With Everything I Am (The Three #2)(152)
Author: Kristen Ashley

“Difficult is not the word I’d use,” Callum gritted out and Sonia moved to him.

The instant she got close, he curled an arm around her shoulders and pulled her front deep into his side. She rested her hand on his stomach, wrapped her other arm around his back and pressed closer

“It was hideous, Callum, for all of us, not just you. Do you think it was easy keeping this from you? From Sonny?” Yuri asked.

“I would suspect it was easier keeping it from us than it was for us, living your lies,” Callum shot back and a muscle ticked in Yuri’s jaw, nonverbally acceding the point.

“It’s my understanding, Lassiter and Cherise Arlington were assassinated by the wolf rebellion,” Lucien stated at this point and a different feel came to the room, a feel Sonia decided was not good considering how tight Callum’s body became beside her. “Is that true?” he asked Gregor.

Again Gregor drew in breath before he admitted, “No. They were assassinated by vampires.”

“What?” Sonia breathed but no one answered her.

“My father,” Lucien clipped and Sonia felt her body jerk in surprise as her eyes shot to him.

She saw Leah’s face was knowing and angry and her eyes were also on her husband.

“Yes,” Gregor confirmed. “Etienne with a retinue of vampires and werewolves who disagreed with Lassiter’s efforts within the American Government to lay the groundwork for immortals and mortals to live peacefully with the knowledge of each other hunted Lassiter and Cherise and murdered them.”

Sonia’s heart squeezed.

“I do not believe this,” Lucien hissed and Sonia pressed closer to Callum because the vampire was angry, quietly but terrifyingly so.

“You know you mustn’t precipitate The Prophesies,” Gregor warned, to Sonia, confusingly. Then again, this entire turn of the conversation was confusing.

“Have the last lifemates been located?” Lucien returned.

“Not yet,” Gregor answered.

“I suggest you find them, Gregor. Talk to The Dominion,” his eyes cut to Callum, “you request an audience with the Oracles.”

“Done,” Callum grunted.

“This must play out as it’s intended to play out,” Regan hurriedly put in.

“Etienne,” Lucien stated then looked to Sonia and explained curtly, “my father,” he looked back to Regan, “harmed my mate, touched her, terrified her, sent her running from me and into what could have been danger or even death from her own f**king dreams. He murdered Sonia’s parents. And yet he runs free.” Finally, he looked to Gregor. “I have been patient, Gregor, as I promised I would be but I will warn you, my patience is running out.”

“Mine evaporated five minutes ago,” Callum declared and Sonia pressed even closer to her mate.

“The Prophesies state that, once the second lifemates meet, the third will be fast on their heels,” Gregor explained.

“Let’s hope that’s true,” Callum replied.

“So far, they all have been true,” Gregor retorted.

The room fell silent on this not altogether (though some of it was) happy news.

Regan broke it by asking, “Now that this unpleasant business is over, can we have a lovely meal, celebrate the bride and groom and then get them on a plane so they can enjoy their honeymoon?”

“Yes,” Callum agreed but continued, “And about that.” He looked to Ryon. “The two weeks we planned just turned into two months.” His eyes swept Calder and Caleb as Sonia’s heart stopped squeezing so it could swell with happiness. A two month honeymoon was very good news. “Adjust your plans. Sonia and I won’t return until then.”

“And hopefully I’ll be pregnant when we return,” Sonia announced and Callum dipped his chin to look down at her.

“You won’t be pregnant,” he declared.

She looked up at him. “We’ll see.”

“We won’t see. You won’t be pregnant,” he repeated his declaration and Sonia’s swelling heart turned into swelling anger.

“Callum, you don’t get to be King Callum when we’re discussing starting a family and thus what you say just goes,” she snapped.

“Sonia, you don’t get to be Queen Sonia when we’re discussing starting a family and thus you being pretty, beloved and recently, for all intents and purposes, dead, does not mean what you say goes either.”

“Perhaps we can discuss this later, wolf,” she snapped.

“Oh, we’ll discuss it later,” he leaned down so he was nose-to-nose with her, “wolf.”

Her heart fluttered at her mate calling her wolf even if it did this while she was angry.

“Great, now can we eat?” Calder asked. “Or do we all have to stand around and watch you two bicker for the next half an hour?”

“Let’s eat. I’m starved. Sonia dying then suddenly coming back to life and morphing into wolf, freaking me out because I didn’t f**king know she was wolf, put me off my food last night,” Caleb stated as he started sauntering to the door. “Time to party and by that I mean, stuff ourselves and drink until we’re sick.”

Sonia forgot to be irritated mostly because she thought Caleb was hilarious.

“The town is feasting now and the fireworks are rescheduled to go off tonight. I know you’re keen to be away, Cal, but it might be nice if you and Sonia took some time to make an appearance before you board the plane,” Ryon suggested, getting close.

“Set that up,” Callum ordered, shifting and beginning to move Sonia toward the door.

Ryon nodded and moved away.

Sonia got close to her husband and requested, “Later, can you tell me what that last part was about, the part with Lucien and his father and Leah’s dreams killing her?”

“I will, little one, once I find out from Lucien what the parts I don’t know about were about,” Callum muttered irritably and Sonia suppressed a grin.

Regan got closer and, even with Sonia curled in Callum’s arm, she shoved hers through Sonia’s.

“Are you angry at me, sweetheart?” she asked Sonia softly.

“Of course not, Regan,” Sonia answered softly and felt Callum’s arm tense around her as Regan pressed closer. “All of that wasn’t easy, on any of us. But now it’s over.”

They moved toward the door, Regan smiled at Sonia then leaned partly across her, her eyes lifting up to her son. “Are you angry at me, sweetheart?”