my arms around my shins and propping my chin on my knees. Everything in me felt cold.
Mom blinked, clearly away the memories. “After that I didn’t really care what happened to me. There were three weeks to the wedding and I just … existed. Mother acted like nothing happened. Same for my father. Until a few days before the wedding when I had to see the doctor to be declared fit for marriage, and they found out I was pregnant.”
Her eyes cut to me, the emerald shade of her eyes vibrant against her pale skin. “I knew from the second I found out that you existed that you were my world. I fought like hell to keep you, and I was so relieved when you, my beautiful baby girl, came out looking just like your father.”
I bit my lips, remembering what Linden had told me on the plane. But Mom misunderstood my hesitation for confusion.
“Allan thought you were his,” she explained gently. “He planned to take you. It was the only reason they didn’t terminate the pregnancy. But as soon as he saw you, he knew you weren’t. You look like your father too much.”
My eyes darted to Nikolai. He smiled back at me, his expression impossibly soft for a heartbeat as he studied me.
“But you have your mother’s eyes,” he whispered, his gaze sliding to her.
“Why not exile you?” I asked slowly. “Why did they do what they did?”
“That was all Linden,” Mom said darkly. “Linden and Allan. Linden said if I wanted to behave a whore, then I should live as one. My father was too busy handling the coming war with Stone Valley, and I think my mother, who had always been a little jealous of how my father doted on me, liked seeing me knocked down.”
“Like mother, like son,” I said bitterly, remembering how Linden had bitched about Mom being loved more by their father.
Mom nodded. “Those two were always thick as thieves.”
Nikolai’s gaze sharpened. “But why not come to me after you and Skye escaped? I would have taken you both in. Protected you.”
“I considered it,” Mom admitted, nibbling on her lower lip until it was red. “I even managed to find out where you were and who you are.”
My head jerked up. “You what?”
Mom looked at me, guilt straining her features. “It was right after you left for school in the fall, Skye. I couldn’t stop thinking about him one night.”
Nikolai went rigid. “Then why the hell didn’t you come to me then?”
Mom gave me a tight smile. “Zoe helped me find you. She and Michael knew a few people in Europe. I gave them a vague description of what you looked like, Nik, and they sent back a photo of you … with your wife and son.”
Nikolai’s eyes squeezed shut.
“And you assumed he had moved on,” I finished for her.
Mom nodded miserably. “Plus, finding out you were an Alpha … I was scared. I was scared you would come and take Skye away from me as punishment for breaking our bond and keeping her a secret. I had just gotten her out of hell. I couldn’t stomach the idea of anyone else hurting her.”
“You have so little faith in me?” Nikolai rasped, shaking his head slowly.
“I have so little faith in everyone,” Mom replied caustically, her tone laced with bitter resentment. “I was betrayed by my pack and my family. My own mother and brother broke me in ways you can never imagine. When I got free, Skye was my focus. She’s all I have left. I couldn’t risk anyone taking her from me.”
I sat back, swallowing down my sob. So much time had been wasted and lost for all of us.
“Your mother I can do nothing about, and the disgusting creature that violated you isn’t here,” Nikolai said evenly, calculating coldness seeping into his tone, “but your brother is, and I have been desperate for the reason I need to end his existence.”
“Linden’s here?” Mom’s eyes rounded.
“Yeah,” I confirmed. I hated what I was about to say. “But maybe we should hold off on killing my uncle for a day or two?”
Nikolai’s eyes cut to me. “I agree. I can drag his torture out indefinitely. And a day or two isn’t enough to pay for the lifetime of pain he’s caused the people I love.”
Mom jolted, stunned at his words, but I tried to stay calm and file them away. “Let’s also keep torture on the back burner.”