Page 111 of Dark Angel

“My father didn’t let me wait to wed someone I love. I wedded you instead, and that’s a mistake I’ll always live with.”

“And you’re doing the same thing to our son!” Lucy shouts back at him.

Robert’s jaw feathers and he storms out of the room without giving Lucy a second look. As soon as he leaves, she bites on her lip and looks at her son, who is just as shocked as she is. “Please don’t let him ruin your life, Charles. I will never forgive myself if he manages to.”

Charles shakes his head at her. His beautiful, kind mother, who he’s always wanted to fight for but never has.

Does that make him a coward?

He rushes up, holding her as she stiffly puts her arms around him. If she wanted to cry, she doesn’t. Not a sound escapes her. “How can you let him treat you like this, mother?”

She lets go of him, her sharp eyes like granite avoiding his. “Sometimes people don’t wed for love. Sometimes they are forced into it for their family’s gain.” A long sigh escapes her. “I’ve learnt to live with that. I can’t change anything now, but for you Charles, I want you to wed for love. I want you to be happy. I might not be able to stand up to him, but you can.”

38

The Bite of Darkness

“Are you all right?” Kora sits on the lounge beside Matthew, who is sipping on a cup of steaming tea.

He gives a low exhale, running his fingers through his dark hair. Alice is upstairs bathing, so Kora thought this would be the right time for them to speak together.

“No.” His voice sounds hollow. His face looks distant. Another salty tear forms in his inner corner.

“I’m so sorry, Matthew. You shouldn’t have gone through all of that alone. Why didn’t you tell me how bad it was getting?”

He stares down at his black tea. “How could I? He’s still my father, and I tried my hardest to help him. He wasn’t that bad when mother first passed. But over the last few years, it’s gotten worse.” His face pinches and he sniffs a sob. “I couldn’t help him anymore.”

Kora puts her arms around him and pulls his head into her neck, allowing him to cry into her skin. “Some people don’t want to be helped, as much as it destroys us.”

“I tried. I would try bringing him less, or tracking what he drank, but then it became too difficult. He became demanding and threatening.”

“It’s all right.”

“I wanted to tell you,” He breathes out, “I wanted to so many times, but I couldn’t. It’s embarrassing having your father act like that. Completely lost and out of control.”

Kora shakes against his head. “That’s not embarrassing, Matthew. But you’re safe now. And so is Alice.”

He nods against her neck and continues crying until the door opens and Clarence enters with a solemn face. Shutting the door, he walks into the parlour, seeing Matthew in her arms, weeping.

“What happened?”

Matthew’s head lifts, his eyes are tear-stained. “Matthew and Alice will be staying here for a bit. I hope that is all right, Clarence.”

Her brother’s jaw tightens, but he nods to her. “All right. But what happened?”

“Lawrence.”

Clarence’s brow arches as Matthew wipes his face clean. “He told Alice and I to leave. I am sorry for us intruding.”

“Oh, no. You’re not intruding.” He flashes a half-smile, but it drops instantly.

Kora stiffens in her seat. “Clarence, what’s wrong?”

He exhales before shaking his head. “Levi was murdered.”

Both Matthew and Kora look at him in shock. “Levi. How?”

“Carved. The White Women said it’s sacrifices. Something to do with a seventh Dark Angel being formed. There’s to be seven sacrifices, and Levi was the third,” his unsettled gaze lands on hers, “we have to stop them before there’s a fourth, Kora. Colton has something to do with this. I can feel it...”

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