Page 135 of Bonds of Pain
My father turns to face me, his expression hardening. “Don’t lie to me, boy. Not after everything I’ve done to protect you.”
The statement catches me off guard. “Protect me?”
“Did you think I named you heir out of sentimentality?” He laughs, the sound sharp and cold. “I’ve spent decades building this kingdom, unifying territories that had warred for centuries. I need an heir who understands what that requires—the necessary ruthlessness, the willingness to do whatever it takes.”
He steps closer, his gaze boring into mine. “Ander was too ruled by his impulses, too likely to act on his urges. He wanted power, but lacked the subtlety needed to keep it. You, on the other hand...”
“You’re saying you approve of what happened to Ander?” I can barely believe what I’m hearing.
“Approve is too strong a word. Let’s say I understand the necessity.” He returns to his desk, picking up a small glass paperweight and turning it in his hands. “What I don’t understand is your attachment to that pack of yours.”
The irony of his casual dismissal of my brother’s murder isn’t lost on me. All of us are replaceable to him, we always have been.
“My pack is loyal.”
“Packloyalty,” my father spits the words like a curse. “Another weakness I had hoped you would outgrow. Those men are tools, nothing more.”
“They’re mine,” I growl, unable to keep the possessive note from my voice.
My father’s eyes narrow. “And that is precisely the problem. You cannot lead this kingdom if you’re entangled in romantic notions of loyalty.”
“Is that what this is about? You’re testing me?”
“Everything is a test.” He sets the paperweight down with deliberate care. “The packs were a necessary structure during the unification wars, a way to manage the Alpha population, to channel their aggression toward common enemies rather than each other. But that era is coming to an end.”
A chill runs down my spine. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that the future of this kingdom depends on Alphas who are loyal to the crown above all else. Not to their packs, not to their personal attachments.” He fixes me with a steely gaze. “The pack system has served its purpose. It’s time for something new.”
Understanding dawns, each piece falling into place with sickening clarity. “This isn’t about Ander at all, is it?”
“Clever boy.” My father’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “Consider this the first of many necessary sacrifices you’ll make as heir. If you can’t part with a few disposable Alphas for the good of the kingdom, then you’re not fit to rule.”
Rage and disbelief war for dominance within me. This man—this monster who wears my father’s face—has orchestrated this entire situation not out of justice for Ander, but as some twisted test of my loyalty to the crown.
“My pack is what has made me strong enough to field all challenges as your damn heir.”
He raises a mocking eyebrow. “Does that include the abomination you’ve been hiding?”
I freeze. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I always thought it strange how attached you became to a beta, no matter how good of a warrior he is,” my father says, his eyes gleaming with a new kind of cruelty. “When the Inquisitor first whispered his suspicions in my ear, I refused to believe it. My own son, harboring a male Omega and aiding him in hiding his designation? Impossible.”
The room seems to shrink around me, the air growing thick and unbreathable. My hands clench at my sides as I fight to maintain my composure.
“But now I understand,” he continues, circling his desk to stand directly before me. “There is always a certain novelty in perversion, I suppose. Even I have indulged in...unconventional appetites from time to time.”
I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. “Father?—“
“Creating a permanent bond, however...” He clicks his tongue in disapproval. “That was shameful, Logan. Truly shameful.”
My mind races, searching for a way out of this conversation, out of this revelation that threatens everything. The king knows about Cillian. He knows what we’ve hidden for so long.
“You’re fortunate I discovered the truth before it became public knowledge,” he says, his voice taking on an almost conversational tone. “The scandal would have been unimaginable otherwise. And now we have a solution that works for all parties involved.”
I open my mouth to deny it all, to construct some elaborate lie, but before I can form the words, a sharp pain lances throughmy chest. The sensation is so sudden and intense that I stagger backward, one hand clutching at my heart.
“Logan?” My father’s voice sounds distant, but I don’t miss the strain of mockery. “Are you feeling alright, my son?”
