Expired With Me

Chapter Eighteen

Iris

Jonas and Colton yell over each other. It's a wonder either of these men is considered royalty when they're acting like such animals. Just when Colton is about to start a fistfight, I decide it's a good chance to scream.

"Stop!" In a swift movement, Colton ends up on the floor, under me, his arm in a very breakable positon. I glare at Jonas, sick of whatever feud is going on between them. "One of you. Talk."

"Iris, you're pregnant. Be..."

"Jonas, I am not in the mood to save your life again. Talk!" I let Colton stand, making sure to stay in between them. "Colton, please tell me you didn't say Vienna was your damn wife."

"I can't do that, Iris," he says, fixing his shirt.

"What happened to Elodie?"

"He..." I glare at Jonas. He sits on the edge of the bed.

"Don't know. Wedding's off, I guess."

"Have you told her this?"

"Of course not."

"You will. As soon as you walk out that door. Understand?"

"Yes, Iris," he mutters, obviously not used to taking orders from me, which is surprising, as I've been doing it for the past year and a half.

"Good. Now. You two figure yourselves out. If there is even a scratch on my husband when I return, you'll wish it's your Date." I slam the door behind me.

***

"Colton," Vienna says, opening his bedroom door. "Oh, it's you."

"Yeah. It's me." I walk past her, waiting for her to speak. Honestly, I don't even know what to say. Someone has to marry an Amoris. The Order needs a heir. We had a plan. Vienna just ruined it.

"I'm sorry," she says after a while. "I know, and I'm sorry."

"I'm pregnant, Vienna. I, Iris Blackwood, am pregnant." Vienna opens her mouth to speak. "No. Let me talk. I am twenty-two years old. I was supposed to die at nineteen. I was supposed to die alone with no family or friends, at the end of a bullet from somebody I've never met. I had nothing growing up, just like you. But somehow, I managed to break fate. I'm alive, I'm in love, and finally, for the first time in my life, I'm happy. I know you were in love before I even came into the picture. I know Jonas was always supposed to make the sacrifice. But when you were exported, the plans changed. You chose your fate, Vienna. You could have had everything. But you chose otherwise, and now you're hurting mine."

"I'm the Beta's wife. Do you think that's an honor for me? I feel sick. But what was I supposed to do, Iris? Like you said, I wanted to marry Colton before Jonas even knew you existed. How was I supposed to sit around while he married another woman? I know Jonas asked you to be his mistress once. How did that work out for you?" I look away. "Iris, I got into the heart of them."

"And now you've pierced."