Page 27 of Moonlight Bonds (The Nexus #4)

“Yes. I admired your father for raising a child that wasn’t even his. For loving you, and I secretly wanted to show you that even though I was holding another woman’s child, I was thinking of you always.” A sob catches in my throat. “I did not know about the drowning at that point.”

Another step down, I’m half in a trance the entire time.

“Things were okay for a while. Anthony and Rochelle…we all got along well and focused on raising Franklin. Rhodes helped out too, but he was making sure the king didn’t know of Franklin.

We weren’t sure the king wouldn’t take Franklin to be a new commander or kill him outright. Franklin wasn’t part of our orders.”

I wondered when they stopped following the Vian king’s orders, and it must have been around the time they found out about me. The decision was firm when Franklin came into the world. One more step and the water hovers at my upper thighs.

“Then, two years ago, everything changed. I was out with Anthony, and we got into a human car crash of all things, just outside Edinburgh. Something easy that we could have walked away from. This one we did not. We were attacked by Vian, sent by the king as revenge for Franklin. He found out. I fought them as hard as I could, but one of them was a top commander, and he had a power that nullified other powers. This man was brutal, and he killed Anthony in front of me, and there was nothing I could do. I barely escaped with my life. I had to leave his body there with them to get back to Franklin and make sure he was safe. Thankfully, Rhodes overheard the king’s plans and went for Franklin to hide him.

He didn’t know the king had also sent people after me and Anthony. ”

“I know who you mean, I think. He came into Starlight City looking for me at one point,” I whisper.

“You’ll find he’s not alive anymore.”

“Good.” Another step and tension skips in the air.

“Rochelle thought she’d lost everything and it was my fault.

She wouldn’t listen to reason, and she wanted me to suffer for Anthony.

She took Franklin back to the Vian city, where I could not go often because I was ordered to stay in Starlight.

She knew that I was under the king’s orders never to leave, never to be suspicious, and to never show any of my Vian side.

If I’d gone into that city and taken Franklin, then I couldn’t have come back for you.

Rochelle got close to the king, claiming she was controlling me, and got the king’s blessing to bring Franklin up in the city, to train him, and when he is old enough, make him a commander like his father.

I was livid, but I knew if I took Franklin, everything would be over.

We’d all end up dead. Rhodes would have been killed too, and then you, when you were found.

She knew this, and so she blackmailed me.

She made it very clear that she wanted you to suffer and for me to suffer.

For both of us to know what the pain of not having our mates was like.

She commanded everything that I did, using my son as leverage, and only allowed me to see him if I played a part in her schemes. ”

That bitch is dead. He looks down still, like he doesn’t want to see my reaction. “Hollis,” I breathe. “Look at me.”

He slowly lifts his head, his eyes wet with tears, and his face kills me.

Gods, he hates himself. “You don’t need forgiveness, but for what it might be worth, I give it to you.

I am so sorry for what you lost, for what you suffered and…

Can I ask a question?” The water’s up to my chest now, and I’m so close to him.

God, I’m scared, but he’s very much distracting me.

“Do you love me? Are you in love with me, Hollis?”

“I’ve been in love with you since I first saw you, mate,” he whispers, and my heart warms. “I may have kissed her, but I felt nothing, absolutely nothing, yet one touch from you and it was like I was burning alive, and I hated it. I hated that I could not have you. I pushed you away because I know I’m not deserving of you, and you could do so much better.

I was being torn fucking apart with how I feel, and I’m done with that.

I have my son and he’s safe. I don’t expect you to accept him or want anything to do with him?—”

“Hollis, I want to know him.” I stop him from going further with that thought.

Franklin is part of my mate, and he will be part of my life.

“And I love you too. You’re infuriating and maddening, but you’re mine.

I liked being your rival because it was as close as I could get to you.

Now, there is nothing in the world that’s going to stop us from being together. ”

“Nothing.” He comes closer. “Are you sure, mate? I’m a possessive bastard, and if you say you’re mine, I’m never letting you go.”

“You did a good job of making me think you hate me.” I move closer.

“That’s the thing, Hollis.” I wrap my arms around his neck.

“I always trusted you, and I never understood why until right this moment. I’m yours.

We still have things to discuss with Rhodes and Georgina, but it won’t break us.

” His body tenses as the water moves around us.

I’m shaking as he grips me to him, holding me close.

“You got me in the pool. It’s the first time I’ve been in a pool and not been terrified. ”

“Then let me fully distract you.” He slams his lips onto mine, and it’s like coming home, and I can finally taste him.

Hollis groans against me, and I gasp, wanting so much more.

I sink into the kiss as he deepens it, pulling as close as I can get, and I moan as I feel how hard he is between my legs.

The lift clicks open, and we both turn, seeing Finnegan running in with Aleksander behind him. “Gwen, I need to leave. The Vian king has my sister and father in Starlight City. He found them.”