Page 24 of Shattered Stars

“Is there anything that’s caused this change? The pills have always worked for you in the past.”

I keep my face hidden in my hands. I don’t want her to read the lie on my face when I murmur, “No, nothing that I can think of. Can’t you make me stronger pills?”

“They’re as strong as I am prepared to make them, Spencer. Any stronger would be dangerous.” I peer up at her. I’ve been taking two to three times the number of pills I should but I’m not going to confess that either. “We need to find another way. Agirl perhaps.” I snort. “Or a boy. Somewhere for all that pent-up energy to go.”

“Are you telling me to fuck my way out of this situation, Maman?” I say with irritation.

I’ve been fucking plenty. Okay, maybe not so much recently – not at all recently – but before then I was, and it did nothing to help contain the creature.

My mother bristles at my bad language. Her eyes deepen. “You can scoff all you like but what do you think has settled your father? Me. A mate. A wife. A partner.”

I lean back on my chair and cross my arms over my chest.

Bullshit! My father rarely leaves the compound these days. He spends most of his time as beast. He’s even less settled than I am.

Is that the only future she has to offer me? Living like a wild animal in a glorified zoo.

I’m cautious in my cynicism towards my mother though. She has a cold temper, one I have no intention of provoking.

“Papa isn’t forced to live his days as–”

“How about that girl?”

I choke on my words and look at her in disbelief. She can’t know. Even my mother, shrewd, clever, with an ability to see far more than most magicals, couldn’t see that. It isn’t possible.

I force my body to relax. Her hot gaze examines me.

“What girl?”

“The one on the path. The powerful one.”

“She’s not powerful,” I scoff.

My mother walks towards me, stopping in front of me to hook a manicured finger under my chin and force my gaze up to hers.

“She is and I’m sure you feel her power just as clearly as I do, Spencer. A mate like her would provide you with the stability you crave. That the family craves.”

Yes, can’t have a little Moreau werebeast on the loose, causing havoc, destroying the good family name, exposing all our carefully guarded secrets.

“She’s an unregistered. Unskilled. Untrained. With no family, no connections.”

“All the easier to bend her will to yours. To manipulate her. I’m not saying you need to marry the girl, Spencer.” She cups my cheek, patting it gently, the closest expression to warmth hovering in her eyes. “Simply use her for your own means.”

“And is this the advice you gave my brother too? Go fuck some girl?”

“Your brother never had problems with control, Spencer.”

Shame and sorrow swim through my body.

“She has to want me back,” I say petulantly.

“Such modern ideas!” My mother laughs. “What does your beast want?”

I peer out towards the window.

She can’t possibly know. She can’t.

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