us was legitimately massive.
He had been the one snapping orders. His entire energy was very similar to Marco’s in both dominance and magic, but where there was a soft edge to Marco around me, this man had me shrinking back. My mate let out a low rumble that had the intimidating man snapping his head towards him in confusion, removing his gaze from Cyra and I.
“You’re scaring her,” Marco grit out.
“Nuriel,” Cyra’s voice was smoother, “calm down. I’m sure we can get more of an explanation. Let’s find somewhere to sit—”
“You’re telling me to calm down?” Nuriel demanded softly, his black eyes flashing with pain as I realized how similar he looked to the man Con. Were they brothers? He continued, his voice choked with emotion. “Calm down, Cyra? Our daughter, who we thought was dead, shows up out of nowhere and says she was locked up by a fucking coven this entire time—”
“Nuriel,” Con’s voice rang out. Nuriel’s jaw tightened, but he instantly went silent. He looked back down at me, sadness filling his gaze, before muttering under his breath and running a hand through his hair.
“I am furious, but we need all the information first,” Cyra explained softly, her hands tightening around me. Nuriel nodded and walked towards some guards, leaving me in a state of both being worried about him and intimidated.
“He’s harmless,” Cyra promised. “He’s just… this is a lot at once. We should sit.”
I nodded mutely as she led me forward. I hesitantly met the gaze of the red-haired man we passed, his gaze darting between Cyra and me before he looked away, his eyes glinting with anger and what appeared to be tears. My eyes widened as I came to a stop, making Cyra look at me with confusion.
“Did he say ‘our daughter’?” I asked softly.
Cyra’s eyes filled with compassion. “Yes, our daughter. I’m sorry, this must be so much for you, Sol—”
“I go by Maya,” I admitted.
Her eyes flashed with sadness as she nodded. “Of course. You have to understand, your fathers and I have been looking for you since you first disappeared. You were so, so young, and we had no idea what happened. To hear that you were taken is—”
Fury blazed in her eyes as she seemed at a loss for words. Suddenly, the man who had ordered others to calm down appeared over her shoulder. His dark hair and bright, ocean-colored eyes were a bit unnerving as he offered me a small, hesitant smile. His voice was soft as he spoke to Cyra.
“Honey, I need you to breathe. Your magic is going to cause half of us to shift if you don’t.”
My mother… my mom? What did I call her? She nodded and closed her eyes, seeming to pull on a source of calm energy, causing me to exhale, not having realized how much she was affecting me.
“I’m fine.” Cyra nodded, seeming more collected. “Maya, this is Fuji.”
“One of my dads?” I barely got out, unable to truly believe this. Any of it. My mates were in shock as well, but I could feel their anxiety grow through our bond as I was moved further away from them. I turned back when Atlas let out a snarl, realizing that they weren’t being allowed to follow me. The red-haired man stood blocking them, his jaw set firmly as magic crackled through the room, his gaze on Atlas, who was practically standing toe to toe with him. Marco stepped to the side as my anxiety began to grow, and I tugged my arm from Cyra, causing her to let out a sad, almost injured sound that made me feel guilty.
My voice came out far more commanding than I expected. “I want them here. I’m not talking if they aren’t part of it.”
He turned to look at me, Atlas’s gaze narrowing on him as I saw something like respect at my tone flash through my dad’s gaze. “If they were bringing you back here, they have done their part.”
“I told you they were my mates.”
He stilled, his eyes filling with frustration, as Fuji let out a chuckle from behind me. “This is a fucking shit show.”
The red-haired man snarled but stepped back, running a hand through his hair in frustration. When the man from up front spoke, the one with sadness and compassion in his gaze, everyone turned to look at him. “Ignatius, now is not the time.”
“Our daughter shows up out of fucking nowhere after thirteen years, with one of our most