Page 55 of Hexmate

I swallowed hard, my throat dry as sandpaper. “Father,” I managed to croak out, pressing myself further against the cold tile wall. “What do you want?”

His spectral form flickered, those burning blue eyes never leaving mine. “Is that any way to greet your father, Caden?” His voice was soft, almost gentle, but there was an edge to it that made my skin crawl. “I’ve been watching you, son. Watching and waiting.”

“For what?” I asked, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice.

A smile spread across his ethereal face, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “For you to prove yourself worthy of the Cromwell name,as always. But instead, what do I see? My son, consorting with beasts and half-breeds.”

My heart hammered in my chest. He knew about Atlas. Of course he did. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied, even as panic clawed at my insides.

His laugh was like ice cracking. “Don’t insult my intelligence, boy. That werewolf you’ve been cavorting with? He’s beneath you. A mongrel unfit for the blood that flows through your veins. And yet, you let him mark you with his scent, let him fuck you like some common pup playing at Alpha. Have you forgotten who you are, Caden? Or have your… distractions made you even weaker?”

The venom in his words was a cold dagger to my gut, but I forced myself to stand straighter, meeting those glowing blue eyes even as fear crawled up my spine. “Atlas isn’t beneath me,” I said, my voice quiet but firm. “He’s strong and loyal—more than I can say for you.”

The room seemed to tremble as the temperature plummeted further. My father’s form flickered violently, the edges of his figure dark and jagged now, like an exposed nerve. “You dare,” he hissed, the sound wrapping around me like barbed wire.

“I dare,” I shot back before my courage could wither under the weight of his fury. My heart felt like it might pound its way out of my chest, but I didn’t look away. Giving him the satisfaction of seeing me cower wasn’t an option—not anymore.

His mouth curled into something that might’ve been a smile but looked more like a snarl. “Such fire,” he mused, though his tone was laced with disdain. “Maybe this werewolf isn’t worthless after all. I’ve never seen such anger within you. That’s good. Anger is power.”

My heart skipped a beat. What did he mean? A moment ago he was chastising me, threatening me, and now he liked Atlas? What was going on?

“Yes…” he said, more to himself than to me. “I see now that this mongrel has some potential.”

I felt my brow furrow in confusion. “What are you talking about?” I demanded, my voice stronger now despite the tremor in my hands.

My father’s spectral form shifted, becoming more solid as he took a step closer. I could almost feel the chill emanating from him. “Power recognizes power, Caden,” he said, his voice low and smooth. “And while I despise the idea of my son consorting with a beast, I cannot deny the strength this... Atlas has awakened in you.”

So, he did know Atlas’s name. His words made my skin crawl, but I held my ground. “You don’t know anything about Atlas or what he means to me,” I spat.

A cold laugh echoed through the bathroom. “Oh, but I do. I know everything, Caden. I know how he makes you feel alive, how he ignites a fire in your blood that you never knew existed. How your magic blooms around him without prompting…” His eyes narrowed. “But what you fail to understand is that fire, that passion, can be harnessed for greater purposes.”

How did he know about my magic? Atlas and I were in a secret room when that happened. He couldn’t possibly have spied on us, could he? I shook my head, trying to clear the fog of confusion and fear. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, my dear boy, that perhaps this dalliance of yours holds the key to finally making you worthy of the Cromwell line.” The specter shunted forward, it’s face only inches from my own. “I have a new task for you,” he whispered, his voice dripping with venom and malice. “Make the Alpha your familiar by any means necessary.”

“W-What?!” I muttered, taking a step backward. “That’s illegal. I… I can’t do that. Iwon’tdo that!”

My father’s expression didn’t change, but the air around us grew colder, sharper, like invisible claws scraping against my skin. His eyes gleamed with something unreadable—anticipation, amusement, or maybe something worse.

“Oh, but you can,” he murmured, his voice curling around me like smoke. “And you will.”

I shook my head violently, forcing my back against the tile wall as if I could somehow escape his presence. “No,” I said again, stronger this time. “You can’t make me do that.”

His lips twitched in something that was almost a smirk. “Can’t I?”

A pressure clamped around my chest like an unseen hand squeezing the air from my lungs. I gasped, doubling forward as a sharp, burning sensation spread through my veins—a reminder of his power, of the control he still had over me despite the distance.

“You forget your place, Caden,” he said coolly, watching impassively as I struggled to breathe. “You are a Cromwell first and foremost—one of the last pureblood heirs to true power. That… creature you cling to? He is nothing but a tool. A tool that will amplify your power a hundred-fold.”

I fell to my knees, gripping the floor as white-hot agony pulsed through my body. My father’s voice echoed in my ears, growing sharper with every word. “You will use him, bend him to your will, and make him your familiar, or you will face the consequences of your weakness.”

The pressure in my chest loosened just enough for me to suck in a shuddering breath. My vision blurred with tears as I clawed at the cold, tiled floor beneath me, fighting against the overwhelming force of his magic. “I won’t…” I whispered hoarsely, even though the words felt like shards of glass tearing through my throat. “I won’t do it…”

The spectral form of my father crouched in front of me, his glowing eyes burning into mine with a terrible intensity. “Defiance is admirable,” he said softly, almost mockingly. “But it is also futile. I’ve had an ace up my sleeve this whole time that you didn’t know about.” He leaned close, chuckling under his breath. “I put a blood curse on you the day you arrived at my estate. I see and know everything you do. And should you disobey me, I’ll just stop your heart with a snap of my fingers.”

“I… I don’t care!” I cried. “I won’t let you hurt Atlas!”

The room trembled as his presence surged forward, filling every inch of space with his suffocating power. His hand—if it could even be called that—reached out, curling under my chin and forcing me to meet his gaze. The touch was cold as death, and yet it burned all the same.

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