Chapter 216
Iris
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“He’s my brother,” I announce, my throat sore and raspy from the lingering effects of anaphylactic shock. “I’m the lost Willford
heir. And I’m a werewolf.”
The silence that follows my revelation is deafening. Arthur stares at me as if he’s seeing me for the first time–which, in a
strange sort of way, I suppose he is. His face cycles through shock, confusion, and then something that makes my heart shatter:
betrayal.
“What?” The word comes out strangled. He looks between Caleb and me, searching for any sign that this is some kind of joke. But
our faces remain deadly serious.
“Arthur, please,” I say weakly, reaching for him despite the IV tugging at my arm. “Let me explain—”
“Explain?” He takes a step back, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. “Explain how you’ve been lying to me this entire
time? How you’ve been keeping secrets with him?” He gestures angrily at Caleb.
“Arthur, it’s not her fault,” Caleb interjects, and I’m both surprised and relieved that my older brother is standing up for me right
now. “I was the one asked her to wait-”
“Don’t.” Arthur rounds on him now, jabbing his finger at Caleb’s chest, and I can see his wolf flashing in his eyes like tiny
wildfires flickering in their green depths. “Don’t you dare try to take the blame for this. She made the choice to lie to me. To keep
secrets from her mate.”
The pain in his voice cuts deeper than any physical wound ever could. And I know it hurts because he’s right. I made the choice to keep this from him. I let life get in the way, let myself keep saying “Tomorrow, I’ll tell him tomorrow“, when really I was just
afraid and looking for any excuse to not tell him.
I should have told him from the very second I found out. He should have been the first person I went to about this, and yet I kept
it from him. I turned to Caleb instead when it should have been Arthur, my mate, the father of my child.
“How long?” he demands, his voice shaking now with anger as he looks back at me. “How long have you known?”
My eyes fill with tears that I only just manage to hold back. “Only about a week. Arthur, I tried to tell you so many times, but-”
“A week?” He laughs bitterly. “You’ve known for a whole fucking week, and you couldn’t find five minutes to tell me that you’re not actually human? That you’re a Willford? That everything I thought I knew about you was a lie? What, did you think I was going to try to use you again or something?”
“It’s not like that,” I plead, struggling to sit up a little straighter. It’s no use, and I fall back down on the pillows with a soft grunt. Even Arthur’s face softens slightly at the sight, although his eyes are still blazing with hurt and betrayal. “I wanted to tell you. I really did. I was going to tell you tonight before the party, but then your parents showed up early, and-”
“Always an excuse,” he cuts me off, his jaw clenching so hard I think he might crack his teeth. “There’s always something more
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Chapter 216
important than being honest with me, isn’t there?”
“Arthur, please,” Caleb says, stepping forward. “If you knew the circumstances—”
“I don’t want to hear it from you,” Arthur snaps. “In fact, I don’t want to hear anything right now. I need to think.”
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Without another word, he turns and walks out of the room. I call his name, but he doesn’t stop. The door closes behind him with a
soft click that feels like a gunshot, and the pain in my chest is like an invisible bullet lodging in my heart.
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