Page 3 of Sincerely, Butterfly

“Maybe your uncle will have kids, and none of this will be your fate.”

My brows furrow, confused as to why he would want that.

I know my father left the Brotherhood because of my mom. He refused to touch another woman after meeting her. Because of the rules and what was asked of him, he handed his position over to his younger brother.

But as the only grandson—the only other person apart from my uncle who can keep our bloodline going—it is my job to take over someday.

And I will. I’ll make my father proud. I’ll do what I was born to, and someday, I’ll have a son to continue the legacy.

There is no other way.

I hate these stupid parties. Everyone is so fake, from their smiles to their laughs.

They put on a persona, whatever mask best suits the person they’re using to push their agenda forward.

Every person here cares only about themselves and what others can do to make them richer or more powerful.

I’m not fooled, and neither are Sylas, Wesley, nor our fathers.

Still, every so often, we’re forced to come to these parties and show a united family front for everyone to see.

It’s not exactly a performance when it comes to my parents and me. I admire my dad, and want to be just like him when I grow up. He is a strong, powerful, and smart man. People respect him, most fear him.

Those aren’t the only reasons I idolize him, though. He looks at my mother like she’s the greatest person on this planet, like the Gods hand-picked her just for him.

He would burn the world down, and everyone in it, for her.

To me, that is what makes a true man. He’s focused, not on what the world can give him, but on giving the world to the woman he loves.

I might only be thirteen, but I’m already starting to understand those powerful, all-consuming feelings.

And that's the reason I’m dreading tonight’s party. I don’t want to do what we’re about to do, but it needs to be done.

Now is not the time to cherish my Lotus Flower. Someday she will be mine, but not until I can guarantee that I have the power to keep her safe from the world we live in.

“Jasper,” the sound of my father’s voice pulls my gaze from the mirror and over to him.

He stands in my bedroom door.

“Are Wesley and Sylas here?” I ask.

He nods. “They just arrived with their families. Other guests are arriving as well.”

I follow after him as he leads me down the stairs.

“Jasper.” My mother’s voice settles the unease swirling in my stomach. “Let me help you with that.” She steps up to me and fusses with my tie.

“I’ll go greet our guests.” My father leans down and presses a soft kiss to the top of my mother’s head. She smiles up at him like he’s hung the moon in her honor.

My mother is a beautiful woman. While my father is of Korean descent, and I favor my father’s looks, my mother is American. Her skin is a porcelain white, with not a single blemish on it. Her bright blue eyes stand out against her jet black hair.

“How are you doing?” she asks me as she continues fixing my tie.

“I’m fine.” My tone is cold and void of emotion, despite the chaos inside me.

“Don’t lie to me, Jasper,” she scolds softly. “I’m your mother. I know you better than anyone else in this world.”

I look away, not wanting her to witness the conflict in my eyes.