Page 78 of The Fate of Black Hearts

Something shifted on the bed next to her. A crop of curly black hair peeked out of the top of the comforter. Two small hands pulled it down.

“Lyra, what did you do?”

The five-year-old pursed her lips. Her cerulean eyes glittered in a way that indicated she’d done something mischievous, but not evil. The child liked to be playful and silly, but never cruel. “Auntie Cora sent me a message before bed. She said I needed to help you with your bad dream and break the shiningrock. She told me some words that I said and then it broke.” She grinned proudly.

“How did Cora send you this message?”

“On my phone.”

“Of course she used your phone.” Which wasn’t actually hooked up to get service, but magical beings still seemed able to communicate with Lyra on it. “Naturally, you believed it was her. What if it had been from someone else?”

Lyra shrugged. “We did a video chat. She was right. Who was the magic demon fighter you protected? He was helping my brothers, I think. His magic seemed like mine. Is he my father?”

Yes.Somehow, knowing for sure made everything a hundred times worse. She’d only suspected yesterday. Now…

Dom’s words from long ago filtered through her head.“I don’t want children. There’s a prophecy that will force me to destroy my own child. Best way to avoid that nightmare is to have none.”

There was no greater risk to Lyra than Dom.

“Was it?” Lyra persisted. “He had a lot of hair. Sort of like me.” She tugged at the long curly waves that went down her back. Evie hadn’t ever wanted to cut the incredible curls.

“He did have great hair.” Dom’s hair had grown out a lot since she’d last seen him. Gray strands now wove through the black, which was new. He probably hadn’t taken the time to get a cut. He also looked more gaunt and far more haunted. So did she. She cleared her throat and tried to focus her blurry vision on Lyra. “We have to be careful of him.”

“You punched the demon who was trying to suckout his insides. That means you like him. You only do crazy things like that for people you care about.”

Evie pushed off the covers, surprised to find herself wet from sweat. She forced herself to speak in a cheery voice. “Happy birthday. Are you ready for your big day?”

Lyra’s head bobbed.

“I’m going to take a shower. Go get dressed and meet me downstairs for breakfast.”

“Can I wear the birthday dress yet?”

“Of course. Which one?” She massaged her forehead. “How about you pick one for the day and one for the party tonight?”

Lyra bounded off the bed and jogged away, likely to get one of the lacy princess dresses that she’d been trying to wear for weeks.

Evie gripped her head, which pounded with each breath. The trek to the bathroom involved three stumbles and a lot of wall support.

Damn you, Dom. How dare you make me forget you?

Some demon tried to steal his soul last night. What did he think he was doing, lurking about and trying to protect her sons from things like that? Demons were her sons’ specialty, not Dom’s. The fact he still cared to protect them…

She managed to shut the bathroom door and lock it before doubling over and moaning.

“How could you do this to me…to us?” She screamed and raked her hand through everything on the counter. Bottles and makeup and brushes flew everywhere. The mess made her feel better for about five seconds.

He stole her memories and kept them for six years!

This explained why she often saw Dom in her dreams. Until today, he’d been misty and nebulous. She’d thought him the fantasy depiction of her “ideal” male. Now it made sense why she had zero interest in anyone else on the full moon. Since Lyra had been born, even though the full moon wreaked havoc on her body, other males didn’t work. She’d tried twice to find physical relief with a partner only for it to end in disaster. The touch of a male triggered so much revulsion that she couldn’t manage more than one light kiss before wanting to vomit.

A bonded lycan female couldn’t stand the touch of anyone but her soul-bonded mate.

Not good.

He didn’t know about Lyra. Would he hurt her? Kill her?

Never in the past had he hurt her or her children. Could she bet on his intentions once he saw how vibrant and unpolluted Lyra was?