Page 17 of The Dark Rising
Charles’s eyes darken, his hands fisting on top of his desk. “I see. I shall speak to Aldus and get his account of that day. It is very strange that you have no memory of it. I will inform you when I have spoken to him to see if he can shed some light on the matter. He has been leaving the castle more often than not, appeasing the people, so he is extremely busy.”
Or I can find Aldus myself, choke him, and ask him why he tried to fuck with my memories. He underestimated the power of an Heir, and he thought it had worked. I need to know why he attempted to do what he did.
“I didn’t know Lasandrhea was an Heir either,” Charles murmurs, hands clasped in front of him. “Though I shouldn’t be surprised really, her mother was also an Heir.”
I sit up straighter. “Her mother was an Heir of Zahariss? Why the fuck was she left alive then?” According to law,hislaw, all Heirs are killed on sight, like blood witches, but he left her mother alive?
“I had known her for many, many years, she was a dear friend along with her chosen mate. When I found out she was an Heir, I cared too deeply to expose her. The only ones who knew of her being an Heir were her family, along with some Highers and I. We agreed to keep it a secret. She was stable, a kind and loving woman, death took her too soon.” His words do not match his bored tone or the way his dark eyes flare, like he’s remembering a fond memory.
I study him more closely, noticing how his fingers tap along the wooden desk in a slow rhythm, the way he looks off to the side as if he’s stuck in a memory, and the way his lips curve just a little before a mask comes over his face. I bristle.
He’s lying. Why is he lying?
“It makes things more difficult now that you have been revealed to be an Heir. As you know, Heirs are dangerous and said to have taken the mad wolf’s traits. It is why they haven’t been seen in so long, thought to have stopped appearing as the madness was too much for the lands. It made any Heirs unwelcome, their fetus never reaching completion if they were Heir-marked.”
“Heirs don’t come into their powers fully until they reach eighteen, as our history states, so how would anyone know they are Heir-marked in the womb?” How could anything possibly know that?
He shrugs. “You just said you were sixteen when you knew you were an Heir, so I’m not sure, but that is what’s known in our history. Alas, the problem is that now you are an Heir of Cazier, the people are talking and fearful of you now more so than ever. I think you need to consider producing offspring.”
I still. “Why?” I grind out, taking in a measured breath. “The fuck would I consider that?”
“You will need an offspring eventually, to pass on your line. Also, an arranged mating could easily be put forward if you have no desire to find a suitable mate of your own, or consider taking Lasandrea when we find her.” He tilts his head thoughtfully. “Your father is not here so I feel it’s my duty to speak to you about this. Maize could be a good candidate.”
My jaw ticks as I glare at him. “I’m not mating or producing a child, especially with Maize. Just because I am an Heir, it changes nothing about my outlook on this.”
“You need to produce a line and it will be just as powerful as you are.” His eyes gleam, and I clench my hands into fists. “We need stronger wolves if we are to have any chance of defeating the rogures. Who knows when we will find Lasandrhea if you decide to mate with her. For the time being, you can produce some pups with an arrangement and when we capture Lasandrea, you can produce some pups with her also, powerful ones.”
“I don’t give a fuck, I have no intention of having pups, with her or with anyone, end of discussion.” Why does he want this so badly? “Producing more pups is just more mouths to feed, and the people are suffering enough.”
Charles glares at me. “I am Lord Higher of Vrohkaria, this is my one request to you. I can easily invoke the right to put you on the seat of a Higher. You will be stuck in this castle, doing paperwork and sitting in meetings whilst someone else becomes the Alpha of the Elites and is killing the rogures that you swore revenge upon for the death of your family. Don’t make me have to push this matter, or do you want your men to be punished?” His dominance pours out of him and slams straight into me, and I grit my teeth as he stares at me.
My gaze stays locked with his as my own comes to the surface, holding his back from affecting me. “Stop putting this ‘Higher’ bullshit over my head.” I’ve had enough of this shit.
“You are leaving me no choice. You know I can force you to become a Higher.” He leans back in his chair, an air of smugness surrounding him.
My stare is deadly on him, Drax coming to my eyes. Who the fuck does he think he is? “If you try and force me to,” I growl, the sound coming from deep in my chest. “You will regret what happens. I amonlyhere for the promise I made to my father, that is theonlyreason I accept your requests. I don’t want to be a Higher, so I became useful in other ways to you, so much more useful. But I am done with you holding that shit over my head.“ I feel my Heir markings appear, pulsing with my fury as they crawl up my neck. He eyes them with curiosity and a shine in his eyes. “Do not ever threaten me with this bullshit again. I do not want, or care to be a Higher, there are more important things I need to be doing.”
“You will do as you have been asked!” he roars, losing his calmness, and I just continue to stare unaffected by his outburst. He’s become unhinged since Rhea escaped, more quickly to anger, his obsession with finding her taking over his daily life by bellowing orders to bring her back to Wolvorn. “The situation is dire in Vrohkaria, we have a traitorous Heir on the run, people are rebelling more forcefully, rogures are on a rampage and growing in numbers, killing more of my people. You,” he snarls at me, and I lean further back in the chair. “Being the Heir of Cazier added to these problems, you are to rectify it. Why will you not do a simple task of creating a powerful line that will help ensure the safety of Vrohkaria in the future? Lasandrhea is a pretty girl, it will be no chore lying with her again, no?” I stiffen. Again? How does he know about the first time? “Maize told me she was quite taken with you the times she saw you together, she couldn’t keep her hands to herself.” It was me who couldn’t keep my hands to myself. “It was a good tactic to get her to fall to your charms to pry into her life.”
“Maize has been talkative I see.” She will be lucky if the next time I see her, I don’t snap her neck. “I doubt Rhea will lay with me either way, so it doesn’t matter whether I want to or not.”
“That’s no matter. She will have no choice, she will be captured, and she will be bred. It’s the least she can do for what she has done.” He says it so casually, without doubt in his voice.
I pause and tilt my head before going deathly still. “I will not rape her, no matter what she has done.” Disgust rolls through me at the thought.
He scoffs, looking me dead in the eyes, a crazed look in them flashing. “Nonsense, she would want it anyway. Females like that always do and then cry wolf. Either you produce an Heir with her to help to secure a safe future for Vrohkaria or I will.”
“You would rape her?” I stand slowly, growling low in my chest as Drax bares his teeth within me. He will not fucking touch her.
“I will do what needs to be done for Vrohkaria,” he says, hands clasped on the desk in front of him. “Now, shall I arrange for your men to be punished, or will you do as you are told? I have another meeting shortly with Alpha Christopher that cannot wait.”
I turn violently, wrenching the door open and getting out the room, before I tear his fucking head off and cause a war. I can barely control the rage boiling within me at the very thought of him touching her that way, taking her body like he has a fucking right to do so, be inside of her the same way I have. Snarling, I storm down the hallway in fury as my brothers take in my markings crawling up my neck, pulsing with my anger. I shouldn’t care. I should wish all the pain down on her, even though something about this whole situation doesn’t feel right, but I can’t help the possessiveness I feel building up at the thought of someone touching her.
Someone other than me.
We may be enemies, but we both can’t deny this pull we have to each other either. I felt it and so did she, and It’s been stronger since I recovered my memories. We’re tethered as Heirs, and some instinctual part of me wants to remember that she’s the only other person like me in all of Vrohkaria, to calm my anger toward her. Then I remember my parents and my little sister and that rage boils over, wanting to rip her apart, but still knowing that I couldn’t.
I’ve done enough.
