Page 13

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Lucifer this angry before, as hellfire flashes in his eyes. He wasn’t even this mad when he was handing out my punishment.

“There’s nothing for him to fix. I already tried to tell you this.” Audrey’s voice is just as devoid of emotion as Brenden’s, and I fucking hate it. “Even if his intention wasn’t to reject us, he did. We can’t trust him not to do it again. Instead of worrying about this, you should be trying to help us figure out how I keep the fourth mate, who actually wants to be with me.”

“Audrey, I’m sorry—”

She cuts me off with a look. “I don’t care what you are or aren’t. Your presence isn’t needed, so feel free to leave.”

When she looks away from me, it’s almost as if she forgets I’m there.

Maybe she does. Or maybe she justwants to forget.

I hang my head, unsure how to handle this—of what I’m meant to be doing.

Lucifer leans in close. “You’re not to leave until you fix this, or I’ll kill you and fix it for her. But we both know if the Fates told her she’d have three mates or five, there’s no way for her to have Cassian without also having you. Although, maybe your death will solve both problems—I’m definitely willing to find out. I don’t care what you have to do to make it right, just do it. I want to get to know my daughter, and I can’t do that right now.”

I grit my teeth because I don’t need him to threaten me to want to fix this, but based on their reactions, I’m afraid my relationships with Audrey and Brenden are irreparable.

That doesn’t mean I won’t try to repair it. I’m just at a loss at where to even begin.

I’m not cursed—I was never cursed.

Fuck.

It’s unhelpful, but that’s all that keeps crossing my mind.

How the hell am I going to fix this? How am I going to make it right?

How do you make something better when it’s caused your mates to feel rejected?

I wasn’t even sure if Brenden was my mate—

No. I’m done lying to myself. I knew he was my mate, and I just wanted to ignore it. I was willfully blind about the whole situation with my mates. I thought it was to protect all three of us—more to protect them than myself—but that was a lie.

How many lies have I told myself over the years? How many times have I denied myself in order to punish myself?

I take a step away from the table—a table there’s no room for me at—wondering where we are and why.

I’m afraid to voice my questions—afraid I’ll be forced to leave. I need to know what’s happening so I know how to keep my mates safe.

Because, yes, they’re my mates. Whether they accept me or not, they’re still my mates. I might not know how to fix this, and it pains me to admit that, but I will do what I can to keep them safe, even if they want nothing to do with me.

“So, now what?” Audrey asks, her eyes on Lucifer as she retakes her seat.

“Now, I need to figure out what Michael is up to.”

A dark chuckle draws our attention to the doorway opposite Lucifer. “Well, I think I canmake that pretty easy on you. I knew you’d run to your mommy next. So predictable.”

I bare my teeth, realizing this must be Michael. The man—make that angel—who killed my mate and her sister. I should take care of him now before he can do any further harm, but when no one else at the table moves, I remain standing against the wall, wondering what exactly is going on.

Chapter Six

Audrey

Iwant to snarl at Michael when he reappears, but I can’t even hold on to my anger and annoyance with the man.

Rejected mate syndrome is no joke, and I’m over it.

“It’s good to see you again, Lucifer—that is your preferred name now, isn’t it?”