Chapter 35


    “Colette


    Blood drains from my face, my hands instantly going cold as I lick my lips and try to form any


    coherent words possible, but nothinges out. I shake my head, fighting the tears as they beg for


    release.


    This can’t be happening. Not now, not after I just gave him every part of me. Merikh is lying to me or


    he is lying to Capsian and I can’t see well enough through my blurry eyes to tell which is it.


    “Is this a Joke?” I hear Caspian ask, anger and paincing his voice as it breaks.


    clear an


    “No.” Merikh’s voice is clear and resolute..


    My knees go weak, my hand flying to my chest, clutching at my shirt, looking for reprieve, hoping it


    will let oxygen in as I try to suck in air in huge gulps. Warm hands cup my cheeks, smoothing hair


    from my face as his voice echoes in the background and I slump to my knees.


    “Letty, I need you to focus,” his voice is firm and full of concern. “Focus on my voice.”


    My hands fly up, finding his wrists, yanking them away from my face as I turn away from him.


    “I don’t want to hear your voice.” I hiss at him.


    “I needed to protect you,” He tries to tell me as some sort of excuse, but if he had trusted me, if he


    had given me the fucking time of day he would have known he could have told me anything.


    Including this, I force myself up on shaky legs, wiping at the tears that seem to escape despite me


    telling them to stay.


    There is no slowing down my heart rate as I re into Merikh’s eyes. Guilt and remorse swim in his


    perfect green orbs and I know there is no lie there. It feels like a one thousand pound weight is


    crushing my chest as I try to gasp for air. Never have I ever felt so helpless, so lost in my entire life.


    “She is my daughter? You are sure? Caspian whispers, hopeful. I turn to look at him, the tears


    flowing free when I see the glimmer of tears in his own eyes. My hurt morphs into rage. What


    asshole leaves his daughter, lets his mate die?


    “You are not my father.” I hiss, taking a step away from him as well.


    “He is.” Merikh says softly. I shoot him a re, my chest heaving.


    “I don’t believe you..” It feels like I am being pulled between two forces, my body being torn into


    two, my heart rivaling my soul and there is no stopping this agony.


    “We will talk about thister, Colette. Right now I need a healer in our room to take care of my


    gamma who needs immediate care. Brent is currently there taking care of him, and I am not


    comfortable with this situation.


    “Yes, of course.” Caspian says, not saying anything else as he lifts his hand and snaps. Someone


    shuffles to him and he whispers in their ear, receiving a bow and the man rushes off. Motioning for


    others to follow him.


    “We should go see him,” Merikh says, reaching out for my hand. I p it away, taking a step back


    from him, Wech


    “I don’t want to be near you.” I growl, and he frowns, but seems to ept my choice.


    “Then I will leave you with your fath–erm, I mean with Caspian.” he looks at the King of Sirens and


    then back at me, a solemn look on his face. “I know you have no desire to forgive me, I understand


    that, but you are still my luna.”


    I watch as he disappears, both needing his arms around me and simultaneously hating the idea of


    him ever touching me again. If what he is saying is true, if Caspian is my real father, he has taken


    a potentially beautiful reunion and shattered it with deceit and trickery. Does Merikh truly care about


    me, or was I his pawn all along?


    Evenst night, our beautiful moment I couldn’t wait to share with him is called into question. Was


    he hoping that by screwing me, I would cling to him and not be angry? Or did he care about my


    feelings in all of this at all? I want to think


    盘


    about Percy, to be with him, but being near Merikh makes me feel physically ill.


    Caspian’s face appears before mine and I blink away the tears as he reaches out, looking for me to


    take his hand. I scowl at him, crossing my arms over my chest instead, and he frowns before he


    nods in understanding. A frown tugs at the corner of his lips. Then he sighs heavily, striding away


    from me before turning back around.


    “Do you remember me?” He asks hopefully, and I shake my head now, my brows pulling together


    as I try to recall anything


    about him.


    “No.” I tell him honestly. “Truthfully, all I have of my mother are dreams I thought were nightmares.


    Always her leaving me as I chase her through a marsh area, only to be abandoned and never see


    her again.”


    “She left you?” he asks, his brows rising like the action surprises him.


    “Yes” I say before sighing heavily. “At least I think she did. I don’t remember much past being new


    in the pack where I grew up since I was ten


    He looks away in thought.


    “Uh, what pack did you grow up in?” he asks, like he may know it. Strangeing from a siren who


    should know nothing about the werewolf world other than he knocked up a she–wolf and created


    me, supposedly.


    “ck Mountain Pack.” I mutter, and his eyes snap to mine. He seems to stand a little straighter as


    he licks his lips and swallows hard.


    “ck Mountain pack.” He whispers. “With Alpha Bentley,”


    “Uh yes.” I murmur, surprised that he knows his name. “How did you know?”


    at


    He clears his throat, looking away for a minute, before looking back, a tear slipping down his


    cheek.


    “He is your uncle.” He says, looking me in the eye. A bubble ofughter burst from my lips, my


    chest loosening with the action as Iugh at the absurdity.


    “No, Alpha Bentley was my alpha. I served his daughter as a maid and they treated me like


    absolute garbage. He is not my uncle.”


    His face falls, anger creeping back into his demeanor as he shuffles to his other foot.


    “He treated you like a maid?” He grits out and I watch him like he is a little unhinged.


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    “Yes. But I mean, I am a maid, well, was.” I tell him and he looks away, his jaw muscles rippling with


    effort as he clenches his


    teeth.


    “You are a Princess.” He growls. “And an alpha blood werewolf. You are no maid, even if he forced


    you to do maid–ly things. You are royalty.”


    “I am not.” I scoff. “You don’t even know you have the right person. You are just going to take his


    word for it?”


    “I can see so much of her in you.” He whispers. Reaching out to touch my face, I lean away. “And


    my family as well. Do you have any powers?” He asks.


    “Powers?” I scoff. “Until recently, I hardly had a wolf that would show up because I was so weak.”


    He nods. “That makes sense. Your pack is nowhere near water. When you were little, you were so


    sick, just a tiny little thing your mother had to be near water for you to thrive. How you must have


    suffered being so far from water for so long.”


    I blink at him. His words striking something in me, something that feels like truth. A part of me that


    doesn’t understand how he could know that innermost thought.


    “How…” I squeak out the question, not sure how to form the full sentence.


    2/3


    “You said it yourself, Colette. Water feels like home.”


    “That could all just be coincidence.” I whisper, too afraid to hope for anything good in my life. The


    last thing amazing I had blew up in my face mere minutes ago. “Lots of people think water is


    rxing and calm.”


    “I could tell you felt it differently.” He says, “I could see it in your eyes. It’s why I thought you were


    catering to my good side, trying to wiggle your way onto themittee.”


    “But you said it yourself, your daughter died.”


    “I was wrong.” He answers, looking hopeful.


    or now.” I swallow.


    “I think you are wrong now,


    “He’s not.” I hear Merikh behind me and my hairs prickle with his closeness. I hate him. Deep in my


    being. I can feel that anger rising again and I spin to re at him.


    “I want answers.” I re and he nods.


    “I suppose you both deserve them. But this is not the ce.” Merikh looks around like he is trying to


    find a spy. “There is no


    one here we can trust


    “You can say that again.” I snort. Merikh frowns.


    “He is right.” My supposed father says, suddenly looking nervous. “Your mere existence is a threat


    to all species. If they find out what you are, they will kill you, my pearl.”


    I blink at my father, his pet name echoing through my ears, speaking to my inner child, and I realize


    I have heard that name before. Been called it many times. Could he really be my father? Am I really


    a hybrid, one so feared by the council that they tried to have me killed? I inhale sharply, then clear


    my throat.


    “Fine. But I want every question I have answered. No holding back. I deserve the truth, or I will


    leave.”


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