Page 25 of The Fate of Black Hearts

“This spell or curse or hex—or whatever the hell it was—has prevented me from beingmesince the moment you acquired me. I won’t say ‘mated’ because we never matched.”

He shook his head and stared at her, transfixed.

“You will leave this house. Don’t let me see you near me or my children for the rest of my life.”

“You have no right to?—”

With a snarl, she swiped his leg. He fell. She captured his hair in her left hand and held a blade to his neck. With a knee planted dead-center on his chest, she hissed, “Give me one reason not to cut the lying tongue out of your mouth. I have every right to kill you.”

He craned his neck away from the knife.

She pressed the tip into his skin until he bled. “I just butchered more than twenty crazed humans while holding a newborn. One of them even shot me.” She pulled his neck into the blade, deepening the cut. “If you touch me or any of my sons ever again, I will end you. If I see you again, I will send the hounds of hellafter you until I can’t see you anymore.” She leaned close to him. “I’m letting you live so your son doesn’t have to watch me destroy you. If he wasn’t here…”

“You can’t do this. I’ll go to the Council and have you cast away as mad. The boys are mine.”

She laughed, but it was a heartless, terrifying noise. “Go to the Council. I dare you. Everyone here saw you cast your newborn son and pregnant mate out the door into the hands of werewolf hunters to be slaughtered. That’s a crime punishable by death.”

He made a choking noise. She noticed he bled quite a bit.

“Dom, can you help me knock him out so we can put him in the carriage?”She thought it in her head and he picked it up.“I don’t want to be close to him anymore. It might tempt the curse-spell to take me back.”

Would he let her get away with ordering him around? Yeah. He was so hard watching her be this fierce that he didn’t dare disobey. He moved past her to knock Willem’s head against the floor. The curse would guarantee them hours before he could heal enough to wake up.

“What the hell did that?” Efrem jumped around, swatting at the air as if he might hit something solid. “What else did you bring in here, Evie?”

She ignored him. “Roman, gather anything you think useful for the baby. We’re returning home tonight to collect your brothers. I wish to leave his mistress’s house. Then, we’ll figure out how to disappear.”

“I want to kill him.” Dom waved at Willem.

Her lips compressed into a thin line as sheconsidered his offer. “What happens to the curse if you do that?”

“Kinda spooked,” Efrem said “Who are you speaking to?”

Dom said, “Fair point. If I should run into him at another time, let me kill him.”

“If anyone’s killing him, it’ll be me.” She stared at Dom. “It’s not fair that I can’t right now.”

“Who are you conversing with?” Roman asked.

“No one.” Her eyes darted to Dom.

He shrugged atold-you-so.

Roman said, “Efrem’s right. I sense something else here. Did you get help?—”

“Efrem, put him in his carriage,” she interrupted. “Send him to Hungary. We’re returning home. Invite any of the domestics who you think would be loyal to join us.” Once Willem was outside, she rushed to Roman to pull him into a hug with the baby between them. “I love you, darling. I was terrified for you, but I’m so proud of how strong you were.”

“I thought I lost you, Mom.” A few tears escaped his eyes.

“I’m here.” She wiped away the lines of moisture on his face.

“He’ll come back.”

“Let him try. If I ever see him again, I’ll kill him.”

“Or I will.” Roman handed his mother the infant.

“Are you well enough to help Efrem organize a carriage to take us home?”