Page 69 of Bedeviled

I clear my throat. “Surprise,” I say weakly.

“What?” she breathes, all of her shock and dismay and hurt rolled into the word. A bit of her magenta magic leaks out, twisting around her protectively.

My father comes out then, completely oblivious to my mother’s distress.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” he says, grin already on his face, his arms open wide. “You must be Selene’s friend.” He reels Memnon in for a hug, thumping my soul mate on the back. Memnon happily matches his energy.

“Wow, great hugger,” my dad says, and I want to bury my face in my hands.

“He’s not Selene’s friend,” my mom says, her voice a little shrill. “He’s her husband. They got married while we were away.”

My dad was pulling away from the embrace, but now he pauses.

“Well, isn’t that amazing news,” he says. He pats Memnon on the cheek. “Welcome to the family.”

My stomach flips.

“It’s an honor to finally meet you,” Memnon says with far too much fervor.

My mother turns on me. “How could you get married and not tell me?” She sounds unbearably crestfallen.

“I am telling you. I just didn’t want to do it over the phone.”

Didn’t really want to do it in person either, but here we are.

Even as I speak, my dad pulls me in for a hug. “Congratulations, Booger.”

My mom glares at him.

I swallow thickly while Memnon stands by, watching this horror show, a happy little grin on his face like this is all going so well. I guess between him and my dad, it is.

“How?” my mother says again.

“Mom, you know how people get married.”

“Don’t get smart with me, Selene. You know what I mean. Was this amnesia? Were you drunk? How did this happen?” She glances now back at Memnon, who steps forward.

Oh Goddess, that’s right. She doesn’t even know that my memory loss is gone.

I open my mouth, but the words get lodged in my throat. Confiding in her used to be so easy. It hurts that I now have so many secrets I’ve kept from her.

I take a deep breath⁠—

“I forced her to marry me as an act of vengeance for a two-thousand-year betrayal I believed she committed.”

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose.

Lycan’s left nutsack.

There is such a thing as being too honest.

My mom swings around and gives Memnon a look like he’s speaking in tongues. “What?”

“In 59 AD I was placed in enchanted sleep by a wicked fairy. A few months ago, when your daughter went on her magic quest, she found my tomb and woke me from eternal slumber, for she is my soul mate, and once, long ago, she was my queen.”

It’s quiet for a couple beats. Then⁠—

“Well, I’ll go get the wine,” my dad says, fleeing deeper into the house. “Needs time to aerate,” he mutters to no one in particular.