The Rebel Queen (Outlaw 1)

“I thank you for trusting your instincts, Dad.” It was easier now to look past the oddness of my father speaking to me through another body. I reached out and took Shy’s hand. “And I thank Shahidi for giving you a place to stay.”

“Thank Shahidi for convincing Rhys, Momma.” A glint came into Evan’s eyes. “I doubt he would have been confident enough to go against Sasha if it had just been Grandad talking. But he’ll do anything for Shy.”

Shy’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you tease them, girl. You know it’s hard on your brother.”

“Yes, every time he starts flirting with Shy, Grandad shows up,” Evan pointed out.

“It was only the one time,” my father said.

“It was enough.” Evan chuckled. “I can’t help it. He deserves it. Rhys acts like he’s my dad. He’s the one who made Fen promise not to touch me.”

“Evan, you’re only seventeen,” I pointed out.

A brow rose over Shy’s warm brown eyes. It was an expression I knew well. “And what were you and Danny doing when you were seventeen?”

“Is there anything stronger than tea?” I groaned. “Damn it. I can’t drink.”

“You’re really pregnant?” Evan asked. “I thought you and Papa decided to not have more kids.”

We had. We’d decided the three we had were enough, but then we’d had a chance I never thought we would. “It’s not Papa’s.”

My father gasped. “What happened to you, girl?”

“It’s what happened to Danny. I won’t explain all the weird magic that went into it, but for a while on that odd faery plane, Danny was human and he was capable of having children.” It had been a magical night and one where the three of us had been closer than we’d ever been before. “It’s okay. He’s a vampire again, but I did get pregnant.”

“You’re having another child with Dad?” Evan seemed to let that sink in. “Well, congratulations, Mom. I’m going to go find Fen. We need to get ready to go in the morning. This is my room. I’m sure Albert’s gotten yours ready. Like I said before, there’s supper for you when you’re hungry.”

She left before I could get another word out.

“What did I do?” Evan hadn’t been happy with news of my pregnancy. Except she had when she’d thought this child would be with Devinshea.

“You didn’t do anything at all.” My father settled back in his chair. “Evan hides her insecurities well most of the time, but I think you touched a sore spot. She’s always been closest to Daniel. I’m afraid even though you weren’t here, those divides still held. You loved Lee most.”

“That’s not true.”

“You all worried more about Lee, and in a child’s world that translates to love,” he explained. “You think back to how you felt about me and Danny after he turned. How I worried about him and took his side in most things. You were an adult and you were still wounded by it. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I did. In Evan’s mind you were Lee’s, Dev belonged to Rhys, and Daniel was hers. Now you’ve told her she’s got a rival. She lost twelve years with you because you were with Summer, Daniel’s child. Now you’re giving him a biological child who will likely replace her.”

“That’s not true.” Had I favored Lee? I hadn’t meant to. I loved them all.

“Of course it’s not, but it feels that way to her. Part of this is Shy talking. She’s close to Evan. We’re both worried about her. Not because of Fen. I know Evan will talk about how reckless Fenrir is and how she’s got to keep him in check, but she’s every bit as brash as he is. She’s not wrong about Rhys trying to take her father’s place. They’ve fallen into roles as they’ve gotten older. Rhys has gotten more serious. Lee is Devinshea’s near twin, from what I can tell, and Evan, well, Evan’s had to fight for her place. She’s the only girl here, and the boys are overly protective, to say the least. It was good when Shy showed up and she had someone to talk to.”

She should have had a mother figure with her. And a sister. “What happened to Sarah? I can’t believe she would leave my kids.”

Shy’s shoulder shrugged. “I don’t know. I wish I did. Like I said, I died and by the time I came back to consciousness, most of it was done. Sarah and Felix and Mia were gone, and Christine doesn’t know where they went. She believes they found a way to flee the plane. She thinks if Myrddin had killed them he would have made a show of it. I wish I had a better answer for you. Now ask me what you’ve been afraid to ask.”

Tears sprang to my eyes because he was right. I was afraid to ask, terrified at what I could have lost. “Is Neil dead?”