Page 74 of Clash of Kingdoms

“Take a seat, sweetheart.” I pulled out the chair for Harlow then moved to the head of the table, my heart racing in discomfort. Just when I thought I’d grown as a father and accepted my daughter was an adult woman with adult relationships…I regressed. It made me so uncomfortable, I almost chickened out. “Your mother told me what happened between you and Aurelias.”

Now she was uncomfortable, judging from the way she abruptly looked away. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Neither do I.”

She turned her head to look at me.

“But we’re going to.”

Her eyes shifted back and forth between mine.

“Aurelias and I had a conversation, and I made my wishes for you very clear. I asked him to never turn you into one of them—and I asked him to never bite you. He made it sound like he didn’t have those desires anyway, but nonetheless, that was my request.”

She looked away again, her eyes on the table.

“I realize now that it wasn’t my place to make one of those requests. If being one of them is something you want…that should be your decision.” The pain was unbearable, but seeing them together and the commitment Aurelias exhibited made me realize this wasn’t a short-term relationship—despite what they’d said about it. The only way they could be together was if Harlow turned, and if he was the love of her life…then I would understand. If that had been the only way I could be with Ivory, I would have made the same decision.

“I don’t want to be one of them.”

“But if you change your mind?—”

“We spoke about it,” she said, lifting her head. “It’s not something I ever want.”

I tried so hard to hide the relief on my face, but I knew it came through. And the sigh I released was obvious too.

“I want children. I want to join you in the afterlife. There’s no man I’d ever love enough to make that sacrifice.”

I was quiet for a while, so relieved that I needed that time to let my muscles relax. I’d dreaded the moment she would come to me and tell me we would only know each other on this mortal plane…and never beyond that. “This is your relationship so it’s not my place to influence you, but I think Aurelias is confined to the needs of his race…and had no other option. If he can’t feed from you, he needed to find a substitute?—”

“He lied to me.” She turned to me. “How can you be okay with that?”

“I just think you shouldn’t focus on this transgression in light of the sacrifices he’s made for you. Nobody remembers when you do something right, but they never forget when you do something wrong.”

She shook her head, clearly pissed off by that. “Wow…”

“Harlow—”

“You’re the last person I’d expect to say that.”

“I know he loves you. Really loves you. Would do anything for you.”

“He could have fed from me?—”

“That wasn’t an option?—”

“Yes, it was. It was always an option. But he won’t do it, and he refuses to tell me why.”

“It’s because I asked?—”

“No, it’s not,” she snapped. “Otherwise, he would have just said that—but he didn’t. He’s hiding the truth from me, and whatever that truth is, it’s worth losing me over. So, he obviously doesn’t love me as much as you think.”

I was hungry for a real meal, desperate for a hot shower, but all those desires disappeared in light of my daughter’s pain. “I don’t want you to lose the best thing that ever happened to you over this?—”

“Father.” Her eyes started to water as she stared out the window, like I’d just poked an unhealed wound. “There’s no future for us. There never was. Whether it ends now or ends next week, it still ends. I’m not willing to give up my soul for him, and he’s not willing to give up his immortality for me. It’s over.”

My body stilled, all my muscles suddenly tight. “What do you mean by that?”

“By what?” She swallowed and blinked, and then her eyes were dry once more.

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