"The Viscera Worms," the healer explained quickly. "The hereditary curse that's plagued the Nightshade bloodline for generations. The same parasites that caused Alpha Kade such great suffering for years."
"But Takoda isn't...." Sera started, then stopped, the implications hitting her.
"The worms are passed through direct bloodline only," the healer continued, his voice urgent. "If this child has them, it means she carries Nightshade royal blood. Which means...."
"She's Kade's daughter," Dimitri finished, his voice hollow with shock.
Everyone turned to look at Kade, whose face had gone absolutely rigid.
"My daughter?" Kade's voice was deadly quiet. "From where? Since when?" His mind raced through the impossibility. He'd never slept with a woman, the worms had made sexual contact excruciating for both parties. The one time he'd tried, years ago, the woman had screamed in agony from the shared pain. He'd never attempted intimacy again.
There was no way this child could be his.
