#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.

is this life,” he

not getting it,

a little tear of mirth from my eye. “It’s just so –“ 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

back his head at that

honestly, I know that it’s not really funny – but we’re just so exhausted and the past few days and weeks have

I see that Rafe is leaning back in his chair, smiling, seeing the absurdity of it as

smile, Madame, Monsieur,” he says, looking

empty chairs. “Please, sit down

on the table and

coughing fit really was frightening. I went to bed last night the picture of health, and today I’m coughing up blood? I’m tired, of course, but I had thought it was just because I didn’t

sit, then, folding his hands neatly

forgiveness,” he says,

at him, but Rafe just studies him with somber eyes. What on earth has Burton done except be wonderful to

Burton continues, “I have been lying to you

my eyes go wide when I hear

nods, hanging his head. “I am not who I say

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

our eyes. “The people for whom I work…they are powerful. They were able to ensure that the basic information that I gave you would pass

at his brother. “We’ve got to get our reconnaissance teams up to

and keeping his gaze fixed on Burton. “Then

harm you – every moment in

the 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 looks at me, then, taking my hand, “that you’ve known…something. About

curious to hear more. It’s true that at the wedding, when we first met him, that

what he should have done, which is leave Amelia for me right then. But Victor and I

known, so far

encouraging. “Tell

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 that it serves our people as best it

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