CHAPTER 49: UNSPOKEN 2

FIA

I opened my mouth to answer when Cian cut in sharply.

"Do not put her on the spot, Mother."

His voice had that protective edge to it, the one that made me wonder if he was defending me or just trying to avoid whatever answer I might give. But I had already started thinking about it. The words were forming before I could stop them.

"He is stubborn," I said.

Morrigan’s eyebrows lifted slightly. Cian’s fork stopped moving.

I kept going. "Myopic. And he can be borderline cruel."

Cian scoffed, the sound sharp and disbelieving. He set his fork down with more force than necessary. "Borderline?"

I sighed, looking down at my plate. My fingers traced the edge of my napkin. "But he does have good qualities."

The room went quiet. Even the soft clink of silverware seemed to pause. I forced myself to look up, to meet his eyes. They were dark and wary, like he was bracing for another blow.

"He is honest," I said. "Almost brutally so. And he is clearly fiercely loyal to the people he cherishes."

Something flickered across his face. Not quite relief. Not quite gratitude. Something more complicated.

"He used to send letters when he was courting," I said softly, then fell silent.

The memory struck with brutal clarity. He hadn’t been courting me. Those letters weren’t meant for me at all.

I could still see them, though—the envelopes that arrived at Silver Creek, their wax seals unbroken and their paper faintly scented with pine. His handwriting had been careful, almost reverent, like he’d poured thought into every line. Hazel had barely looked at them. She would hand them to me with an impatient flick of her wrist, muttering about how old-fashioned it was, how he could have just sent a text like everyone else.

But I had read them. Every word. I had studied the loops of his pen, the tenderness in his descriptions of Skollrend, the subtle care behind each question about her favorite things. I had memorized the way he signed his name. And when Hazel couldn’t be bothered to reply, I had been the one to summarize his words, to craft her responses so they sounded like someone who cared. So he wouldn’t know she didn’t.

My throat tightened. The air between us felt heavier. When I looked at Cian, I saw the realization dawn on him. The flicker of warmth in his expression vanished, replaced by something cutting and distant. His jaw clenched. His eyes turned hard, cold as the northern wind.

Of course. After all, those letters were not meant for me. They were for Hazel. And here I was, admitting I had read them. That I knew what was in them. It only proved what he already believed. That I was a deceitful beast who had planned this from the start. Who had studied him through those letters like they were reconnaissance for some elaborate scheme.

I swallowed hard. "I should say something."

"I think not," Cian said. His voice was clipped, each word precise and cutting.

I could see the way his jaw tightened, the muscle jumping beneath his skin. But I could not stop now. If I did not say it, if I let him keep believing the worst of me, then what was the point of any of this? Luna Morrigan had to know I was not the one that Cian had wanted.

"I was not the bride that Cian intended to end up with," I said quietly.

Morrigan chuckled. The sound was light, almost amused. "Oh, I am well aware."

Cian’s head snapped toward her. "What?"

I stared at her too, my mind spinning. She knew? She knew and she had still been kind to me? Still called me her daughter-in-law?

Morrigan saw the looks on both our faces and let out a soft laugh. "Goddess, that I am sick does not mean I do not get information." She paused, her smile sharpening just slightly. "I am not a fucking vegetable."

The curse coming from her mouth was so unexpected that I almost laughed. Almost. But my chest was too tight, my thoughts too tangled.

"But it is not how it looks," I said quickly. "I did not plan to steal my sister’s future."

Morrigan waved a hand dismissively. "Even if you did, the goddess gave her blessing and gave your chosen match a bond, did she not?"

I blinked. My mouth opened but no sound came out.

"That is all I need to know," Morrigan continued, her tone matter-of-fact. "Because who knows better than the goddess herself?"

I swallowed hard and glanced at Cian. He was staring at his mother with the same shocked expression I probably wore. His mouth was slightly open, his eyes wide. For once, he looked completely blindsided.

Morrigan smiled at me. It was warm and genuine. "It does fill my heart with joy that despite my boy’s rough exterior, you do like him."

I opened my mouth to correct that. To explain that I did not like him, that I had simply answered her question honestly, that finding a few good qualities in someone did not mean liking them. But before I could get a single word out, Cian’s hand moved.

It reached across the table. Not far enough to touch me, but far enough that I understood. His fingers hovered near my wrist, and his eyes locked onto mine. The look he gave me was sharp and direct. Do not.

My heart skipped. I did not know why. It was just a look. Just a silent command. But something about it made my breath catch in my throat. The bond hummed faintly between us, that restless current that never quite settled.

I looked away quickly. My pulse was racing for no good reason.

"What we should be talking about now," Morrigan said brightly, "is you two’s honeymoon. And of course, when we will have pups."

Cian choked. Actually choked. His hand flew to his mouth as he coughed, his face going slightly red. He grabbed his water glass and drank deeply, his eyes watering.

I stared at my plate, heat flooding my cheeks. Pups. She was talking about babies! My mind went blank, then filled with a dozen mortifying images I immediately tried to shove away.