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“I guess I was attracted to power back then. I was arrogant and thought I could do it better than Derek. I wasn’t just after Third. I was going to Challenge for Alpha at some point. I’m guessing that’s why I went to Cold Foot Prison.”

She frowned. “You really didn’t kill Tanner, did you?”

“Nope.”

“Was it Samuel for real?” she asked, looking at him so she could watch his eyes as he answered.

Kade seemed to know what she needed and turned for her as he answered. “Samuel killed Tanner.”

“Why?”

“Misty.”

Jess frowned and softly repeated, “Misty?”

“Misty is having trouble getting pregnant. It caused a break with her and Samuel’s bond. Tanner was fucking her for a year before Samuel found out.”

“What the hell,” she whispered in shock. “Misty. Samuel’s mate, Misty. She was cheating?”

Kade nodded. “She was.”

“But…we were friends back then. I think we were friends. She never said anything.”

“Would she have?”

“Well, we grew apart, but back then, I thought we were close. I told her about the curse on my family. Samuel doesn’t even know.”

“How does Samuel not know if he’s your blood-brother.”

“Because he’s a male. It won’t affect him. It was supposed to be my secret to keep. I messed up. Apparently, Misty was better at secrets than me.”

“Nah. Don’t beat yourself up for trusting someone. She was the one who messed up and betrayed you.”

“Why did they pin it on you?” she asked.

Kade gestured to her rental house. “You want to go inside or keep walking?”

“Keep walking.”

He picked up the pace again and studied the cracks in the sidewalk as he talked. “That part I couldn’t figure out until I had some time and space from Sister’s Edge. I was so confused and hurt. So hurt, Jess. So fuckin’ hurt. It felt like an injury that wouldn’t heal, you know? People I considered friends were sitting there in court testifying that I did all this stuff I didn’t do, and I had to just watch, and be quiet. No one was there on my side, except for a public defender, because Derek didn’t help me get a good lawyer like he’d promised if I took the heat off Samuel. Derek had told me I could save your family if I just took the hit. That you’d been in foster care, and then on the streets when you aged out, and you’d been so happy to find Samuel again. He gave me a speech about being a good mate and setting up your life for happiness so that you could learn to be loyal to me. And when I still wasn’t sure, he promised that it would be four years max in prison, because Tanner is a shifter, and the humans give leniency if it’s shifter on shifter violence. It’s just the way it is. One less shifter on the planet to try and police. So okay, four years, but more likely two with them testifying on my behalf. Two years and I could get back to you, and my place would be held in Sister’s Edge, and you would keep your brother.”

“Yeah, but if all that was true, Samuel would’ve gotten four years, and then he would be back with me.”

Kade huffed a breath and agreed. “Now when we’re talking about it logically, and it’s after the fact, that seems obvious. He should’ve paid the consequences for that mess. Misty’s rank should’ve been completely stripped and she should’ve been shunned for the duration of his sentence. But back then…”

“They manipulate,” she whispered, understanding down to her bones.

He nodded. “The sacrifice seemed so necessary because it meant so much to the people I was blindly loyal to. They said I was going to be able to tell you goodbye, and I’d planned on telling you I didn’t do it. You were supposed to come to the trial, and see them back me up, and I was supposed to get some time to say goodbye. It was a bunch of promises and they didn’t follow through with a single one.”

“They had other plans, huh?”

“I learned there are always other plans. You think a promise to Connor is just to give you protection in that Crew?”

She couldn’t even guess what the discussions had been behind the scenes.

“He’s gotten two women pregnant outside of Sister’s Edge. He has nothing to do with either of those kids. He’s a producer, and Derek wants your bloodline in Sister’s Edge. Misty and Samuel aren’t producing, so the focus swings to you. You will carry out that Promise in Sister’s Edge, Connor will breed you, you will raise your cubs alone, and you will serve him when he wants it. There will be very little kindness. Sister’s Edge doesn’t care about that though. They care for results, and they will throw anyone under the bus who messes with the trajectory of those results. They wanted me gone, and they made sure I was going to stay gone. They used my life to buy time for Samuel to continue his bloodline. What is it?” he asked suddenly. “What is it about the witch-blooded that Sister’s Edge wants? What’s so important about it?”

Jess shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t even know. I didn’t even freaking know they knew we were witch-blooded. There is no benefit to it that I can think of. I’m cursed to be loveless, and there is nothing I can do to get myself or my children out of it. The end. My grandma and then my mom spent years trying to free the Heichman witches from the curse, but there’s no work-around.”