"Perhaps," Taryn said slowly, "she simply couldnāt accept the fact that her best friend had found a life outside of what she knewāthe Free Fae. A mate at that."
He exhaled. "Bonds between interspecies, especially involving the Free Fae, had never been heard of. I assume poppy felt something was off. So she convinced Lila to investigate, and together they uncovered the darker side of Angus."
Hannah said nothing, completely drawn into the story. All Angus had ever told them was that his mate had run from him and returned to the Fae realm. No one had ever given her details like this.
"But even with the evidence they brought that Angus was not the hero he claimed to be, Seraphira refused to believe them." Tarynās voice hardened slightly. "And no one could truly blame her. A mate bond goes beyond affection. It binds, blinds and makes one fiercely loyal to their partner, even to their own destruction.
"She and Seraphira had a terrible fight and Poppy was ordered to return to the Free Fae. Seraphira had no intention of leaving. She believed she had found a new life with Angus, and with their daughter, Violet."
Tarynās jaw tightened. "But Poppy had always been stubborn. She refused to give up and kept persuading her best friend. When Seraphira finally learned that Angus planned to exploit Violetās powers, she agreed to leave with her child. But by then, it was already too late."
Hannah wasnāt surprised. Her fatherās greed for power knew no limits.
"Angus wasnāt foolish," Taryn continued. "He discovered their plan. And while mates cannot harm one another, that didnāt stop the rest of it from becoming brutal. Seraphira foolishly ordered Lila and Poppy not to kill her mate, only incapacitate him long enough for them to escape. Except Angus didnāt share the same sentiment as her."
Hannahās eyes widened. What had Seraphira been thinking? How could she have been stupid enough to believe Angus would let her go without a fight?
The man had killed her sister, Rose, for the crime of falling in love and trying to escape the life he had chosen for her. For his mate? He would kill anyone who stood in his way.
Yes. Hannah could see it clearly now, how everything fell apart.
"They were outnumbered by Angusās men. Poppy fought the hardest, trying to buy Seraphira time, refusing to retreat." His voice broke just slightly as he said, "She took the worst of it."
"It wasnāt until the fatal strike to poppy that Seraphira finally broke the bond between herself and Angus. That was the only way she could escape. So my wife left the Fae realm alive, and returned to me dead." he finished.
Though Tarynās face remained composed, Hannah could see the pain etched beneath it. Without thinking, she reached out and squeezed his hand.
After a moment, he squeezed back.
Hannah tried to speak, but her throat clogged with emotion, and before she could stop it, tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Iām so sorry," she said hastily, wiping at her face.
She couldnāt help but remember the prison where she introduced herself to Violet, the pride in her voice as she claimed she was Angusās daughter, therefore related to Violet. She had said it so easily. So boldly.
All of it right in front of Taryn.
Goddess, how must that have felt for him?
"Iām so sorry," she whispered again, the tears coming faster now, frustrating her. "And to think you ended up mated to the daughter of the man who killed your wife."
She let out a shaky, humorless breath.
"Seriously. What kind of enemies-to-lovers nonsense is this? I didnāt ask for it to be this complicated."
The words tumbled out of her lips, mirroring exactly how her life felt right now.
Hannah groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "You must hate me right now."
Taryn frowned. "No, itās notā"
She cut him off immediately. "Donāt. Donāt suddenly sugarcoat it because thereās a bond between us." Her voice cracked despite her effort to sound firm. "How am I supposed to look you in the eye knowing what my father did to you? What he took from you?"
She inhaled shakily. "Thatās why Iām going to make this easy for both of us."
Taryn stiffened. "What?"
She sniffed, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Iām going to beg the Queen to send me back."
"What?!" Taryn shot to his feet.
But Hannah pressed on, the words spilling faster now, as if stopping would break her. "Once Iām back in the human realm, Iāll find my father. Iāll look him in the eye and remind him of Poppy, your wife. The woman he murdered." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "And then Iāll end my life in front of him."
Silence slammed into the room.
"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Taryn roared, fury blazing as he towered over her. "Have you lost all sense?"
Hannah stood as well, shaking but stubborn. "You donāt understand. Angus isnāt some hollow monster. He feels too but
he just buries his emotions. And I matter to him hence losing me will hurt." Her eyes burned. "If he wonāt regret killing Poppy, then heāll regret losing me. At least thenā"
She didnāt finish because Taryn grabbed her, hauling her against him so suddenly her breath hitched. Their bodies collided, his grip firm, and unyielding.
Hannah swallowed hard. "W-what are you doing...?"
"Have you gone mad?!" Taryn snarled, his voice raw, and eyes red with barely restrained rage. "Who told you that your life was payment for his sins?"
"I thought you didnāt want meā" she started, but the words died in her throat under the intensity of his stare.
"That is my problem to deal with!" Taryn hissed. "I was wrong to have taken it out on you. Pathetic, actually, considering Violet is his daughter tooā"
"But Iām the one he raised to be a killer," Hannah finished for him.
For a long moment, neither of them moved. They just stared at each other, the gravity of that truth hanging heavy in the air.
Then, without warning, Taryn reached out, cupped her face, and kissed her.
It was brief. Barely more than a brush of his lips against hers, but it left Hannah utterly stunned.
He pulled back first, his forehead resting against hers. "Forgive me for the way I spoke to you the other day, it wonāt happen again."
He inhaled, as if bracing himself. "Weāno. I will figure myself out. Iāll deal with my past. You donāt have to pay for it."
His thumb brushed her cheek, tentative. "Just stay. Let me do this right. Iāll court you properly and when you turn eighteen..." He didnāt finish the sentence, it was obvious what he was insinuating.
Hannah stared at him, her heart racing. For a moment, she wondered if this was some cruel trick of the bond or her own foolish hope.
Taryn looked nervous. "What do you say?" he asked.
Hannahās lips curved into a wide, genuine smile.
Maybe there was still room for a little book romance after all.