“I… like it,” I said. “That’s a really good idea.”
She clapped her hands together. “Right? And she’s got fans of all ages. Dad would hate it but imagine if we actually managed to broaden the market and make Ignareth more than just a seedy destination. We keep the casinos and the bars, of course, but what about building water parks? 3D movie theaters? Mini golf?”
Her excitement was contagious, and I was starting to feel even worse about my decision to cut my losses and leave after my dad had betrayed me. I could have stayed, trying to use my status and influence to make Ignareth better. Instead, I’d left it to fester and rot on its own, my sister taking up the mantle in my place.
A mantle she was being forced to hand right back to my undeserving ass.
“And then maybe growing up here wouldn’t be so bad, either,” I added. The idea of raising kids in Ignareth had always sickened me, but not if Maia and I managed to clean the place up enough where the dirtier, dangerous parts were hidden from the light, left to those who actually wanted to delve into the darkness.
Did Sage want kids? Why had I never thought to ask her?
Oh, right, probably because asking the abused bounty you’d just captured and were taking back to be punished for their escape about their future plans was awkward as fuck.
Maia sighed wistfully, closing the curtains again. “I’d need the other families to play nice, but I think the money would be incentivizing enough to put an end to these unprofitable public feuds that scare away potential visitors. We’re feeling the pinch, and it’s only going to get worse if we don’t evolve.”
“Hey, you’ve already convinced me,” I replied with a smile, which quickly faded as I remembered the hard part was yet to come. “I just gotta survive these stupid ‘tests’ first. Any idea what Dad has in mind?”
Maia shook her head. “Beats me, but he’s going to want to see you squirm.”
The old man certainly had a sadistic streak, and I already knew he wasn’t going to go easy on me. He needed to teach me a lesson, something for the whole Oniguro operation to see. That walking away wasn’t an option.
With a pat on my shoulder, Maia headed back towards the door.
“Well, I guess all I can say is good luck. And it’s good to have you home.”
I nodded, laying back down as the door closed.
I wished I could say the same, but having my sister back in my life was going to make what was coming a lot more bearable.
37
Three’s Company
Sage
An alpha’s purr was proven to have healing and calming qualities, even for strangers with no romantic connection.
But instead of comforting me, all I felt was sick as Victor held me.
When I began to whimper, tears streaming down my cheeks, the purring turned into gentle shushing.
“Sage, darling, I’ve got you.”
Except it wasn’t okay. I’d known that going back to Victor would mean sacrifices, but losing all control… it was too much.
I’d fallen asleep almost immediately after the dark priest’s “sample” of what he could do to me. To how he could make me feel, how I could learn to react to Victor.
My sleep had been deep. Victor could have done anything to me in that time.
He continued trying to soothe me, clearing the hair that had fallen into my face.
“Nothing happened,” he whispered, reading my mind. “Nothing was going to happen. That wasn’t our intent.”
I froze, sniffing as I took note of the way my body felt. I wasn’t sore, and I didn’t smell like… like him.
“What do you mean?”
“This was just about Vorthain’s methods. Showing how you’ll feel once we’re aligned. But I won’t sleep with you until it’s real.”
