Page 16 of Impaled By His Omega Prince
The beta nodded and glanced around, his eyes a pretty sort of blue shining from the recesses of his helm. He had the pallor of someone with dark hair, sun fae by skin tone, but as if blacksteel ran through his veins a generation back. “Oryn!”
A hulking alpha with a shock of white hair and eyes a striking lavender jogged up, narrowing his gaze at Askara. “What’s this?”
“Says he’s Queen Lyrica’s bastard. The queen slayer. General Oryn.” The beta snorted, and the alpha narrowed his gaze before slapping the beta’s helmet. “Ow!”
“Go light the pyres, Matri. Would like to see what you’d feel if your pater died whelping you and people referred to you as his murderer.” Oryn, the alpha interloper, spat on the ground and waved the beta away.
Oryn shook his head and offered a hand to pull Askara to his feet. “So, you’re the one who helped Prince Lumic?”
“He was perfectly capable of helping himself, but I did send the body with the message, yes.” Askara bowed his head as he stood, earning a clap to his shoulder. The voice of the alpha sounded familiar, and his scent… He was definitely the malewho’d ran a sword into his chest and left him to die the night before.
“We’ll thank you for that, but there’s more at play here. We’ll need you to come to Croatens to the stronghold as bargaining material. We wish to purchase the land to seize the castle from Alluin.” Oryn grinned wickedly and Askara frowned. Something didn’t feel right about the alpha, but he was key to escaping.
“I’ll have to show you to my sigil so I might leave. I am bound to this property. There’s a gelded alpha here, a dusk fae. He holds a silver necklace.” Askara glanced over at the pile of dead.
“One moment.” Oryn turned his back and glared across the field at the milling soldiers. “Whoever nicked the necklace off the gelded dusk alpha better cough up the silver right now!”
People glanced at one another until a sheepish omega approached—a dusk fae—holding out a grubby, bloody necklace in his hand. It was, for sure, the one that Cilan carried. “You said we could take the spoils off the corpses.”
“Yeah, and that was before I knew that was a Liaberian royal’s shit. Now find whoever stole the boy’s boots. We’re taking him prisoner. The king will be sucking our cocks before it’s over with.” Oryn offered Askara a leer of a grin.
“I’m of no importance to Alluin’s whatsoever. I promise. He’d sooner see me dead. I’ve only met him once.” Askara averted his gaze.
“Things change quickly when their goddesses get pissed.” Oryn offered Askara a roguish smile and grabbed his arm. Dread flooded the pit of his belly as the sun sent a warning. “Come with me. And if you do exactly as I say, Lumic will bejust fine.”
Chapter Twelve
Lumic
It seemed that since his return, he couldn’t find enough rest to sate his body. He yawned as much as he breathed, and his stomach had turned from his weeks with sour water and spoiled food.
Stamel sat in shackles before him and their father, his expression pitiable and twisted with feigned remorse.
“Why, brother?” Lumic stared his older brother down, taking in the disheveled mess of him, still a sight better than what Lumic had looked like when he returned.
“Your ambition to take the crown from me. I see it in your eyes, brother. You sabotage me to Father, speak ill of me. He looks to you for the crown more every day, and here we are with him, skipping Ingred straight for you. Father hates alphas so much he wouldn’t even give Da a place in court!” Stamel’s eyes, so similar to Kershai’s, a dusty sort of blue, held sick rage within. None of Kershai’s kindness.
“Your father has never asked me for a place in court. He has never had those ambitions. He did not fight in wars or study his thalms. Kershai was the third son of a land baron and had no inheritance or connections. The only reason my father allowed our union was that his thalms were unusually high, as evidenced by all three of you, though the law knows why you never harnessed it. Twenty-eight and you barely can light a fire.” King Pallosar sighed raggedly.
“But you think him beneath you.” Stamel gritted his teeth and bit back tears.
“Because he is beneath me. He never had station or education. I chose him because I love him. Your father is my mate, and I twined my soul with him. I wish you would see that.He may be beneath me in station, but he is equal in my heart.” King Pallosar rubbed his temples and glanced from Stamel to Lumic.
“Lumic, what are we to do with him? His transgressions against you were unforgivable.” King Pallosar sneered.
“He’s my brother, and as rotten as he is, that is true.” Lumic took a cleansing breath, fighting the low buzz of a headache gnawing away at his skull. “If I say I forgive him and let him go, can he take the crown and let me go back to trying to reclaim Summer’s Keep? I’ve dreamed of that castle and little corner of the kingdom since I was a springling.”
King Pallosar scoffed and Stamel stared, mouth twisted into a moue of distaste.
“I cannot be objective! I am not neutral. I nether like Stamel nor want the crown!” Lumic slouched and rolled his eyes back, sighing heavily. “Have Da weigh in.”
King Pallosar sighed and rose from his seat. “I’ll be back. I had hoped to keep him out of this.”
Stamel sneered, but Lumic only rested his head on his hand and sighed. “What gave you the impression I wanted the crown?”
“Father said you’d be the better choice.”
“And yet I am not the heir apparent, and tradition is the law unless you commit treason.” Lumic swallowed hard, fighting back a wash of drool before reaching to his side, a cup of tea waiting for him.
