Page 4 of Whispers of Wisteria

It was magical?

“Bryce gave me a ring,” I began. “Is it…”

“That’s Alyssa’s ring—from Declan,” he said. “Bryce didn’t explain anything?”

“No,” I flustered, and my shoulders slumped when he lifted his eyebrow. “I don’t know much. Brayden and I’ve only started talking about customs. I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing all the time.” Dr. Stephens put the ring on the center of his desk.

“But it’s just a ring, though, right?” I asked, touching my toes to the carpet.

Dr. Stephens’s head snapped up.

For a second, he just stared at me. The air in the room shifted, and his jaw tightened as he pressed his fingers against the desk.

“I have no choice,” he exhaled sharply. “I cannot believe they left you this ignorant. They are supposed to be teaching you.”

“Um…” I shuffled in my seat. “What don’t I know?”

Dr. Stephens let out another breath, this one measured, as if trying to rein in his temper. “Fae marriages are not like humanmarriages, Bianca. They are an alliance of bloodlines and a transfer of inheritance.”

“W-what does this have to do with my ring?” I asked.

“Your ring is a Heritage ring, as it belonged to Alyssa. A Heritage ring was once a Lineage ring. It turns into a family heirloom after the woman dies,” he replied. “These rings are a symbol.”

“Rings are a symbol in human marriages too,” I countered.

Dr. Stephens sighed. “A fae man is required to have a Lineage ring in order to marry.”

I still didn’t get it. “That’s also kind of like human marriages.”

“It’s not the same.” He narrowed his eyes. “Lineage rings can’t be bought, forged, or inherited. Their magic only awakens when they’re won.”

“What?”

Dr. Stephens sat up straighter in his seat while I slumped in mine. My heart sank as he touched his tie, and I knew, from the excited gleam in his eyes, that he was about to lecture me.

I almost regretted asking.

“Fae men outnumber women. So demand for rings is endless, and supply is strictly controlled,” he began. “Also, only one Lineage ring can be won each new moon. Without one, the man’s bloodline dies with him.”

“Okay…” I drew out the word. I still didn’t get why this was a thing.

“Fae women can accept Lineage rings from up to four mates,” he continued with a serious voice. “Your maternal grandmother, Marianne, only accepted one ring—your grandfather Oliver’s. Alyssa had only Declan’s. On the other hand, your paternal grandmother, Vivian, accepted three: Dustin, Nikolas, and Callum’s. Dustin is your biological grandfather, but they live as a family unit.”

Another woman in my family had more than one partner? Maybe she’d give me some pointers.

Still. My fingers curled against my lap. I’d been both wanting and avoiding this conversation. Learning about my family made everything too real.

“Kieran is Vivian and Callum’s son,” he added.

The world narrowed. “Kieran is?” I asked.

“He’s your half-uncle on your father’s side.”

I stared at him, unblinking. “My… half-uncle?” The words tasted wrong in my mouth. “Why wouldn’t he tell me?”

“Most likely”—Dr. Stephens propped his elbow on the desk and rested his chin against his knuckles—“he didn’t think you were ready to know. And everyone else in the last decade? I assume it was to hide you. There was a risk of exposure if you knew the connection.”