Page 35 of Lycan King's Claim
“I’m sorry. I can’t marry Xandros. I won’t do it,” she whispers.
A collective gasp rings out, and she opens her eyes. Carina’s gaze sweeps across the Council members, avoiding her father’s gaze entirely, while her mother looks on, pale as a ghost.
“I found my mate. Xandros has his..... I’m sorry you’ve wasted your time. But I want to be with my mate,” she says before turning to look at me.
“And you should be with yours,” she tells me, her eyes filled with sincerity.
“Forget the treaty. It isn’t worth losing our mates. I get it now,” she whispers, and her voice cracks.
I glance at Sienna, who sits at the back, trying to remain hidden; she looks stunned by Carina’s words, and her eyes dart to me in confusion. Carina steps off the platform, and the moment she does, Vin jumps up from his seat, his face red with rage.
“You get back up there right this instant!” King Vin screams at her, pointing back at the podium. Carina, however, lifts her chin and stands her ground. “No!” she snaps.
King Vin steps closer to her, but she doesn’t budge, while everyone holds their breath to see what will happen. “I won’t do it.” she retorts.
“Oh, you’ll marry him, alright. Just remember what you’ll come home to if you don’t! Now get up there, or I’ll send my guard to fetch your pathetic mate and make him fucking watch!” Vin’s threat hangs heavy in the air, and I can see the fear in Carina’s eyes.
While I am trying to figure out what his words mean. Is this why she refused to call the wedding off because she feared going home to whatever King Vin refers to? Those witnessing whisper among themselves, and the Council members stare at Vin in horror over him threatening his daughter.
I step down behind Carina, my hand falling on her shoulder. She tenses for a second, then relaxes when she notices it is me.
“Carina doesn’t have to go home. She’s welcome in my kingdom,” I tell Vin, taking the next step down from the podium. He laughs, shaking his head, waving a finger in Carina’s face.
“You’ve betrayed me for the last time; I won’t allow you to marry that fool,” Vin snaps.
“Good thing it is not up to you, Daddy,” she retorts, pushing past him. But he grabs her arm, jerking her back. “You’ll regret this!” he snarls, and Carina’s eyes flash dangerously, and she takes a daring step forward, getting in her father’s face. And this is the first time I have ever witnessed her stand up against him.
“Why? Because you’ll have your guard rape me for being bisexual and sleeping with Rosaline Draven?” she spits at him venomously. The gasps that ring out are loud at her words, and I blink, wondering if I heard right myself.
However, Carina doesn’t stop there. Instead, she continues airing out the dirty laundry and throwing her father under the bus. “Or maybe when you ordered them to rape me the other night to remind me what I would be coming home to if I didn’t marry Xandros. All so you can steal his kingdom out from under him because you’re going bankrupt from tax evasion!” Carina’s words hang in the air, shocking everyone in the room.
Her mother gasps, covering her mouth in horror, while the Council members exchange uneasy glances. I can feel the anger boiling inside me, but I force myself to remain calm to see how this plays out. I want to know what else has been happening with King Vin before I order him killed for the vile things he has done against his daughter, against my family.
“Vin?” Anita exclaims, and at first, I think it’s in horror at what her daughter said. However, I learn I am wrong when Anita grabs her husband’s arm.
“Stop, you’re drawing attention. You’re making things worse,” she snaps at him. King Vin glances around at the crowd watching, realizing there are witnesses to this disaster.
“It’s all lies. She is just trying to run off with her gold-digging leech mate.” Vin defends himself.
“Toby is not a leech and certainly not a gold digger, not that you have any gold for him to try to take, Father!” she snaps at him, ripping her arm out of his grip.
“I go down; you go down too, sweetie. Remember that,” Vin snarls through gritted teeth, yet my mind is reeling at the situation.
Carina glances around at the crowd before her eyes fall on my mother and then on me. “Speak. Anything you say will not be held against you, and I offer you immunity,” I tell Carina before quickly glancing at my mother.
She nods once in agreement, and relief floods her that she agrees because it is becoming frighteningly apparent that Carina is a victim of her father. Although, I am interested in learning about Rosaline and Névé.
Carina swallows nervously, and her bottom lip quivers. “You stop this. You stop your lies right now!” her father accuses.
“Carina…” my mother stands from her seat, and Carina looks at her.
“I’m sorry, Adina. I promise I never asked her to do it; I should have told you,” she murmurs. “But I was scared…” My mother watches her curiously, and I see the hurt in her eyes. She hesitantly peers back at Sienna in the far row, and so does Carina.
“Enough people have been punished for my mother’s crimes, don’t you think, Adina? Especially when she is just collateral damage as I am, as my father was,” Sienna steps forward, defending Carina, which shocks me further. This is by far the strangest wedding/divorce I’ve ever attended.
“Speak freely, Carina. You won’t be punished. No matter your part,” my mother promises her openly in front of everyone, knowing she can’t go back on her word. “My son offered her immunity; I support it,” my mother states, looking at Council Elder Ridion.
He nods once, but Vin isn’t having it as he moves to grab Carina’s hair, but my hand is clutching his throat before he has a chance.
