Page 89 of Lycan King's Captives
“Why?” I ask.
“He marked her against her will. She was only sixteen when he discovered her; her parents refused him and said to wait until she was of age. My grandfather didn’t like that, so he had her parents killed, he kidnapped her and raped her. She rejected him, not realizing that once marked, you can’t. Since she refused to back down to him, he waited for my mother to be born, then killed her. Unfortunately, she never stood a chance. He killed her on her seventeenth birthday, the same day mother was born, he slit her throat the moment she gave birth.” Bile rises in my throat, hearing the tragic tale. His grandmother was killed so young.
“And the council didn’t care he killed his mate, a child, and killed her parents?”
“No, no one was game enough to go against the head of the council. Everyone knew he was corrupt; he always has been.”
“Isn’t the council formed to stop that sort of thing?” I ask; I see no point to a council if they’re all corrupt.
“The council was formed after the wars. Too many humans were killed off. The Lycan kingdoms were blamed, and a lot were at fault. The lack of humans meant a lack of blood source for the vampire kingdoms, which in turn caused more wars, so the council was formed—a member from each of the founding kingdoms, initially—then it became a voting system or passed down when council members retired. Mostly, it’s a corrupt system. Very few remained neutral within the council; it just became another power play, a way to dictate the kingdoms.” It is all too much for me to comprehend. Power is the biggest source of evil, along with greed. Only now am I realizing to what extent power can be abused.
44
The following day, I opened my eyes to find Xandros absent from the room. However, Javier is sitting on the couch, engrossed in the television. I stretch my limbs, feeling alert and awake for the first time in ages. “When did you get here?” I ask, my voice still laced with sleep.
“A few hours ago,” Javier responds, his eyes fixed on the screen.
“Where’s Xandros?”
“Working,” he replies before a knock on the door cuts off his words. Javier swiftly moves to answer it, revealing King Rehan standing there.
“Morning,” he greets, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. Javier sighs in response, a subtle sign of annoyance. However, Javier makes no comment as Rehan enters in his stripey pajamas and his slippers like he does each morning.
Rehan moves around the room, pushing all the furniture out of the way to clear space while Javier finishes his coffee. “Some help you are,” Rehan whines at him.
“Coffee comes first,” Javier replies, holding up his mug. King Rehan shakes his head while I move to get into different clothes; my nightie is definitely only appropriate if I intend on flashing the king, which I don’t.
Grabbing some clothes, I slip into the bathroom and change before coming back out, only to have a surprise attack launched on me.
My breath catches in my throat, and for a moment, I can only lay there stunned. As I lie on the ground, gasping for air, Rehan stands above me with his arms crossed over his chest and a smug smirk on his lips.
“Cheap shot,” I groan, struggling to get up again.
Rehan and I engage in our morning training session. We spar, exchanging blows and blocking each other. In a surprising turn of events, I manage to knock down Rehan for once, a burst of pride surging through me. I do a little happy dance. However, my celebration is short-lived as my feet are suddenly kicked out from under me. I fall to the ground with a thud, the air knocked out of me.
Rehan swiftly moves to stand over me, pinning my wrists down. “Don’t celebrate too early,” Rehan scolds. I lift my leg, using my strength to push him off before swiftly pinning him back down. I open my mouth to reply when the door swings open, freezing us where we stand.
We freeze in panic as Queen Adina steps into the room. Her hair is black and straight, pulled back into a high ponytail. She wears a black dress, with a black belt and black stiletto heels. The queen’s eyes widen as she takes in the scene. I quickly realize how bad this looks, with both of us drenched in sweat and me straddling the king, her mate. Especially when the queen already hates me.
“What the hell!” Queen Adina snaps, and I immediately jump off King Rehan. Adina pauses as she steps forward, her eyes lingering on Rehan before darting to me. Her fists clench at her side as she takes a deep breath. Javier reacts quickly, placing his body in front of me as a protective shield. King Rehan scrambles to his feet, attempting to explain.
“Love, it’s not what you think,” he insists, however, she is livid.
“What do I think? What do I think, Rehan?” Queen Adina’s voice trembles with anger.
“I’ve spent the last hour looking for you. Can you imagine my horror when I asked a maid where you were, and she said in Xandros’s mate’s room! Do you have any idea how angry he’d be if he caught you in here wrestling his damn mate?” she snaps; Javier’s hand moves to my hip, pushing me further behind him.
“Training his mate. That’s all. Nothing sordid is going on,” Rehan insists, his voice laced with desperation.
“Sordid? I know that. I would feel if you were sleeping with her, Rehan. I’m angry because you’ve been doing this behind my back, and Xandros he’ll be livid if he finds out. Did you think of how much trouble she would be in if caught in here with you two all sweaty!”
I remain silent, watching the heated argument unfold between Rehan and Queen Adina. Javier stands resolutely in front of me, acting as a buffer between them. I do my best to ignore their words, knowing I shouldn’t be a witness to their quarrel. Queen Adina’s accusations cut deep.
“What have you got to say for yourself, Rehan? Sneaking into her room each morning. I thought I was going crazy and imagining things. I even accused her of hitting on you!” Queen Adina’s frustration is evident in her voice.
“Well, I couldn’t exactly train her in the hall. Let’s not pretend that you would have agreed to that, Adina. I had no choice. Xandros definitely wouldn’t have approved, with Vin’s presence, she needs to know how to defend herself. I know what her parents did, and I know—” Queen Adina abruptly cuts off Rehan’s explanation.
“She isn’t her parents, Rehan. I know that now. This little scene would have put her at risk if Xandros had walked through that door. Not from Vin, but from our son. Not in her room. Somewhere more public. If Xandros catches you training her in her bedroom, he will be furious. It doesn’t look good, and it seems like you’re sneaking around behind his back. Hall or not at all,” Queen Adina snaps before storming out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.
