Page 21 of Royal Bite
“I’m so tempted, considering what you did to my family. Your head would make a great accessory on my wall.” Azura growled.
Hegna, Lethia, and Velika stood immediately. A threat to their father elicited a violent response. No one threatened their parents or any member of their family and lived to tell about it.
“Watch your tongue, wolf,” Hegna bit out. She and her sisters flanked her father, with her standing in front of him. She rested a hand on her hilt of her dagger. “I’m going to take great pride in cutting it from your mouth.”
“The three princesses protecting their murdering father,” Azura barked. She stood from her chair, planting her hands on her waist. The woman didn’t look as if she had been injured at all on the day she’d fought Lethia. The alpha had been shot multiple times with argentite-filled bullets that should have been deadly to her. “The vampire king who murdered lycans and their babies. That is who you are protecting? A king who ordered the killing of children.”
Hegna held back her shock, keeping her face clear of any emotions. Her father had ordered the deaths of children?
“Those days we were at war,” Mira said from where she stood. The queen, who was no stranger to war and fighting, glared at the alpha. Their mother had been a warrior for her father and could still wield any weapon as well as her daughters.
“War, you say? War would insinuate two parties battling each other. What happened was a massacre that started with your king beheading my grandfather in front of his entire pack, then having his wife’s and son’s throats slit. Boys aged eight and thirteen. Then their three-year-old daughter was tossed into the river to drown. That is how you define war?” Azura paced back and forth.
Things were starting to fall in place. Everyone knew of the story of King Niall fighting the lycan alpha, Ariston. The clash of the vampire and lycan kings. Niall had led his vampires into battle against the lycans. Azura surely had it mixed up with some fable that was told to blame vampires for her ancestor’s death. It was a tale that had been told to Hegna and her sisters as bedtime stories. It was a grand tale of how vampires had defeated lycans.
“Anything I did was in the name of my people,” Niall said. “Your kind—”
“Wanted to live,” Azura screamed. Her breaths were rapid, her crazed eyes locked on them. “Just as you have done, we wanted to live in peace. Free from the tyranny of the vampire reign. But no, if you couldn’t keep lycans as slaves, then you hunted us down and murdered us. But no more. No longer will you hunt my people down. We are stronger and will not cower from a fight. Everything you have done to us, we will return the favor tenfold to honor all of our dead. And your family will watch as we destroy what you have built, then I will kill you, King Niall. Slit your throat as you did my grandfather.”
Azura’s figure disappeared, the call terminated.
“If your name is not Riskel, leave us,” the king roared.
Hegna stared at her father, seeing him in a new light. Had what Azura said been true? She’d never questioned her father’s orders before. She was a warrior for him, fought in battles and wars, but never had she carried out something as heinous as the murder of babes.
Their advisors and few guards immediately exited the room without question. The door shut behind the last person, leaving her along with her family.
“The past is the past,” Velika said. She folded her arms in front of her chest. “But that lycan doesn’t get to make threats. We will go after her father. My sisters and I will destroy her.”
The king didn’t say a word but walked over to his wife. He gripped his sword and shook his head at her.
“You know I would have never ordered the killing of children,” he said.
Mira stared at him with wide eyes. Her fierce expression hardened. “I know, Niall. What Velika said is true. The past is the past. There is nothing we can do to change it.”
“If you didn’t order that, then who would have carried out something like it under your name?” Hegna demanded. If her father was innocent of the murder of children, then who would have been so bold to do so? She would gladly avenge her father’s name. She felt slight movement from her sisters and knew without question they were thinking along the same lines as she was.
“That person has already tasted the end of my sword and is no longer breathing,” her father said.
Hegna was sure there was s story behind this, and she was dying to hear it.
“But here we are, still cleaning up his mess,” her mother hissed. Mira’s sharp gaze moved to her daughters. She stalked to them and stopped in front of Hegna. “This is a prime example of knowing who you keep close to you. Be it a queen or a warden, you need to ensure the people who you trust will always be loyal to you.”
“Enhance security. I don’t want to take any chances that Azura will come after Blayze,” Niall ordered. The fierce warrior king was back. He stood tall while he took them in. There was nothing that her father wouldn’t do for them, and the sentiment was mutual. Riskels fought together and protected one another. “It is too dangerous for us to remain together. Azura knew we were all here. Leave, go back to your territories. Prepare your men. We will be going to war.”
Velika growled and backed away, spinning on her heels, and headed to the door. Hegna was sure her mate and child were at the forefront of her mind. Their father was right. Blayze, a young babe of six months old, was their future. He needed to be protected. The door burst open with one of Velika’s staff entering.
“Your Grace. I apologize for this intrusion,” she gasped, out of breath.
“It’s quite all right, Jaden. What is it?” Velika rested her hands on the young woman’s shoulders.
“There’s an urgent message for your sister, Princess Hegna.” Jaden turned to Hegna. She gave a short bow and walked over to Hegna. She held out the envelope in her hand.
“What is this?” Hegna asked. She took it and flipped it over, noting the seal of her house. She broke it and pulled out a slip of thin parchment paper.
Princess Hegna Riskel, firstborn daughter of King Niall and Queen Mira Riskel, heir to the throne, commander of mid America, has been matched with her fated mate. The female human has been delivered to the commander’s castle in Black Hollows and is awaiting the princess’s arrival.
A growl vibrated deep from within Hegna. She crumpled the paper in her fist and let out a roar.
