Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
CAELAN
Simone’s disgust with me shivered in the air around us. Hers was nothing compared to my own.
The barbed words I’d said to Evie had fallen out of my mouth like spilled rubies. I couldn’t control anything other than my movements, but when Rachel touched me, my limbs wanted to obey only her. Something was terribly wrong.
“Are you out of your mind?” Simone hissed, her eyes wide with shock as Evie disappeared around the corner. Rachel was still across the street, idly scrolling on her phone as she waited for Simone to call her back.
But my Omega looked disinclined to do anything other than scratch the other shifter’s eyes right out of her head.
I wanted to scream for help, but it was like my brain and mouth were wholly out of my control. “I said nothing to her but the truth.”
As terrible as this all was, the words I had said and kept saying were nothing I hadn’t thought before in the deepest, darkest times of night, when all those thoughts crept out for examination only to be shut up tight by the time the sun rose.
Was this my punishment for even thinking such terrible thoughts?
I loved Evie more than I’d ever loved anyone, but we had major obstacles.
And as a Lord of a large territory, I had to think about such things.
If my children were to inherit my territories, they had to prove powerful and with Evie’s Chimera blood, having children could be dangerous to both of us and to the world.
I wanted so desperately not to care, to fling my cautions to the wind and accept her with open arms, and I’d done that.
In public, at least.
But something had always held me back.
The awful things I’d said to her, though, would haunt me for the rest of my life. I wanted things to work out between us. I wished I could be the kind of person to walk away from my responsibilities and just take her hand and walk off into the sunset.
Because Evie was that kind of person. She genuinely didn’t care what powers her children may or may not have or about any future complications.
But now, even if I wanted things to work out between us, she’d taken the fae crown. Evie was officially the high ruler of her people, even if Cernunnos hadn’t formally stepped aside yet. At least not completely.
I knew why she’d done so. Lugh was too big of a threat to her and those she loved for her to take on by herself. At least not before she knew and understood her powers.
And, if her Chimera heritage were to be leaked, our kind would hunt her to the ends of the earth.
As the fae heir, her heritage no longer mattered.
She was accepted by her people despite her genetics or mixed blood—something I don’t think I could have given her, regardless of how much I wanted to.
She could turn into a Chimera in the middle of the street, and neither I, nor the Lords, could do a thing about it unless we wanted to start a war with the fae.
Clever, cunning Cernunnos. I had to shake my head at the genius of it. The bastard was never one to pass up an opportunity. With Evie and I on shaky ground and Lugh in town keeping Tess captive, now was the perfect time to force her hand.
And I’d nudged her along by being an absolute dick.
Horror brimmed in Simone’s eyes. “I never knew you to be so cruel,” she said after a long moment. Judgment brimmed in her voice. “Never have I seen you treat someone you loved so poorly.” She bared her teeth. “I am ashamed of you.”
Garrett appeared from around the corner, his eyes narrowing as he scented the fury surrounding my Omega. When he reached us, he shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at both of us.
“I’ve obviously missed something,” he drawled, eyes lingering on Simone. “Are you okay?”
I snorted. “Since when do you inquire about Simone’s wellbeing before my own?”
Those amber eyes slid my way. “Since you became someone few of us recognize, Lord.”
The emphasis on my title made shame slam through my veins. But anger brimmed there, too. “Should I be questioning your loyalty?”
Simone’s harsh laugh made me still.
But Garrett had always been calm and cool. “I wonder if we should be questioning yours.”
I blinked in surprise before fury boiled my blood.
Garrett kept speaking. “You introduced Evie as our new lady. You gave her a portion of your property. She stayed over at the Keep for days at a time, and you asked her to marry you. The shifters were looking forward to new energy and a new future. Maybe we didn’t all accept her, but we would have.
I believe that much. She’s beautiful, powerful, and well-connected.
” He ran a hand through his hair. “Christ, Caelan. She’s the heir to the godsdamned fae throne. ”
Simone cleared her throat. “No longer the heir.”
Garrett’s attention snapped to Simone. “What happened?”
A small smile curved her lips. “She accepted the throne.”
He sucked in a breath. “Shit.” Garrett blinked a few times before he laughed. “Can’t say I expected that ending.” He waved a hand. “I’ve never seen someone commit such a colossal fuck up before.”
He was not speaking of Evie.
Garrett laughed again and returned his attention to me. “How does it feel to know you’ve let kinghood pass you by? To know you let someone so powerful who loved you so much slip right through your fingers?”
But Simone didn’t allow me to speak. “He’s asked Rachel to be his bride.”
Garrett snorted, but when he realized Simone was serious, his jaw dropped. “No fucking way.”
Simone nodded, a sad smile on her lips.
He scrubbed a hand over his jaw and eyed Simone, thoughtfully, before jerking his head to the left.
Simone nodded, and they both walked off, leaving me standing there alone, a feeling of dread churning in my stomach. Rachel straightened and began walking over. I shook my head once, sharp, and the shifter hesitated.
Less than a minute later, my Omega and Second returned, wearing equally grim expressions.
I crossed my arms over my chest and waited.
They exchanged looks. “We resign,” they said as one.
My stomach fell to my feet. “Excuse me?”
“You heard us,” Garrett said. “We resign. You are not the Lord we signed up to serve. We certainly did not sign up to have someone like Rachel lead us into the future.”
I was screaming inside my head, beating against the walls of the mental prison I was trapped inside.
But those hateful words kept flowing. “You can’t resign. This is not a job.”
Garrett shrugged. “We can and we will.”
“We are a Pack. I am your Lord. You can’t just walk away.” The floor was caving underneath my feet.
Simone removed the pin fastened inside her collar, the one denoting her as an Omega to our Pack, and took my hand, pressing the pin inside my palm. “I am an Omega and will be accepted into whatever Pack I choose.”
Garrett nodded. “And I am an Enforcer and powerful enough to become a Lord if I wished.”
“You’d become rogues?”
Simone looked to the space where Evie had disappeared. “No. I know someone who will have a space for us if we wish.”
Garrett’s eyebrows flicked up, but he nodded too.
Panic set in. “I could make you both stay,” I snarled. Not a lie, but if they thought I was a tyrant now, what would forcing them to stay in my Pack do—not only to them, but to the rest of my people?
“You could try,” Garrett said mildly. “But I’d suggest refraining from making a public scene. Your reputation is already in tatters with our people.”
I took a step forward, claws sliding from my fingernails. Rachel started walking across the street, but Simone and Garrett were done. They both took a step back.
“I hope this works out for you,” she said quietly, grief brimming in her eyes.
Garrett said nothing, only gave me a long, searching look before he took Simone’s hand and led her away.
Grief was a fire in my veins as I watched the two most important people in my life walk away, after the first one I’d screwed up with so profoundly.
I needed help.
But then Rachel was standing in front of me, her green eyes flashing in a hypnotic manner, and everything else faded away.