Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
“Fucker,” she spat.
“He is indeed. And Abel is his mirror image in practically every sense.” Cain suspected that Abel had adopted Adam’s ways because he so fervently sought his approval. “Abel often taunted me when we were children. As did our older sisters. Not Seth, though. Seth was eager to approve of everyone. Which is a miracle, really, considering.”
Wynter slanted her head. “Considering what?”
“A few days after he was born, Eve managed to secretly arrange for me to be brought to her chamber so that I could meet him—Adam hadn’t allowed it, you see. I was eleven then. She had it in her head that if I’d been allowed to bond with my other siblings, all would be fine between us.” Cain doubted it would have been that simple, though.
“Adam found out,” Wynter guessed.
“He did. He took Seth from her. He also said she wouldn’t be permitted to see me, Abel, or our sisters for a while. Eve couldn’t take it. She broke. She fell into a deep Rest right there in her bed—probably out of mental self-preservation.”
“Wait, by Rest, do you mean the state of sleep that can go on for centuries?”
Cain nodded. “Adam couldn’t wake her. And that was when Abel officially began to truly hate me.”
“He blamed you.”
“Yes. He felt that, since she broke the rules for me, she put me before him, Seth, and our sisters. Abel believed that Eve loved me more than them, and he despised me for it.” Maybe if he hadn’t already been inclined to loathe Cain it wouldn’t have worked out that way. Then again, maybe not. “So he upped the whole ‘prick’ ante. Fights often broke out between us, and they were often seriously ugly. He never went whining to Adam, though.”
“In Abel’s mind, it was uber personal. It was between you and him.”
Cain conceded that with a stiff incline of his head. “Things got progressively worse until one day we got into a fight that went too far.”
“How far?”
“I killed him. But I hadn’t done enough damage to his heart to make it an instant death, and a healer was quickly called to his side. Abel survived. Unfortunately. Still, Adam was furious and ordered for me to be confined to his dungeon.”
Wynter stiffened. “He hurt you?”
“No. He didn’t get the chance.”
“Why, what happened?”
Cain dipped his head and gently kissed her. “To be continued.”
Wynter’s jaw dropped. Oh no, he couldn’t do this to her, it wasn’t fair. She spluttered. “You can’t just cut the story short like that.”
One corner of his mouth tipped up. “I’ve told you plenty tonight, pretty witch.”
“I know, but I can tell that there’s so much more. That was the worst cliffhanger ever.” She now understood why they annoyed Hattie so much.
He tapped her nose. “Be content with what you know. Did you just growl at me?” he asked, his lips twitching.
“No,” she lied.
He made a skeptical sound. “I’ll elaborate at a later date, I promise. Right now, I don’t want to think about it anymore.”
Wynter felt her shoulders lower as her frustration leached out of her. “Can’t say I blame you.” She looped her arms around his neck. “So how did the reunion between you and Eve go?”
He pressed his forehead to hers. “I felt nothing when I saw her. Not one thing. Other than distrust, that is.”
“And this surprises you? Because it shouldn’t. Not even a little.”
He righted his head, frowning. “She’s my mother, Wynter.”
“But she wasn’t a mother to you. I’m not saying that’s her fault. I’m simply making the point that you don’t have a parent-child connection with her. Your relationship with Eve has always been complicated. You were only allowed to see her on certain occasions while Abel and your sisters were free to see and touch and hug and love her all the time. You were always the outsider. You never belonged.” Which seriously made Wynter want to weep for him. “And it’s okay if some part of you is angry with her.”
“I don’t feel angry with her. I don’t feel much of anything when it comes to her. I haven’t for a very long time. I was pissed when she chose to Rest. She was all I really had. And then she was gone. My anger faded, and then there was nothing other than pity.”
Wynter lifted her shoulders. “Then maybe some part of you switched off from her to spare you pain. Or something. Whatever the case, you can’t expect yourself to react normally to being reunited with Eve. It’s not a normal situation. She wasn’t a mom. She wasn’t allowed to openly love you, and vice versa. Plus, you have lived a very long life and she’s been absent for most of it. Sad as it is, you two don’t have a familial bond.” Wynter paused. “How long did she Rest for?”