Page 69 of To Bind A Dark Heart

Back in my suite, I put Kael gently on the bed, made sure the blankets were snugly around her, and put a glass of water on the nightstand before shutting the door, leaving it slightly ajar to hear her if she called for me. I leaned against the wall, taking a shuddering breath. I’d almost lost her. The door to my suite flew open; my mother and brother barged in.

“What were you thinking? Attacking the Vennorins? You made us look weak and jeopardized our alliance,” Nyana hissed, her eyes blazing with fury. “All for a whore.”

Rhazien sneered at me, his eyes full of contempt. “You’ve lain in filth for so long that you’ve become a cur, chasing after any bitch in heat.”

I snarled at him, anger boiling within me. “At least I’m not a desperate, spineless coward like you, Rhazien.”

He scowled and took a step closer. “What did you say?”

My fists tightened, and my heart thudded in my chest. I’d been afraid of Rhazien since I was a child, but not anymore.“I said that you’re a coward,” I replied, looking him dead in the eye.

Rhazien lunged at me, and I dodged, a kick connecting to his stomach. He threw a punch that landed on my jaw and stars burst through my vision as pain shot through me. Gritting my teeth, I threw an uppercut of my own and soon we were brawling, each of us snarling as we tumbled across the floor. My fists connected with Rhazien’s ribs, all the rage and fear that I’d hidden for years pouring out of me in a rush. But it made me sloppy and Rhazien managed to pin me down on the floor, sitting on top of me, panting as he gripped my hair, slamming my head against the stone, and I groaned.

“Rhazien, enough.” My mother intervened, her voice dripping with veiled threats. “You need to come to heel, Theron. You’re jeopardizing everything we’ve worked for.”

I shook my head, my resolve hardening. “No. I’m done listening to you. I’m not afraid of you anymore. I’ll leave the empire and give it all up if that’s what it takes.”

Rhazien gripped my throat, his eyes cold and menacing. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re going to do what we say, or else.”

I swallowed, no longer cowed by his threats. “Or else what, Rhazien? Do you think you can intimidate me? You have no idea what I’m capable of.”

I was done being their pawn; I had found someone who cared for me and I refused to be treated like this anymore. Pulling an arm free, I slammed my armor-encrusted forearm into his temple. He fell, and I rolled from underneath him and scrambled to my feet, kicking him in the stomach again and again.

“Fuck you, Rhazien.” Rhazien lay on the floor, groaning in pain as Nyana pushed me away. I panted, my fists still clenched as I glared at them both, my chest heaving. My mother looked at me with a mixture of anger and fear in her eyes.

“You’re making a grave mistake, Theron. You’ll regret this.”

“I won’t,” I replied, my voice steady. “I’m done being your puppet. You can’t control me anymore.”

My mother shook her head, her eyes glinting with malice. “You’ll come crawling back to us. You always do.”

But I knew that was a lie. I had Kael now, and she was all the family I needed. “Not this time,” I said, pointing to the open door. “Get out.”

Rhazien scowled as he limped out the door, Nyana sending a last glare over her shoulder at me before I closed it behind them, a sense of giddy relief washing over me. I had stood up to them, and I had won.

But it didn’t matter. I knew what I had to do. I had to leave this city, leave this family, and start a new life with Kael. But first, I had to make sure she was safe.

I rushed back to my suite and found her sitting up in bed, the glass of water in her hand. She looked up when I entered, her eyes softening at the sight of me.

“You’re awake,” I breathed out, relief coursing through me.

She gave me a hesitant smile. “Thanks to you.”

I sat down next to her on the bed, taking her hand in mine. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Kael’s eyes flickered with emotion as she gazed at me. I could feel the heat emanating from her, and my body reacted to it, my cock throbbing. We looked at each other for a long moment, the air thick with unspoken words.

She spoke, her voice low and husky. “Theron... There’s something I need to tell you.”

I smiled, my heart thumping painfully. I’d already figured out that she was a rebel—how else could she have fought so well without training—I’d known from the moment she picked up the sword. And she finally trusted me enough to tell me.

I wasn’t alone in this.

“It’s alright, I know. And I don’t care.”

Her eyes flew open. “You do?”

“I don’t care that you’re a rebel. None of that matters anymore. We’re leaving.”

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