Her desperate need for authority and power over her child is ruining what’s left of their relationship.
Taking over the useless conversation, I decide it’s time to end this so I can tend to my mate and curl up beside him in our bed after the day we’ve had.
“Now that we’re doing this, help me understand why you’re still living in our castle with your good-for-nothing husband?”Cue the dramatic gasp.
I scoff at her pathetic acting skills. “I’ve been considerate enough not to force your hand, but since you like badmouthingmy mate so much—in front of me, no less, I want you to make yourself scarce. I.e., not be in the line of my sight anymore.”
“You’re kicking us out? You can’t kick me out; I’m his mother!”
Losing the attitude, Kiara pales. I see the way she’s carefully picking her words now. Her fists ball up beside her thighs to stay in control, but it’s too late. I’m done letting her ruin Angel’s life.
“Tsk-tsk, what happened to that posh accent and the 70’s dialogue delivery, Kiara?”
“Anxo, son—”
“Don’t you dare address my mate directly.” My Divine peeks out after being repressed all day as my eyes flash gold, making her stumble back.
Turning to my mate, I pull him towards our room, but halfway to the stairs, my feet refuse to climb up with the woman still standing in my living room. I don’t think I’m done with her.
Pecking Angel, I ask him to wait for me in our room and turn back to the mother of the century. Grabbing my arm before I can leave, Angel turns me to him, and the request is evident in his eyes.
Why does everyone think murder is my go-to solution?
Standing on my toes, I cup his face and kiss him tenderly. Pecking his lips three times, I nudge him to keep walking.
Standing before the woman breathing fire, I purse my lips to stop laughing as she tries to burn me with her glare. Leaning down to match her height, I smirk at her tauntingly. “You’re lucky Anxo respects you enough not to let me gauge your eyes out and feed them to you until you’re shitting eyeballs for a week.”
She gasps and raises her hand to slap me, but she has me confused with a different woman if she thinks that I wouldn’t stomp on her skull until she is a pile of bloody curry if she touches me.
Grabbing her wrist, I squeeze until one move, and she will have one less hand to order people around.
Kiara’s knees buckle when she picks up on how easily I can crush her wrist. Laughing mockingly at the pathetic woman, I let go of her and she scrambles back in fear.
“Monster-in-law.” I curtsey, just for the hell of it. My eyes find Khatri lingering close as always. “If they’re not out of my castle by morning, I’ll be coming for your head, Khatri.”
“Understood Horse—”
“It’sNevaeh!” For that, I leave the stubborn Warriorhead to deal with the hysterical woman alone.
Stepping into our room, I find Angel sitting with his head in his hands, mumbling to himself. I can practically touch the dark cloud of despair hovering over his head. He looks up when the door clicks shut behind me, gives me the weakest smile I’ve ever seen and nods towards the bathroom.
Even when I want to stay, the smell of blood is starting to make me nauseous. After a thorough shower, I put on a silk robe and a pair of undies before walking back to my mate.
Only clad in black sweats, his bare chest is on display. I have to force myself to focus on his mental well-being instead of drooling at the sight of his muscles and ridges on his stomach. Resting his back against the headboard, he stares off into space, and I can’t take the looming sadness anymore.
I walk over to him and drop down to straddle his lap. The sudden action surprises him, but instantly his arms come around me as he leans forward to bury his head in my chest. Rubbing his cheek along the hollow of my neck, Angel relaxes in my hold when I run my fingers through his soft curls.
“I hate feeling like this,” He whispers so softly I could’ve missed it if I wasn’t holding my breath, waiting for him to talk.
“Like what?”
My heart squeezes painfully when he finally answers. “Like amonster. A worthless man who ruins everything he touches.”
Looking at me with solemn eyes, Angel waits for me to agree, for me to nurture his delusions, and the almost expectant way he looks at me breaks my heart.
I can never think of him in that light. How can I ever see him as a monster when all I see is a man worthy of so much but afraid to grasp it? The hatred in his voice for himself is something I never want to hear again.
With my palm on his cheek, I lift his head to stare into those beautiful eyes when I tell him thetruth, not what his parents have fed him for years. The anguish on his face slices at my heart, but he needs to knownothingabout what he just said is true.
