Chapter 118

Iris

“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 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.”

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.

The tears finally begin to stream down my face as I stare at the closed door. The beeping of the heart monitor accelerates, matching my rising panic. I’ve ruined everything. He’ll never forgive me. He’ll take Miles and—

“Iris, breathe,” Caleb says gently, moving to my bedside. He places his hand on my arm, his palm surprisingly cool and smooth. “You need to calm down. You’re still recovering.”

“I’ve lost him,” I sob, ignoring his warning. “He hates me now, and it’s all my fault.”

“He doesn’t hate you. He’s hurt and confused, but he doesn’t hate you.” Caleb pulls up a chair and sits beside my bed. “Just give him time to process. I’ll talk to him. It’s not your fault, and he’ll see that. He has to.”

I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand, careful not to disturb the IV. “I’m so sorry, Caleb. I didn’t mean to spring it on you like this. I was going to tell Arthur privately first, but then everything just… spiraled.”

“Don’t apologize, Iris,” he says firmly, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. “This is my fault, really. I shouldn’t have asked you to keep it secret in the first place. I was just… being selfish. Worrying more about the potential fallout of our relationship going public than the effects this could have on your relationship with Arthur.”

Caleb’s words soothe me ever so slightly, but at the same time, they make another jolt of pain lance through my chest that has nothing to do with the lingering effects of my allergic reaction. Caleb really is a good person—I wish Arthur would see it. See that he’s not like Selina. Not completely. See that none of us meant for things to go this badly.

But right now, I know Arthur won’t listen to anyone. If there’s one thing I know about Arthur, it’s that he always needs time to think on his own before he’s ready to talk.

We sit in silence for a moment, the only sound in the room the beeping of the medical monitors. Then, something occurs to me.

“Can I ask you something?” I say, frowning. “Do you really have a kiwi allergy?”

Caleb’s eyebrows shoot up. “Yes, of course. I’ve known since childhood. I had a bad reaction when I was five and our parents had me tested.” When I blink at him in a somewhat dazed fashion, he says, “Wait, did you not know that you had it?”

“No, I…” I shake my head. “I just assumed you recognized the same symptoms you have and acted quickly. I’ve never had kiwi before tonight.” I hesitate, then add, “Leonard suggested that I make that drink. He gave me the recipe himself. Said it was his favorite.”

Suddenly, the realization hits me like a ton of bricks.

Leonard.

“Wait, where are Arthur’s parents?” I blurt out. “Are they at the hospital?”

Caleb looks confused. “They left when the ambulance came.” He furrows his brow as if wracking his brain, and then his eyes slowly widen. “They seemed to be in a hurry to leave, actually.”

“They knew,” I breathe, sitting bolt upright despite the pain. “Leonard and Wendy—they must have known about the allergy. That’s why Leonard suggested it. He kept urging me to drink it all night, too… And then they left so quickly....”

My stomach churns at the thought. Arthur’s parents tried to… what? Kill me? Scare me away? It feels impossible, but somehow not that impossible at the same time. Selina has already tried to kill me once; who’s to say that I wouldn’t be on someone else’s hit list?

“Get Arthur,” I say urgently, gripping Caleb’s arm. “Now.”