She’s playing them to think she was alone in this.Megan whispered.She thinks we are going to leave her to die.
Well, she is as stupid as Brandon is.Nix huffed. I agreed.She wasn’t going to be left behind. Never again.
Garith turned to Rowan. “Kids these days.” He shook his head as if he were one of their parents. “Stupid and disappointing. But what can you do…we need someone to carry on the line, right?”
“You have a few, apparently. Verity…Gavin.” Rowan’s words rippled over the remaining men. A few guards looked confused as they waited to be unfrozen.
Garith chuckled as he nodded. “I do. But Gav…he got too big for his britches.” Garith repositioned. “That’s why I had his brother and sister. I had him exactly where I wanted him when I realized my mother was whispering to Gav.” Brother? My dad has a brother? Garith groaned. “My meddling mother…I was excited when she fucking died.” His words sent a shockwave through me. “Although I was disappointed that when I killed her she had already sealed her magic away from me.”
He killed his own mother.Megan looked at me, and I could feel her anger. Our magic spiked, and the flame that she had been tending shot up.He killed his own mother…We were told it was rogues.
Her words hit me in the chest. Rogues. Of course it was rogues. I wanted to scream, to move, but I felt a hand on my shoulder.
Calm yourself, my love.Her soft voice whispered next to me.I knew it was going to happen before it did. Carl helped me prepare.I felt her hand slide down my arm, and slip around it, so she was holding me.I sealed my magic away in the book. When you found it and cracked it open, my magic transferred to you. You were always meant to inherit everything. And before you open your mouth, it was designed this way by the Goddess.
Our magic settled, and she kissed my cheek.You know what you have to do, my heart. Stay the course. I don’t need to be avenged; I did that myself when I kept my magic away from him. Just protect your mate and save your kind.
You know…no pressure.Nix scoffed as she stood.But she is right. We might want to rush in and kill them all, but we have to be smart about it and wait for the perfect opportunity.
I agreed and stayed silent. Verity stood up from wherever she had slunk off to and started walking up the aisle. “How is she moving?” Brandon’s eyes rolled between Garith and Verity.
Garith shook his head. “She is my daughter.”
“So?”
Garith shook his head. Verity passed Brandon and Shannon, and she patted his cheek. “You really are stupid, aren’t you?” Shannon growled low, but Verity just kicked her. “I have my own magic. If you know the spell, then you break it with the counterspell. Obviously.”
Garith just turned back to Rowan. “Now…what are we going to do with you?”
Verity smirked as she slid into Rowan’s lap. “There now…doesn’t that feel better? You could have had me, you know…if you had just played ball, we could have kept you alive.” She patted his cheek, ignoring his growl. “You are so big and strong, aren’t ya?” She laughed as she stood and then swung.
Her slap echoed throughout the makeshift room. “Verity, that’s enough.”
“Actually, I don’t think it is. You don’t know what he fucking did to me. How fucking embarrassing it’s been.” She slapped Rowan again. Both of my wolves started to growl, low and menacing.
You two are making it hard to keep my composure. I can manage the magic for a minute. Go see your mate and calm down.I sent them both to Rowan. They needed to see Erubus was fine, and I needed a minute to collect my fraying nerves so that when they escalated, as I knew the father and daughter pair would, I wouldn’t blow our cover.
Lynn laughed, causing Verity to whirl. “What’s so funny?” She screamed into the Gamma’s face.
“You are.” Lynn laughed louder. “Just look at you. You are just like Shannon.”
Everyone’s eyes turned to look at Lynn. Verity took a step closer and grabbed Lynn’s face. “What did you say?”
Lynn smirked. “I said you are just like Shannon.” I watched her eyes dart towards the girl on the ground at Brandon’s feet.
Verity squeezed her face. “What do you mean by that?”
Lynn’s eyes darted between the two women. “Look at her. She is frozen at Brandon’s feet, begging him to notice her. Chasing after a mate that isn’t hers.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Verity bared her teeth as she leaned closer to Lynn.
Lynn snorted. “You can play dumb all you want, but it doesn’t change the fact that you are the same. You might not be begging on the ground for Rowan to notice you, and you might have more power than Shannon does. But you are still chasing after a mate that isn’t yours.”
Verity scoffed. “It was all a part of the plan we had in place.”
Lynn puffed out a breath. “And when you say it like that, I could almost believe you. But I was close enough to see how hurt you got when you saw the king’s mate mark. When you realized he was too far out of your reach now.”
“Shut up.”
