“Almost a year. Every night, when I can.”
I see how this hurts Jack, the way his brows crease. His voice thins when he asks, “Why?”
Maybe I have to tell him the truth now, even if it hurts more.
“I’ve always wanted a woman in our herd,” I say, shoving each word out. “But I never pushed the issue because of… you know.”
Jack’s expression is flat and hard. “Do I know?”
“Marilee.”
He flinches.
“I know you didn’t want a woman,” I tell him.
“So this is how you go about it?” Jack asks, clenching his napkin. “Getting your rocks off without me? By lying to me about where you are?”
I lower my head because his accusations are founded.
“I’m sorry,” I say quietly. “I’m so, so sorry. I just didn’t think you would understand how much… how much I wanted her.”
I cover my face, trying to hold in all the emotion about to burst free.
“It doesn’t mean I want you less,” I go on, “though I knew that’s all you would hear. And I know it doesn’t excuse what I did.”
No one at the table speaks. When I finally open my eyes, Jack is watching me, his expression unreadable.
“I was punished in advance,” he says in a low voice. “You both thought you knew what I would want, what I would think, and so you lied to me, believing I would disapprove.”
He leans back in his chair, and for a moment, I think this might not go the way we expected. Then he rights himself again and glares at Bree.
“And you’re the source of all this strife in my household,” he says coldly. She flinches, but doesn’t try to defend herself. “You’re also carrying our fawn.”
“I am.”
“But that’s what you wanted all along.”
She nods, no argument.
Jack studies her, and no one in the house moves.
“Do you know what you do to us?” He gets up out of his chair and walks around behind me, to the other side of the table. He stops just short of Bree, and she looks up at him with growing apprehension. “Now that we’ve bred you, all we want is you.”
For a split second, it sounds like he might be coming on to her. But then he leans down close to speak into her ear.
“And you used that against us,” he says with a sneer. “You saw the kind of power you had over Arthur and Bennett, and you used it.”
“That’s not true at all,” Bree says, scooting her chair back so she can frown up at him.
“It is true! You wanted them for yourself and saw the rut would help you get it.”
She opens her mouth to speak, and if I were in her shoes, I would say how we were the ones who cut a deal with her. But then she closes it again, turns her head away, and gets to her feet.
“I thought maybe we could work something out,” she says. “I don’t want there to be a rift between us while I’m carrying this baby.”
At this, Jack laughs.
“Oh, there is no rift. There is a split. After tonight, you will leave my house and never contact any of us again. You will not speak to Bennett, or Arthur, or me. Arthur will no longer be going to yoga at that studio.” Jack shoots him a look, and Arthur meekly lowers his head.
