Page 112 of The Bastard Prince

Seconds ticked by, turning into minutes, until Trig finally stopped pacing.

"Congratulations," he said in a deathly cold voice. "You fucked us both."

"I didn’t do it on my own," I strangled out, feeling weak as awareness smacked me straight in the face. "Wait – I'm really pregnant?"

"Not for long," he assured me, tone hard and unyielding. "I will make arrangements."

"But youcan't," I gasped. "What about your god?"

"My god will understand," he snapped, tossing the stick in the sink. "Do not get your hopes up on this," he added, giving me a warning look. "It is not something that will happen for us right now."

"But it's already here," I whispered, lip wobbling. "I can't get rid of our baby."

"I will get you a bird," he relented, voice thick with emotion. "I will get you a house full of birds. I will get you whatever your heart desires, but I cannot give you that." He pointed to my stomach and a huge tremor racked through him. "I will not give that monster an heir conceived through initiation."

"But you're an heir," I strangled out, tears trickling down my cheeks. "You were conceived through initiation, too–"

"Exactly," Trig choked out, voice cracking. "And look what happened to the woman who birthed me! Look what they did to her! Look what they did to me! To you because you dared to love me!" He shook his head. "No."

"Trig!"

"I will not watch history repeat itself,corderito," he bit out, tone leaving no room for argument. "If you knew what this truly was – a sentence far worse than death – then you would not be crying. I will make you an appointment somewhere, or I will have someone come here to take care of this." He shook his head and expelled a pained breath. "I will keep you alive and safe." His shoulders stiffened when a sob tore through me. "I will give you babies further down the line, if a family is truly what you wish and long for. In a few years, when my father is burning in hell, I will fill you with my babies, but you cannot havethatone. I will not allow it. It's too dangerous."

Clenching my eyes shut, I dropped my head in my hands and gripped my hair. "How can yousaythat?"

"Because I understand what that thing's life will amount to and you do not. You want me to father a child? You want to bring another bastard into this world?" He shook his head in disbelief. "You are possessed by madness,corderito. I cannot allow this to happen. In time, I will give you all of the children you desire."

"I don’t want all of the children," I spat. "I want the one growing inside of me."

"Impossible."

"Well, I'm not doing it," I warned, meeting his glare with one of mine. "You can't make me."

Emotions masked, Trig closed the space between us.

"Oh,corderito." Crouching down in front of me, he took my chin in his hands. "Of course I can make you. And youwilldo as I say." Trailing his thumb over my bottom lip, he tugged on my chin, yanking my face towards him. "Because if you push me on this, I will tie you down and cut it out of you with my own bare hands."

"No." A pained sob choked out of me and Trig released my face. "You can't make me do this."

"Itishappening," he declared, giving me his back as he stalked for the door. "Do not get attached."

"I fucking hate you!" I screamed after him.

"Throw your tantrums,corderito, but it will not change the outcome," was all he replied before the door clicked shut behind him.

20

Sitting on the edge of the bath tub, I dipped my toes in the warm water, watching as the bubbles clung to my calves. I’d taken a ridiculous number of baths in this very tub since my return, for no other reason than it was something to do.

And god knows, I needed something to occupy my time while I waited.

Waited for Fabio to attack again.

Waited for Trigger to return and take my baby from me.

Shivering, I braced myself, gripped the porcelain rim, and slowly lowered myself into the water, wincing when it touched my spine.

My welts were still painful, although not nearly as excruciating as they had been.

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