Page 1 of Vicious King

1

Elias

“You fucking lied to me.”

I looked my father square in the face. He seemed a lot older, weaker, but he still met my cool gaze with sharp eyes.

“Lied to you? About what?” He sat up straighter, grimacing as he tried his best not to move his neck. “That’s a nice way to greet me after I almost died, by the way.”

I ignored his sarcasm. “I guess the doctor didn’t tell you the entire situation yet. I tried to donate blood to you, and there were complications. That’s part of the reason you almost died after Tatum stabbed you.”

Comprehension dawned in his pale blue-green eyes, and he waited for me to go on, guilt slowly etching itself into his sharp features.

“Somehow, my A-negative mother….” I picked up the chart on his bedside table and squinted at it. “And my O-negative father,” I continued. “Managed to produce a B-positive child. Care to explain that mysterious anomaly, Dad?”

He shook his head and cursed softly under his breath. “Shit… I knew this would come out one day,” he muttered. He rubbed his lined forehead. “I know I should’ve told you, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

“Told me what?” I asked sharply. “That I’m not really your son?”

“For Christ’s sake, Elias, you are my son. Let me explain.”

I held my hands up, palms facing him. “Okay. Go ahead.”

“I’ve discussed your mother with you in the past. She had quite a few health issues. Thyroid problems, mostly.”

I nodded.

“After we got married, we started trying for a baby. I was a man with everything except an heir to share it all with. I wanted that. We both wanted that. A child to share our lives and fortune with. A child who could carry on everything I’ve built over the years. But your mother’s health issues proved very… difficult.”

“So you adopted me and never bothered to tell me?” I narrowed my eyes.

“No. Please be patient. It’s a long story.” He sighed and looked past me, then closed his eyes for a moment. “We tried everything, all the best doctors, but your mother couldn’t fall pregnant. Something to do with her eggs. She wasn’t producing any viable ones. So we finally made the decision to go in another direction. After a careful search, we found an egg donor. A sample taken from me was used to fertilize one of the eggs using in-vitro technology. Then that egg was successfully implanted in your mother’s womb. You grew inside her, and she gave birth to you. She might not have been your biological mother, and yes, I suppose you inherited your blood type from the donor, butSylvie carried you all those months and she died birthing you. I was right there when she died, and I saw the way she looked at you before her eyes closed. She was your mother, Elias.”

I sat down, a cold feeling creeping over my chest. “Oh.”

He rubbed his face. “I wanted to tell you, believe me. But I just thought….” He shook his head and trailed off.

“Thought what?”

“You already knew from day one that your mother wasn’t around and that she died when you were born. I thought that was already traumatic enough as it was without adding on the story of your true biological parentage.”

“Why?”

“I thought you might develop some horrible theory that you didn’t belong in this world, because it was so hard to bring you into existence—with the donor and the IVF and all—and then your mother died giving birth on top of that.”

I set my lips in a tight, grim line. That made sense, I suppose, but only in a shallow way. “I might’ve thought that when I was a child, but surely by the time I was an adult, it would’ve been safe to tell me.”

“I know, I know. I thought about telling you many times over the years. But it kept getting away from me. Every time I tried to do it, I thought it was too late because I’d already waited so long. I didn’t know how you’d react, and I kept picturing the worst. I didn’t want to lose you. You’re my only son. The only one who can truly continue my legacy.”

“You could’ve remarried and had more children, if you were so worried about that,” I pointed out. “Sorry to be so cold and blunt, but you know what I mean.”

“No.” He shook his head. “Remember the car accident I was in when you were a toddler?”

“Not really, but I remember hearing about it a few times. Down in New York, right?”

“Yes. Well, anyway, it did quite a lot of… shall we say, structural damage to certain areas. While I can still perform the necessary activities required to create a child, if you catch my drift, I’ve been sterile ever since the accident.”

I rubbed my jaw and exhaled. “Shit. I never knew that.”

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