#Chapter 202 – Burton’s Secret

Rafe frowns at me.

“Boys,” Rafe says, not looking at them. “Go play in the living room.”

Ian opens his mouth – full of pancakes – to protest, but Rafe interrupts.

“Take your food,” he says, his voice low and dismissive, “try eating them off the floor like a puppy. No forks, not hands.” The boys, sufficiently distracted and eager for this weird new experience, grab their plates and head off.

I watch them go and then return my eyes to Rafe, who leans forward onto the table.

“There’s more to this,” he says, looking between Victor and I and tapping the table with his index finger, “more than you two are letting on. And I want to know what it is.”

“Honestly,” I say, looking up at Victor for confirmation. He nods along with me. “Honestly, Rafe,” I say, looking at him with wide eyes, “we really don’t know.”

I hear someone clear their throat behind me and I turn, surprised to see Burton standing there, his kitchen tasks abandoned. Victor and Rafe follow in suit, likewise looking at the butler. “Luckily,” Burton says, “I do know what is going on.”

He neatly folds his hands behind his back. “But,” he continues, shaking his head gravely. “You’re not going to like it.”

The three of us just stare at Burton, our mouths open. Silence reigns at the table.

It’s broken, of course, by the twins.

“Mom!” Ian shouts from the living room, laughing. “Mom, stop him! He’s trying to steal my whipped cream!”

My eyes flit to the living room, where Alvin is crawling towards Ian growling, looking more like a bear cub than a puppy. Archie jumps along beside him, eyeing the pancakes eagerly.

Suddenly, I can’t stand the absurdity of the moment.

My chest still aches, a little, from my coughing fit, but I ignore it as I start to laugh. A little giggle at first, and then a full throated thing.

After a moment, Victor joins in with me, shaking his head, as he puts his head in his hand, laughing his low chuckle.

this life,” he murmurs,

says, not getting it, looking between us.

–“ I’m interrupted, then, with another peal of my own laughter. “It’s just so ridiculous – Victor almost dies last night, and today my sons are in the living room stealing whipped cream, and our butler

that and

ones laughing – and honestly, I know that it’s not really funny – but we’re

back to myself, I see that Rafe is leaning back in his chair, smiling, seeing the absurdity of it as well. Even Burton has a smile on his serious face, watching

you smile, Madame, Monsieur,” he says,

Victor says, sighing at the end of his mirth and gesturing towards the twins’ empty chairs. “Please, sit down with us, let us

elbow on the table and putting my chin in

I went to bed last night the picture of health, and today I’m coughing up blood? I’m

sit, then, folding his hands neatly on the table

your forgiveness,” he says, “to begin

him, but Rafe just studies him with somber eyes. What on

continues, “I have been lying to you

my eyes go wide when I hear his words. Victor, likewise, goes

head. “I am not who I

up on the table. “I…did background checks. Everything you told us about your identity – it

I work…they are powerful. They were able to ensure that the basic information that I gave you would pass all of

get our reconnaissance teams

holding up a hand towards Victor and

that,” Burton says, looking us each in the eye in turn. “I must tell you that I never worked to harm you – every moment in your service has been an absolute honor, and one

butler looks at him with gratitude written on his face. “We believe you – never, not once, have you done anything but good things for us, for our children. I suspect,” Victor

him, that he was extremely kind to me – that he even brought Victor to

Amelia for me right then. But

really known, so far

says, encouraging.

deep breath, and then he begins. “I was born,” he says, “to a sacred order of wolves. We are very secretive about our knowledge, which we are all sworn to protect and defend. It is our birthright and our honor to carry it from one generation to the next. To ensure that it survives, to ensure

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