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“That’s right, Harold—the Edict has been broken.So all the young people can date whoever they want,” my mother put in quickly.“Remember?”

My father’s brows drew low over his angry eyes.

“I don’t care what anyone says—the Edict was put in place for areason.Certain types of people shouldn’t be mingling together!It’s wrong to mix the blood of different Others—it muddles up the races and gives people the wrong idea of their place in the world.”

Great, so now we were adding racism to the mix along with homophobia.At that point, I would have just let him go, if it wasn’t for the fact that I needed his help so badly.But I swallowed all the acerbic words that rose to my lips and tried again.

“Dad, please—you’re an expert at breaking curses and Saint is under a really bad one,” I said.“It’s Dark magic, made in the Sky Lands.If you could just?—”

My father rounded on me.

“If you think I’ll do a goddamned thing to help you and yourboyfriend—”he began.

“Yes, heismy boyfriend,” I snapped.Standing tall, I pushed the hair off my forehead, clearly displaying Saint’s Mark.“He’s my boyfriend and I love him.That’s why I’m trying to help him by subjecting myself to this…this sad excuse we have for a father-son relationship.Because that’s what you do for people you love—you help them.”

My father shook his head and his eyes went hard and cool behind his wire rimmed glasses.

“God help me, Avery—I’vetriedto love you even though you’re a disappointment to me in every goddamn way possible.But as long as you wear the Blood Mark of another male, I won’t have anything to do with you.”

“That’s too bad,” I said, keeping my voice as cool as his.“Because I love Saint and I’mnottaking off his Mark.”

“As I will not remove Avery’s Blood Mark from my forehead either,” Saint said, leaving the table and coming to stand beside me.He gripped my hand in his and squeezed, almost painfully tight, letting me know he was there for me and wasn’t going anywhere.

“But just look at what you’re missing!”My father threw out an arm to point at the table where Megan, Emma, and Kaitlyn were all staring with looks of horror and sympathy on their faces.“Look—there are three beautiful girlsright under your noses!Why the hell would either of you choose another male over any one of those gorgeous girls?”

“Because it’snot a choice!”I ground out, gritting my teeth as I spat out the words.“I was born this way and there’s no changing me!”

“We’ll see about that,” my father snarled.“I’ve let this go on long enough.Maybe it’s time to break a few curses of my own.”

“Harold, what are you talking about?”my mother demanded.She was still standing in front of the door but now my father pushed her roughly aside.She tottered on her heels and Saint jumped forward and caught her before she could fall.

My father’s actions drew a gasp from the room—myself included.I had never seen him treat my mother like that—we weren’t a hitting, shouting, shoving kind of family.Or, well, we didn’tuseto be.I guessed all bets were off now.

“Harold, how can you act like this?”My mom was halfway crying now but she was still so angry her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were snapping.“How can you be so cruel?Avery is ourson!”

“He’s no son of mine,” my father snarled.“Not while he wears the Blood Mark of another male!”He pointed at me.“I’m leaving and I want you out of my house by the time I come back.And don’t ever bother coming here again until you get rid of that Mark and start acting decently!”

“No.”My mother straightened up and brushed the tears out of her eyes.“No, you willnotdeny our son entrance to his own home, Harold,” she said, glaring up at my father.“You’rethe one who’d better not come home until you’re ready to apologize for this horrible scene you caused and the terrible, hateful things you said.And if you don’t want to do that, I have some paperwork for you to sign and then you and I can go our separate ways.”

I felt my mouth drop open.Was my mom really threatening to divorce my dad, right here in front of all my friends?

Her statement seemed to surprise my father too because he stared at her disbelievingly.

“You’re really doing this now?”he demanded.“You’re choosinghimoverme?”

“I don’t want to have to chooseanyone!”my mother cried.“We’re a family, Harold!We should love each other unconditionally.Why can’t you understand that?”

My father stared at me and the Mark on my forehead.

“Sorry, Claire,” he muttered.“I guess some things are just beyond my comprehension.”He looked at her.“Send the papers—I’ll sign them.Should have done it a long time ago, once I realized what we had on our hands and found out you wouldn’t let me fix him.”And he shot me a look of utter contempt that cut me to the bone.

“There’s nothing to fix,” my mother said passionately.“Avery is our son!”

“Your son—not mine.Not anymore,” my father said.

Then he opened the door and walked out of my life, slamming the door behind him.

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