Page 53 of Scarlet Wars
James shrugged, his expression vicious. “You chose yourself, when you could’ve chosen me. I’m simply doing the same.”
With that, he portaled out without another word. The moment he was gone, my body started shaking with pure and unfiltered rage.
And my heart fractured in a million pieces for the man who had just become a stranger before my eyes.
THIRTEEN
EMMA
Present
Caden’s eyes were pitch-black, stripped of all color, of all charm that usually softened his rough edges. What stood in front of me was the stone-cold killer, staring at me with a barely contained rage. He looked as though he was teetering on the edge of snapping, ready to unleash a storm of murder.
“Hethreatenedyou?” His voice was low and guttural, each word laced with fury. “I’ll fuckingendhim.”
“I am so sorry Caden,” I apologized quickly, almost trembling beneath the sharp edge of his anger. “I should’ve nexed you anyway, but I was… I’m ashamed to admit James got to me. I feared not being able to see my parents, feared I’d unleash some sort of international conflict between Cyclos and Crown right as the Great Exposure happened, and…”
My words faltered, the knot of regret in my chest tightening.
Caden straightened his spine, suddenly looking even taller than usual.
“You don’t ever. Apologize. For him. Again.” Every word was delivered with such seething intensity it felt like a physical blow.
He took a deep breath, eyes squeezing shut for a second, as if forcing his anger back under control. “So this is why youthink James is Alek’s father? Because James’s real name is Aleksander?”
I shrugged, trying to mask the nerves clawing through me. “Well, since you’re the only other option, let me ask you this: would you ever consider naming our son after my ex?”
He stilled, only for a beat, then muttered, “Wouldn’t be myfirstchoice.”
A laugh snorted out of me. “That’s what I thought.”
“But that isnotirrefutable evidence of his fatherhood, and I’ll be damned if I let you think so. We don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. Maybe I turn out to be the biggest fan of the name.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, right.”
“Maybe you threaten me with death after nine months of carrying the baby if I don’t give you whatever name you want,” he shot back, his tone harsh but also almost…amused.
“Maybe Walker dies in some heroic blaze of glory, and we decide to honor him. Hell, if I know what’s coming, but four of the most common letters in the alphabet are not fucking proof of our future.”
I opened my mouth, then shut it again. Let his words circle, sink in.
Our future.Why did those two little words send a strange, electric tingle twisting through my stomach?
“You hear yourself?” he pressed unrelentingly. “You’re ready to hand Walker your life because of no more than a coincidence. That is not logic, Emma. It’s fear talking. And if I had to guess, with your charming type-A tendencies, you’re probably more terrified of making the wrong choice than of not choosing at all.”
Damn it. He soundedreasonable, and I hated how easily he’d cornered me with logic.
“When you put it like that…” I admitted grudgingly.
Caden didn’t waver. “Good. Glad we buried this bullshit. Now, what happened next?”
My tone softened. “After our fight, I started training with Nino, who’s First Offensive of Cyclos since James has become its Leader. After two weeks, I left to visit my parents. A week later, the bubble happened, and you know the rest.”
He nodded, his expression hardening. “Damn straight I know the rest.”
He pushed off the windowsill. “But there’s something a lot more important you just said.”
His gaze darkened with an intensity that made my heart skip a fucking beat. “You told James you felt some sort of attraction to me when you were at Crown. Was that true?”
