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“Nah. I’m good.” I dismiss her by staring back at my old man at the head of the table. I light the end of my joint and let the sweet smoke roll beneath my tongue before blowing out rings. She disappears from the corner of my eye. I can see Legend glaring at me from the side as Creed hits my leg under the table. The chat continues between my father, Odin, and the other Elders. They go back and forth like always. It’s like a continuous battle any time we’re in this room. I don’t know how the fuck none of them have killed one another yet. For one, this treaty is fucking bullshit. Written up thousands of years ago to protect the balance between both Argent and Stygian magic. Of course, my father being the Lord of the Underworld, he was the drama. I’m sure the story has been chopped and changed throughout the years, but the same one has stuck within us.
Dad had lost his ever-loving shit. Flew right out the fucking cuckoo’s nest after he and his brother had a massive fuck-off fight. Don’t know who won, all we know is Dad was booted from his family, and instead of healing, he rebelled and went full-fledged dark. He ran humans like cattle and destroyed their world. They blame it on climate change. Nah. That was just the devil with a chip on his shoulder.
“Knight!” Father snaps from the front of the table, forcing me out of my thoughts. “What do you think?”
Why is he asking me? I turn to Creed, who stares between him and me. Confusion is etched all over his face. Same. What the fuck?
“Ah…about what?” Why the fuck is he calling me out right now? Creed is the older brother. He’s the one who will eventually take the throne after Dad finally dies. The man is ninety-nine percent muscle. He isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon, but still I counted on the fact that I don’t have to do shit. Now he’s asking me questions that I wasn’t listening to answer, when I’m certain my older brother could recite the entire conversation word-for-fucking-word.
“What do you think about this having something to do with you all attending Rathe U? Anyone there you suspect?”
My eyes fly around the room, between all of the Elders. “What, you mean more than usual? Or are you asking if we have any enemies?” I pause, sucking down more smoke and handing the joint to Legend. “Because I’ll show you the list.”
Father pushes back in his chair as the young girl sashays to his end of the table. I watch as she slowly lowers herself down, placing a glass in front of him. Father holds her stare, his eyes slowly dropping down her partly exposed body. I watch as his fangs sharpen as he bares his teeth at the girl.
She blushes again, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Would you like anything else, my lord?”
“No.” He waves his hand behind himself. “But stay until I’ve finished. I’m not done with you.”
I roll my eyes. He says that he and Mom were mated, but that he wore it off over the years. I call bullshit. Legend goes that a mated bond is never worn off. I have a cousin who lives in the icy mountains of Black Snow and he and his mate went off for fifty years to fuck. They came back and were still as crazy about each other as when they left. Maybe that’s just how they mated. Every person is different, but I’d never seen either of my parents affectionate at all toward one another. I call bullshit on being able to fuck anyone else other than your mate.
Wait. How the fuck would I know?
“I need your boys’ input.” Odin stands from his chair, buttoning up his suit jacket. He speaks to all of us, but I feel his eyes burn into mine. He reaches into his jacket pocket before tossing down a gold card. “Call me if there are any developments. As you know, I can handle this quietly so it doesn’t evolve into an even bigger mess.” He clicks his fingers together, a black galaxy popping up beside him. He steps through as it swallows him whole. One by one the Elders leave, and I wait until everyone is gone but us when I bring my eyes to the girl behind Father.
“You can leave.”
“Knight,” Dad warns, reaching behind himself to grab her by the hand.
“I’m serious. Leave, or I’ll make you leave.”
Father stares at me blankly before he opens his mouth. “Everyone out except Knight.” Chairs scrape against the floor as my brothers slowly disappear the same way we came. Father pushes back on his chair.
“Your mating process has started, so I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt—”
