Children of Blood ✔️

Chapter Sixteen

"Half brothers," Luke corrects me.

"Why did you say it like that?" Alaric gasps dramatically. "Am I an embarrassment to you?"

"Oh my god Alaric," Luke sighs and shakes his head. "No. It's just that Jean shouldn't be mislead anymore. We share Lady as a mother. Two different fathers."

"My father isn't Windsor." Alaric confesses, "Lady was married to him and they were quite happy. But after they had a miscarriage and the lack of Windsor's time for Lady she started an affair with my real father. He was a warrior who was killed in battle fighting the Fide Clan. She said she loved my father, but his death and her miscarriage broke her. She abandoned me in a building and Windsor found me, neglected and starving. He adopted me and raised me as his own when she left to avenge my father. Lady walked away from her life to murder the leader of the Bellator Clan."

"Her plan was to kill my dad. She had the knife to his throat, but couldn't kill him. Over the next months he nourished her back to health and she 'fell in love' again." Luke sighs and shakes his head. "I don't believe she did, but none the less she had me only a year and a half after Alaric."

I press the palm of my hand to my forehead and shake it. "Wait, so Lady is both of your mothers. She was with Windsor, had a miscarriage, then had an affair with Alaric's dad. She gave birth to Alaric, his father died in battle, and Lady left to kill Luke's dad. She remarried him, gave birth to Luke and now she's with John!"

Alaric opens his mouth and I shake my head and turn around. Silence follows before a hand rests on my shoulder. Alaric smiles softly. "I'm sorry I never told you. It never came up."

I nod my head and hold the top of his hand. "It's alright, but I need to talk to Luke alone for a moment."

Alaric nods and let's his hand fall from my shoulder. I turn and stare into Luke's dangerously soft eyes. We wait for Alaric to be out of ear shot before I walk towards him.

Luke drops his head, "I'm sorry—"

"No." I spit furiously. "I haven't known Alaric for a long time. So, I understand why he didn't tell me, but you? You said you loved me and hid the fact you have a brother in a neighbouring clan. You could've sent me to him instead of letting me wait around. I could've been in a warm home, my sister and James would've been safe. But instead you let us wait in a cave for months!"

"Lady would've known I'd sent you to him! And he's a flirt!" Luke scoffs. "I would never send you to him. Lady would know and he's too immature to understand that you're taken."

"Do you think I'm that desperate? I don't need someone to validate myself." I shake my head, "I waited for you, pushed Alaric off of me, because I was in love with you!"

"Was?" Luke asked sceptically. His eyes dropped and voice lowered. "You don't anymore?"

My heart bleeds at the sound of his breaking. "No, we need time to regroup. We've been apart for a while."

Luke nods and walks past me, silence filling the buzzing void.

What is going on inside this man's head? First he's quiet, then defensive, angry and now upset. I can't get a read on him just like when I first met him... when he was trying to force his feelings into submission.

"Jean?" Alaric peeks around the trees. "Are you okay? I heard shouting and saw Luke leave upset."

I sigh and slam the heel of my hand into my temple. "I'll be fine. I'm exhausted is all." Alaric nods and opens an arm for me to walk into. Giving in I lean on him and shut my eyes.

"How about we go home?" Alaric asks as we head back to the others.

I nod and let a tear slip down my cheek. Home, that sounds nice.