. He’d listened as I’d explained everything to him and then slumped to the floor, drawing his knees up and resting his arms on them. With the exception of a few mumbled words, he hadn’t really said much.
“He’s breathing, so not dead,” Lake said.
“What would we do without you, pup?”
Lake snarled at Rowan.
“Cal?” I knelt beside him on the rug.
“You come from another world,” Callum said in a sort of daze. Poor guy seemed to be in shock. “Yet, not really. Because you were bornhereand sent to another world as a baby in order to protect you. Then you returned after wishing on a magical stone. I…” He slouched forward and put his face in his hands. “I suspected you were different. Your shoes were odd, as was your manner of speech. But I never expected this. For you to be a wizard.”
“Lupin’s the wizard, not me.” I gently rubbed his back. “To be honest, I don’t know much about him or what role he plays in all of this, other than my mom going to him for help.”
“And she sought Lupin’s help because your father was Prince Elias.” Callum’s brown eyes shifted to me, swimming with countless questions. “To prevent you from suffering his same fate?”
I nodded.
He released a shaky breath. “Why not tell King Eidolon who you are? He has a right to know his brother’s son still lives.”
