Page 26

"I never thought she was a danger to us, Garrett, neither did your father.

" I want to believe her; she sounds sincere and I only see honesty in her eyes, but if that's the case, why send her away?

"Draven had been looking for someone with a connection to the darkness since the kingdom fell.

With how powerful Serena was, especially at such a young age, he never would have stopped coming for her, as you've seen now.

He was desperate, and desperation is dangerous.

Your father sent her away to save everyone in the only way he knew how. "

Neither of us speaks for a moment as I let her words sink in. I knew he did what he thought was right, but I never stopped to ask him why; I just assumed he was afraid of her powers or worried about facing Draven to protect her. Both seemed cowardly to me, especially for a king.

"Why didn't he say that then?" I can't help but ask because that changes things, changes the way I look at him.

Mother laughs, but it sounds more sarcastic than anything. Turning to me, she cocks a brow as if my question is a dumb one. It might be, but right now, I need her to spell it out. Nothing makes sense, and everything I thought I knew… well, clearly I was wrong and still have a lot to learn.

She huffs, leaning back to rest her weight on her hands on the step behind us, and I swear I can hear the wheels turning in her head.

"Mom, just say it." I'm not sure what she's worried about, but I don't have the patience or compassion needed.

I'm hanging by a thread, trying to keep it together, but it feels like it's just one thing after another right now.

Is this what life would have been like if Serena never left?

I'd always thought that life with her here would have been perfect, much like it had been before Draven, but there's no way to know that. For all I know, it could have been worse. So many things that we’re facing now are hard, and we’re adults.

I can't imagine how hard it all would have been back then.

Fuck.

I don't want to be grateful that my father sent her away, that I was forced to grow up without her, missing a piece of my soul, but it's hard to hold onto the same anger I'd felt before, knowing it could have been so much worse, even if she would have only been mine.

That's only true if we both survived.

"Being in charge means you have to make the hard choices, even when it hurts..." She looks at me, and I see the sadness in her eyes. "Or makes the people you love hate you. Sometimes you have to do what you know is right, even if you have to do it alone."

Is she still talking about my father or Serena?

"I don't hate him," I tell her, hoping we're still talking about him.

Her sadness doesn't disappear the way I'd hoped it would; instead, her eyes fill with tears, and she pulls in a ragged breath as if to try to calm herself.

"I did."

Her confession catches me off guard, and I struggle to keep my reaction off my face, though I'm almost positive I do a crap job if her sad smirk is anything to base it on.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm human, the same as the rest of you.

I still love your father. He's my mate, and I would die for him.

.." Her eyes go far away, and I know she's seeing something not meant for me, lost in some memory, whether good or bad, I'm unsure.

"But for so long, I hated him for taking Serena from not only you, but me.

I loved that little girl like she was my own, still do, and for him to take your mate from you.

Even if you were both young, the bond was there, even if only as a platonic bond until you were older.

It was impossible to explain to a child; there was no way to make you understand, and so he didn't even try. "

The room is quiet, and I watch my mother as she continues to stare off into space, a single tear running down her cheek. She either doesn't notice or simply doesn't care.

"It was a lesson for both of us, because being mated means you trust your mate. He made the right call, and now Serena's back, and while she might still be in danger, she's much better suited to handle that danger not only by herself but with her other mates."

"It's not that I don't trust her, I do. I know she's strong. It's Ryker I don't trust. He's a monster."

She doesn't argue with me, nodding as she turns to look at me once again. This time her eyes are clear, not a tear in sight.

"Don't forget who Serena is, Garrett. She's the strongest person I've ever met. Has been ever since she was a child. If she trusts him, there must be a reason. Don't be so quick to write him off, son. He might just be a product of his environment; not everyone is raised in a loving home."

I groan, rolling my eyes because that's such a mom thing to say, but she's also not wrong. I can't imagine growing up with Draven as a father was a walk in the park.

But I also don't want to give him a chance. As far as I'm concerned, he doesn't deserve it, but it's not up to me, not really. I can not like him all I want, but that doesn't mean Serena has to feel the same. I didn't much like Lyle, and I'm pretty sure she's in love with him.

I push off the steps, moving toward the large wooden doors, needing to move and get away. With my hand on the door handle, I pause, looking back over my shoulder to find my mother still sitting in the same spot, watching me with a smile that I'm all too familiar with.

"Thanks, Mom," I say almost begrudgingly because she knows she's right, and I hate to admit it, but I know it, too.

I don't give her a chance to answer before I pull the heavy door open and slip out, making my way up to my room now that I'm not worried I'm going to say something I'll forever regret to the only woman I'll ever loved.