Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath

Inside Hull's country house.

Susanna Tucker had been running a high fever, and it had left Hull absolutely

exhausted. It wasn't until around six in the evening that she finally drifted awake,

groggy and disoriented.

Hull was standing by the window, speaking on the phone, his voice low and tense.

Susanna couldn't make out what was being said on the other end.

He glanced at the watch on his wrist, then spoke coldly into the phone,

"Everything's set."

"Tell Mrs. Tucker I need to see her. No excuses."

With that, he ended the call without waiting for a reply.

He turned and caught Susanna's gaze-her eyes were glassy and dazed, like she

was still only half-awake.

"You're up?"

Susanna gave a weak nod, still feeling like she'd been run over by a truck.

Hull walked over to the bed and pressed a hand to her forehead. "Fever's mostly

gone."

A woman with a fever, he thought, could really be a handful.

Susanna looked up at him, wide-eyed and anxious. "That call just now... When

you said Mrs. Tucker, did you mean my mom?"

Just mentioning her mother made worry flicker in Susanna's eyes.

Everything she thought she knew about her life had been turned upside down in

there was no

what even was that

Hull nodded. "Yeah."

"What did you talk

lips pressed in a

the

said, "Don't stress out too much. The conflict between your

or death. They're not out to

supposed

sighed. "It's

"Complicated how?"

"Some of Black Gate's

But

frowned. "What kind of

the eye. "Your dad... He's the father of the current

Black Gate."

Susanna blinked. "Wait-what?"

father of Black

Are

dead. Now he'd just what, crawled out

the ground?

face was serious.

him. "So then, me and

"Half-siblings," Hull said quietly.

Susanna's mouth dropped open.

have not just a dad,

an only child her whole life, and now this? Just like

out of

a brother. You've

just stared

it's a whole

process it. "Then why did he

to

wonder Hull had

years ago, she took

"with her."

"Half

Hull nodded.