Page 13 of Taming Darkness

“You’ll do as I say, Karla. Or I’ll take Lycus, and you’ll never see him again.” he threatens before spinning her around. He slams her over the desk, lifting her skirt and tearing her underwear. Karla fights, thrashing beneath him when he slams her head hard against the desk, nearly knocking her out. He clamps what looks like some ID bracelet on her wrist.

“Can’t have your mate find out, of course. Grayson made it for you, don’t worry. You can thank him after me. Porter will never suspect a thing, it will completely block your bond.”

“Congratulations, my whore of a wife. You’ve just earned yourself a new job, the office bike. I’ll take my thanks now. And if you want to keep our son, you’ll pay thanks to everyone here when they deem fit. I had to come up with a new job title to explain the extra cash you would have and to ensure your stupid mate's job.” He forces himself inside her.

“Lucky for you, Xandrious agreed to allow you the secretary position. Only instead of filing papers?” He pulls out only to bury his cock in her again, thrusting inside her hard, making her grip the desk, and cry out.

He slams into her brutally, using her body for his own pleasure. “As I was saying, instead of filing papers, you’ll be filing cocks! And you start today.” he groans, spilling himself inside her.

I feel sick watching the way men kept entering the office. It was also the same day Karla miscarried. She ended up leaving the office that day completely dead and numb inside. That was the day she stopped living, and I realize Porter never killed her. She was dead already.

Once the memories played out, Darius ripped himself out of her head. Karla grabs his arms. Young Darius blinks at her. “Why would my father send me here to watch that?” he asks her with tears in his eyes.

“No one should have to watch that,” Karla says to him, wiping his tears.

“Nor should they endure it,” Darius says, sickened by what he saw in her head. Karla nods. “Unfortunately, life is sometimes cruel.” Karla whispers. “But you already know that,” she smiles sadly.

“Promise me you won’t tell anyone; I have to keep my son safe.”

“My father sent me here. He’ll ask.” Darius explains. Karla nods and exhales.

“I guess I can’t ask you to keep that promise, not when I know what your father is capable of; that wouldn’t be fair to you,” Karla murmurs.

“I may not be able to keep that promise, but I will promise you one thing,” Darius tells her. Karla tilts her head, watching him.

“One day, I will kill Lysander Lycarian. He deserves death for what he did to you, and he’ll meet it.”

“Sweetie, you’re just a boy. He’s a King.”

“And one day I will be King too,” Darius tells her.

“Xandrious will never step down, son. That man loves power too much. Besides, I hope he suffers a long, long time before he dies alone without his son to take over, I hope he loses his precious kingdom, his power so no one has to suffer the fate of his bloodline again. But life is cruel, unfortunately it's cruel to the wrong people, and he’s a King.”

“You’re right. You're also right about my father; I know he won’t step down. Nor will he have a chance to when I kill him. And once I do, Lysander Elliot Lycarian is next on my list.” Darius tells her before opening up a portal. Before she can say anything else, he steps through it.

I learn why he feels guilty of everything his mates endured, why he didn’t want it known to them what he had done, especially when the next memory flickers to life. I find myself looking at a much younger version of Porter, Lycus’ father.

* * *

Xandrious checks his watch and leans back in his chair with the folder he had opened on the desk. He takes a piece of paper out and starts reading it, when suddenly the office door opens. Porter is dragged in and dumped on the floor. Porter worked for Xandrious, and Darius was the same age Lycus was when his mother was killed in this new memory. "About time you joined us; I was beginning to think you would be stupid enough to run!" Xandrious sneers as Porter glares at the two men that dragged him into the office. Porter rises to his feet.

Darius stood in his father’s office. He was still young, not much older than he was before. But this Darius seemed different, cold, indifferent, numb from outside influence, dead inside despite his young age. He stares at the wall as Porter takes his seat across from Darius’ father.

“I’m sorry, Xandrious, I… I didn’t–” Lycus' father stutters before Xandrious raises his hand to silence him, not even bothering to look up from his paperwork. He finishes reading the document before setting it aside.

“Years we have worked together, you should know the price of going against me,” Xandrious says with a note of finality in his voice.

“I swear I didn’t know she was your wife. I… She tricked me... Had I known, I wouldn’t have…”

Darius turns to observe the man talking to his father, pleading his case. Xandrious hardly reacts, but tilts his head to the side.

“Don’t bullshit me. You knew exactly what you were doing. You knew exactly who she was, and you thought you could one-up me. What you didn’t know was my wife was in on it…. My mate was playing a part that I asked her to. I was testing you, and you failed,” Xandrious bellows, rising to his feet as his anger flares up. At this sudden gesture, Porter falls back in his chair. He scuttles back on his hands and feet as Xandrious moves around his desk toward him.

“Wait, we can move past this. You can have my mate, make up for what I almost did. She will do it... She needs me–”

Xandrious laughs. “I don’t want your mate, and I don’t want some whore that has been passed around the council more times than I can count.”

Porter scoffs and shakes his head. “My wife can suck and fuck like a pro. And she has only been with me. Before me, she was pure.”

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