AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My mate was smart, and she’d catch on quickly, but she’d been sheltered for too long to understand.
Markus shared another look with Lia, who nodded, seemingly encouraging him to continue. “You’re the eldest heir of the previous Alpha Supreme. Since nobody has taken the House Leader’s seat, you’re technically the next in line to rule over Fire and Fluorite, should you want the position and be capable of claiming it.”
She chuckled darkly. “You’ve got to be fucking joking.”
Markus shook his head and remained unsmiling. “I’m not. This House has been a nightmare for far too long. Maybe you’re exactly what it’s been waiting for.”
Kinsley stood rigidly next to me. “You’re serious.”
“As the plague,” he quipped. “Talk to Ryder. I have a feeling he’d back you on this. If you can get the factions to stop fighting, there’s a chance this House might be able to claim its previous glory that it had before my father caused the war that allowed him to take over.”
Fuck.Mathis had been worse than even I’d heard.
I glanced up at Kinsley, who was just learning that the man whose blood ran through her veins was a monster. She remained devoid of outward emotion, but the light pressure I could see around her jaw and the way she kept moving her hands told me she was barely managing to process all of this.
She finally took a seat next to me, relaxing her shoulders some. “Tell me about the fighting within the House.”
Or maybe she was going to handle this better than I’d assumed.
“It started when my father kicked me out and said things publicly that he couldn’t take back,” Markus said. “Though it probably started more secretly before that. Mathis pissed off a lot of people and did shady shit not everyone was okay with. I think even if he hadn’t died, a House war was coming. He banished a lot of people just because he could, and that led to families being separated. People do crazy shit when they’re backed into a corner, just trying to survive.”
He spoke as if he knew that from experience, but this wasn’t about him, and I hoped he didn’t elaborate.
Markus continued. “I know there are people trying to get back in from No Man’s Land and that there are two other groups within Fire and Fluorite that want to rule, but Ryder stepped up and made that much harder. He’s been keeping as many people safe as he can, including my brother and mother, but I know he’s exhausted.”
Kinsley frowned. “His son was just kidnapped, and we brought him back. That’s how we ended up here.”
Markus and Lia shared a look that wasn’t as understanding as their previously shared gazes. “You could have shared that with me,” he said sternly.
She shrugged and grinned, taking nothing overly seriously, like usual. “Didn’t seem relevant once I knew you were Kinsley’s brother.”
Markus turned back to meet my darkening gaze. “It’s very relevant. I’m not going to force anyone to do something they don’t want to, but if there’s any hope of saving this House and the good people still left here, this is the time to do something. I don’t imagine, after having his son taken, that Ryder will continue with his mission for much longer unless he has any reason to hope this mess is almost over.”
“If Ryder doesn’t want to lead, then why has he been doing this?” I asked. Though I’d also be asking Ryder, regardless of how Markus answered.
“From what I know, he was just doing his best to protect his family,” he answered. “Not many of the Houses are allowing any of Fire and Fluorite members refuge in case there’s backlash from whoever becomes the new leader. Ryder had no choice but to stay here, hiding or fighting back. Clearly, we all know which he chose.”
Clearly.
A decision I could respect, but what did that mean for Kinsley, and what did she think about everything Markus had just said?
This wasn’t something I expected her to decide on right away, but we also didn’t have time on our hands. We still had Johnathon to consider. He’d sent me to find Kinsley for a reason, and if I didn’t return with her, then he’d send someone else.
Not that I was afraid of someone coming after us, but there was suddenly a lot more happening than we’d gone into this knowing about. I didn’t want to be focused on the wrong thing at the wrong time.
Now that I’d gotten the idea into my head that claiming Kinsley might not be such a bad idea, the thought of losing her made me see red.
Fiery, burning, and all-consumingred.
It wasn’t just my wolf half that had already accepted Kinsley, but I knew then that it was also my demon half, and that meant no one other than Kinsley would be safe from my potential wrath if anything went wrong.
Not even the others in this room would be spared if it meant keeping my mate safe from whatever was headed our way.
Chapter18
KINSLEY
One breath in, one breath out. That was what I kept telling myself after I forced my way back into the living room. Hearing everyone talk about a family I apparently belonged to but never knew existed had been difficult at best. Though, there were a few things that I couldn’t deny.
