Chapter Thirty–Two
Alpha Kadden POV
Hearing the shocked squeak that came from behind me, I had no doubt my daughter had heard my announcement.
ent Fuck. This was so not the way: I wanted anyone to learn the truth, least of all my own fucking daughter. The pain evident in her voice only served in pissing me off, all that I centered on the pompous jerk. Von is staying right where she is, where she rightfully belongs. In the home and pack of her mare”
“So she is a prisoner Kyne challenged.
Yellow gold eyes focused on the man who perusted in challenging me, working extra hard to keep from tearing him to pieces. My teeth were bared in a snorl, my pearly white fangs evident. “What goes on between me and mine is none of your fucking concern. If you want her, you will have to: fight through my legion of warriors, then myself, because I am not giving her up. Let alone to a bastard like
you!
Kyne stepped closer. “You do not want to go down this road with me Kadden, it will only lead to devastation and destruction. I have power behind me with the likes that you could never fathom legions that will lay down their lives for this wornan. Ment”
All six stepped forward.
Seeing the men who were already working at allowing their wolves to come out to play, I knew it would be a fight to the death. None of them were prepared to leave the manor until they got what they had come for and they’d come for Von Bristling in outrage at the reality they were prepared. to take her by force. I elected to counter with my own challenge. I never got the chance
Obviously guessing the deadly showdown about to take place. Von chose that moment to come out of lading. “Don’t you dare,” an almost guttural growl I’d never heard before erupted from her lips, an ominous tone. She stepped towards the men “He may be the alpha, but I am your beta. You will heel to my demands. Back the fuck off*
Whimpering came from the six of the men, who all ducked their heads down, submitting to the order. An aura raduted off the woman that was as strong as it was shorking, proof of the rage inside her. “You will not lay a single finger on him. If you kill him, you ultimately kill me.”
“Vonyah?” Kyne whispered.
She ducked her head. “You know why.”
“So it’s true,” he gnashed. “You’re mated to him…….
The second that the man had come to understand the truth of uur connection. I shifted my gaze to Ales. Both Von and my daughter are to be taken to my chambers. They are to stay in there until 1 come upstain.”
“Yes my king.” he and obediently
The second the man had seen to following through on the orders fd given
given to him, I focused on the man in front of me. “I want you to get the fuck
out of my house and off my land”
“No.” Kyne openly denied as he plopped down on the couch, seeming to be making himself at home. I’m not leaving until I have the chance to talk to Von. However long it takes.”
I shrugged nonchalantly. Then you are going to be waiting for a very long time because you are never griting anywhere near her again. The glimpse you got of her today, was the last you will ever see of my mate. I don’t know how you got her, but she’s where she belongs.”
“I didn’t steal her,” the stubborn of grashed his teeth, clearly unhappy at the thoughts I could be having about her. His own anger increased when he remembered that the two of them had crossed each other’s paths. “She came willingly. After I found her living in the Dark Lands, almost rabid she was most feral, after being betrayed by her pack.
Spinning around on my heels I stalked up the stairs, too pissed off to continue my argument with him. Stomping up the stairs to the top floor, I headed towards the door as the far end, my bedroom. Opening the door I was pleased to find both the woman inside the room, clearly distressed. “Bria Alex. I want you to escort my daughter to her room”
“Daddy, is it true” Layla wanted to know,
your room so the two of us have the chance it
I brushed a hair across her cheek. “Sweetie I understand you are hurt and confused, I will come to your talk. I just need a luule bat of time.”
She dropped her head “Okay, Dadly.”
Waiting until my daughter was ushered out of the bedroom, the door slammed loudly in her wake. Too angry at the moment I stormed towards the cabanet in the comer, pouring myself a drink. Enraged at the thought of everytlung I’d uncovered this morning, none of which Edexpected. Though I knew the woman was keeping secrets. Td never thought that she could be hiding this.
Tuntrue” I demanded.
She didnt le “Yes”
“You’re a rogue,” I grashed my
wirrth
Voin anded down on the bed, fisting her hair “To the extent that I don’t have a pack I truly claim as my own, then yes you could call me that I wasnt barushed or outraurd nor did I reject my pack. I simply got tired of the bullshit Lendured at their hands and one night I ran, I never stopped!
That would explain why Beta Alex was so confused by her, lus trabday to
the scent of her park. Because Technically the gut didn’t have one
Chapter Thirty–Two
having chosen a life in the Dark Lands rather than her own. The truth had been right there, staring me in the face the whole time, I’d simply never considered the options. Then again, I’d done my level best to keep from thinking about much of anything where she was concemed.
To align yourself with him,” I spat.
I know you’re angry,” Von interrupted before more could be said, sensing the anger evident in my every word “I never lied to you, but I guess I wasn’t forthcoming with the truth either. Kyne isn’t the enemy. I was still quite young when he found me surviving on my oven and took me under his wing. He’s been like a big brother to me.”
Those words alone assured me that everything the bastard had said was true, even while rd already suspected it. Pissed off at the truth that’d been staring me in the face, I stalked towards the woman Clamping a hand around the slender column of her throat. I forced her body up against the wall. “I won’t let him have you. If he wants you back, he’ll have to fight my entire pack for you.”
“Why?” she demanded. “Why are you so persistent in fighting him? You’d made your opinion of me painfully obvious from day one. You never wanted me and hate you’re stuck with me”
“I warned you.” I reminded her.
She rolled her eyes heavenward. “Yes. I’m fully aware of what you warned me, a reminder you’ve given me quite often.”
Releasing the vice grip around her throat as she came to a consensus of her placement in my life. My fingers stayed at the slender column, unable to miss the stain of bruises rising to the surface. “I have to go talk to my daughter. Once you’ve calmed down, we need to talk”
“Til be here,” she said flippantly.
I elected not to respond to the sarcastic statement. I knew she was still sore from everything that’d happened, as she would be for a latle while yet. She always was when I showed my aggresive side, but knew that she’d calm down given some time. A few hours, a day at the most. Von never stayed angry for too long, almost like she was incapable of holding onto bad feelings. Reactions in her I’d noticed over the last month and had always found her acceptance surprising
Now I knew why. It wasn’t a show of weakness on her part, as some people would automatically assume or even fear. It came from living through the harsh realities of life, a survivor of the darkest and roughest territory. The Dark Lands. Not only had she survived living in that world, but she’d been in the deepest, darkest, most dangerous section. For her to have survived a single night on her own was shocking but both made it seem like it was longer. Long enough she’d lost touch with her own bumanity, that she’d become rabid and feral. It’d have taken several weeks, closer to a couple of months, to get her so far gone in the state.
It spoke volumes
It was a life I could relate to just like her, I had known the harsh realities of that world, in the land my parents abandoned me in. The only difference was I had stayed to the east, closer to the boundaries of the pack territory. Though the dangers had still been there all the same, the threat of the packs had held most at bay. I’d only ever encountered maybe one or two rogues a month, less the more fearsome I became. But even still it’d left scars on me, had turned my personality dark, a brutality the packs could never understand. It was this world, the upbringing I’d known, that had turned me into the savage warrior I’d herome.
What had it turned her into?
I knocked on the door “Layla.”
Even as angry as she undoubtedly was, the door slowly came open and I was welcomed in. Layla retreated to the other side of the room, leaning up against the desk that sat in front of the window. “An old friend of mom’s huh!”
“I’m sorry Layla,” I was sincerely apologetic for the pain I’d caused my daughter, the last thing I’d wanted to do. Sitting down on the edge of the maitress I stared up at her, still very much the late girl I remembered. “I didn’t lie to you. I just omitted some facts.”
She eyed me. “So she did know mom?”
I nodded my head. “Yes, I was honest about that. Von had received word of her passing, so she came back here to bid her farewell to Sarah. I merely neglected to tell you when she came to the house to talk, both of us were forced to accept we were destined mates”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” my daughter wondered.
“Because I didn’t know how,” I admitted a truth to my daughter. “Frankly, I didn’t want to either. I never wanted this. When Sarah took me as her chosen mate I was happy, I’d never imagined anyone would want me. And when she died, aber spending almost thirty years together. I’d never imagined allowing another woman in my life.”
“Unail ber,” the guessed
I shook my head. “I haven’t exactly been too accepting of the boul destiny fated for the two of us. I’m not going to go into detail about what happened, just know I didn’t react the best of ways the next day. I blamed her and have done my damnedest to deny the bond between us since.” Layla walked around to sit down on the side of the bed next to me, she reached a hand out for mine. “Daddy, please don’t tell me that you are rejecting her out of fear of what you think I’ll say ”
yan’t in the cardi
now. I just don’t know what
“No,” I replied truthfully. “I might have once considered the option of rejecting her, just know that really to do anymore. She’s my mate, but….“
“But what?” the demanded
Iraked my fingers through my hair. “T’d originally planned to keep her here with me until Larken ascended as king. I wouldn’t be required to be the strong alpha. Maybe allow her to live out her few remaining years in prace.”
now,” the guessed.
Chapter ThirtyTwo
Gnashing my teeth at the thought of what’d happened, I rose to my feet and I became full of nervous energy. “Larken won’t ascend as king. Simon paid me a visit, the Remnants have lost faith in his ability to lead, as his character is weakened. The council feels the same. Either I produce a new heir or they’ll have me replaced by a true bloodline “
“Luke,” she thought aloud.
“That’s my guess too, I assured her.
Layla gave it all of five seconds of thought when she stared me down. “Fine then, if Larken isn’t an acceptable candidate as a rightful heir, then give
them one that will be.”
Grateful that at least one of my children had been awarded the sensible thinking of their mother, I wrapped her in my arms. “Thank you. Layla,”
