Page 77 of Fated for his Flame

“Stay back!” one of the guards shouted as I touched down.

“WHERE IS SHE?”

More guards poured up from the starts. I paused, staring at the beehive of activity my arrival had stirred up. For so many to arrive so fast, they had to have been waiting.

“Stay back!” the guard shouted again as I walked forward.

I held my hands out at my side, letting my body language relax. Something was amiss, and I needed answers. I wouldn’t get them through intimidation.

Behind me, Caleb and Shi came in with swift landings.

“What happened here?” I asked the guard. “I’m not going to attack. But tell me what went down? Why are you on such alert?”

The guard looked me up and down, realizing who I was. “We were attacked,” he said unhappily.

“Seth.” It wasn’t a question.

“I don’t know. They hit us too fast. We weren’t ready, my men on the roof were taken down without warning.”

Caleb hurried over to my side. “What’s going on?”

“Seth hit the palace. And the dungeons, too, I would bet.”

The guard stiffened. “How did you—”

“They were after the human. Chloe,” I said, furious. “They got her, I assume?”

“Yes,” the guard said unhappily, looking up and over my shoulder.

I turned to see the sovereign land, escorted by my father, her son Vicek, and several others.

“I have to go,” the guard said, hurrying over to make a report.

We followed in his wake. I heard the report. Six dragons.

“Do we know where they took her?” the sovereign was asking as I approached. “Where did they go?”

“You stay out of this!” my father barked as he saw me walk over. “You’ve done enough damage for today. What the fuck do you think you were doing back there? Do you have any idea what you did?”

I ignored him. “They took her to their house. I’m certain of it. Caine told me he planned to destroy our house. She’s part of his plan. They won’t risk going somewhere they feel more vulnerable.”

“What did I say?” my father shouted. “You are done.”

Closing my eyes, I counted to ten while he continued on his tirade, hoping he would stop.

He didn’t.

My eyes snapped open, and in a sudden burst, I was in his face.

“They have her,” I said coldly. “They have her, and I am going to get her. You can either be a good father for once in your fucking life and support your son, your flesh and blood, and help me get her back. Or you can fuck the hell off and never talk to me again. Ever. Everyone will know how terrible a piece-of-shit person you are as a father, and I will do everything my power to wrest the family control away from you, so you can stop ruining it.”

He opened his mouth to yell. I slapped him. In front of everyone.

“This is your last chance.” I relented a bit as he stared daggers at me, his cheek red. “Please. I am your son. I am hurting. Be a good parent. Please. I need my dad. Not the head of house, not the leading Council member. My dad.”

I fought back a tightness in my throat as I let loose something deep down I hadn’t vocalized to anyone. The pain at not having that figure in my life since I was a child.

Perhaps it was the slap. Perhaps it was the admission of my own needs. I didn’t know, but for a moment, I saw something resembling real care in his eyes.

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