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“Our mother was a Stephens,” Bryce answered, acting as though that explained everything.

I glowered at Bryce. That statement had meant absolutely nothing to me.

Brayden rolled his eyes at his brother. “Our great-grandfather is Unseelie. He married into the Seelie court. Both our grandfather and Uncle Gregory, who is technically our great-uncle, are half-bloods.”

“What about Mr. Weaver?” Their exclusion of the other man was obvious. But wasn’t he Dr. Stephen’s brother?

“Uncle Caleb has a different mother. He’s one hundred percent Unseelie,” Brayden said. “Fae are very strange about blood purity. And the Xing has always been Seelie. There are those who would be… very upset the Xing might be born with Unseelie blood. They’d say it’s a curse.”

“Why?” I wondered.

“We’resupposedlymore bloodthirsty than the usual Seelie.” Bryce shrugged. “They say we have violent tendencies, frightening imaginations, and tempestuous tempers. But I can’t imagine where they’d get that idea.”

“Well…” Yeah, that was a stupid thing to be afraid of. I wasn’t like that at all.

“It does explain quite a bit,” Titus mused. “Though some of it might be a personality thing. You always did straddle the lines between the courts.”

“Hey!” I pushed my hand against Titus’s chest, glaring up at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” Titus stroked my hair, and for an instant, time stopped. The adoring look in his eyes caused my heart to race and cheeks to heat. “You’re perfect the way you are. You understand me.”

“Oh, gag.” Brayden crossed his arms and stomped past us. “It’s bad enough when it’s Damen, but we can laugh at his expense. But this is nauseating. You’re not supposed to know how to flirt.”

“How did Kieran die?” Bryce asked, returning to the original topic.

The question cut through the air, and Brayden paused mid-step, turning to glare at the other man. “She already said she didn’t know,” Brayden snapped. “Do you not understandanythingabout sensitivity?”

“She said she didn’t see his body,” Bryce said. “That’s entirely different. But,fine, I’ll drop it.” He glanced at me, his eyes lingering on my closed fist. “In the meantime, put that on,” he said, referring the ring. “When you return to campus, it’ll besomethingto discourage the masses.”

My attention turned to the ring, and I held it in front of me. “Why would this discourage anyone?”

There was a pregnant pause, and I glanced up. Titus was eyeing Bryce.

“It works,” Bryce argued, shrugging. “Unless you have a better idea.”

Titus narrowed his eyes and glanced at me, his expression softened slightly. “No,” he said finally, raising his hand to touch my cheek. “It’s better than nothing. I dislike the idea of her going on campus in general.”

“You don’t want me to go to school?” This was surprising. He had been most insistent about my attending classes.

“But this will work. Miles’s idea is actually brilliant. The more visible you make your ‘marriage’, the safer she’ll be.” He turned to me, his mouth curling in the corner. “No one at that school is going to risk angering Bryce. I dowantyou to go to school. This is a good solution, and things are going to get worse before they get better. I just don’t like the idea of you being anywhere I can’t protect you.”

“It is going to be pain in the ass,” Brayden agreed. “No matter what.”

Despite his words, Titus’s eyes still held conflict. The look made my heart twist guiltily. I was making him worry.

What was I doing?

There was, of course, a solution that would resolve his fears about school. But should I suggest it?

I wasn’t sure.

All I knew was if I went that route, I would have to rethink everything I’d planned for my life. But considering the changes that had taken place in my life lately, would that really be the end of the world?

Chapter Twenty-Two

Bianca

Shadow