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No. Nothing.
Once more, Olivia shrugged.
Zane cleared his throat. “Emily, will you please tell me what’s going on?”
She finally stopped weeping and met his gaze. “I know I don’t have the right to ask, but I need your help.”
“If it’s within my power, I’ll help in any way I can. I owe you that.” He wondered if she was having financial difficulties.
“It’s your daughter, Zane. I don’t know what to do with her anymore. She’s completely out of control and she’s only five.” More tears, almost hysterical now, her face once more buried in her hands.
But Zane just stared at her head, her dark brown curls bobbing now because her tears had turned to sobs. Had he heard her correctly? Had she just told him, in an oblique way, that he had a daughter? “What did you just say? Emily, do I have a daughter?”
“Well of course you have a daughter.” She then looked up and squinted, wiping her face quickly. “Oh, no. Sweet Goddess, I thought you knew.”
“You said nothing on the phone to me. How else could I have known?”
She put a hand to her cheek. “I guess you couldn’t have. I’ve been miserable and distracted and I wanted you to come here so badly. I’m sorry. I should have said something. I should have handled this differently. Sweet Goddess, what I did was so wrong?”
“Emily, are you saying you were pregnant when you left?” It was bad enough that she’d disappeared on him when she did, leading him and the rest of his realm to believe she was dead. But this was beyond the pale. “What the holy fuck!”
His rage rose swiftly and he was preparing to blast her but good when Olivia disrupted the moment. She quickly drew his hand to her lips, opened her mouth, and bit down on his thumb, hard.
He turned to stare at her, now furious that she’d intervened. What are you doing? Let go of me. Now.
She didn’t ease up, not one bit, the hardass shifter she was. Instead, she glared up at him, growling, then pathed. Would you pull in that Goddess-be-damned temper of yours? Emily may have just given you a shock with her news, and I don’t in any way condone that she held back this information from you, but pull it together. Now. This needs to be a conversation not a war. Wake up!
Zane froze as he stared at Olivia. This was why Emily had left him in the first place, because he had an out-of-control vampire temper.
He turned his attention back to his soon-to-be ex-wife and saw that she’d retreated several feet, just like she used to do, both hands raised in defense. Tears streamed down her face.
He’d never hit her in his life; he’d never strike a woman. But she’d always reacted to him as though he’d been abusive. Maybe that was a deep issue of hers, something he’d never understood. However, his temper and obstinacy hadn’t served him throughout his marriage and it sure as hell wouldn’t help now.
Would he ever fucking learn?
He nodded to Olivia, who gauged him carefully for a few seconds more, then finally let go of his now aching thumb. But he’d needed the intervention.
He drew a deep, settling breath and retracted his vile temper. “I apologize for yelling, Emily. But I truly didn’t know anything about us having a child. I only learned that you were alive a few weeks ago.”
Emily gathered in her own emotions as well and wiped at her cheeks a few times. “And I apologize for not telling you about the baby and for leaving you as I did. I’ve regretted it a thousand times over, but I never knew how to fix it. I wish I’d been stronger … ”
“You don’t need to explain. I know you believed you didn’t have a choice and for that I’m sorry. The truth is, I should have let you have the divorce you wanted.”
At that she met his gaze. “You mean that, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“I wasn’t the right woman for you.” She shifted her gaze to Olivia and inclined her head. “Bu
t I can see you’ve met the right one. And I’m glad. I truly am.”
He glanced at Olivia. “Me, too.”
Olivia responded with a dip of her chin. Much better, Zane. Keep going.
He nodded then reverted his attention to Emily. “So, it sounds like you’re having some trouble with … our daughter.” How strange the words sounded.
He had a daughter. He was finding it hard to compute.
