Turn of the Moon (Royal Shifters #1)(45)
“You’re not allowed to leave the premises,” one of them growled. Over their shoulders, I watched Annika run off into the woods. When she disappeared from sight, I backed into the house and shut the door. I had to see her again.
Bailey
I had hoped my mother would be at dinner, but it ended up just being Kade, his Uncle Rollin, and me. “Take a seat,” Rollin announced as we walked into the dining room. He held out a chair for me and I sat. What I really wanted to do was shift and rip him apart. It was because of him that my family was dead, not to mention Ryker’s.
Kade took the seat across from me, and Rollin took the head of the table. “Are you hungry?” he asked.
I batted my eyelashes and forced a smile. “Not in the least.”
His smile faded, his annoyance just under the surface. “Pity. I had hoped to have a civil dinner tonight. Very well, if you don’t eat, I’m sure my son will be more than happy to shove it down your throat. Either way, you will do as I say.”
“Your son?” I glanced back and forth, from Kade to him, and then it all started to make sense. They had some of the same features. Holy shit. “So that’s why you didn’t cast Kade out. How is this possible?”
Our food was brought out and he pointed to it. “Eat first, and then I’ll tell you everything.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I sat there and glared at him, desperate for the answers. He slammed his fork down and huffed. “If you don’t eat, I won’t tell you a goddamned thing. You need your energy for the full moon.”
Kade smirked and stared at me like a ravenous beast, his gaze raw. Meeting his gaze head on, I took the first bite and then the next. I wasn’t going to back down from his stare. The only problem was, he enjoyed the challenge.
“All right, done,” I said, finishing my plate. “I need answers. How is Kade your son if you never mated?”
He wiped his mouth with his napkin and sat back in his chair. “As you can see,” he pointed to the necklace around my neck, “magic can be a powerful thing. Add its power with the power of the moon and you’re talking a magic beyond belief. My brother, Soren, was a good man on all accounts. Little did he know, we fell in love with the same girl. I loathed seeing them together—true mates.” He shook his head in disgust. “At least until one day, when Maret offered up a solution. She promised me that I could have a son with Genna, with only one little consequence.”
“What was it?”
“He would have to take the form of his brother,” Maret announced, walking into the room. I jerked my head in her direction, loathing the smug smile on her too thin face. “In order for Genna to be willing, she had to believe she was with her mate. That’s why I had Rollin take the form of Soren. The only stipulation was, it had to be done on a full moon. Those were the only nights he could spend with her.”
“She was everything I’d ever dreamed of,” he murmured.
I snorted. “And then you had her killed. What kind of love is that?”
He slammed his hand on the table. “I didn’t want her dead. She died protecting that son of hers. If it wasn’t for him, she’d still be alive.”
My blood boiled and I stood, glaring down at him. “A lot of people would still be alive if it wasn’t for you.”
He smirked and lifted his eyebrows. By the look in his eyes, he had no remorse for all the people he’d killed. He picked up his glass and I smacked it out of his hands, shattering it against the wall. Kade shot up out of his chair and grabbed me around the waist, pulling me back.
“You want to know why you weren’t Genna’s true mate?” I shouted. Rollin stood and wiped the wine from his face. “Because you’re a worthless sack of shit, a cowardly one at that. Our magic doesn’t come from being evil, it comes from being good, pure of heart. Your pack is doomed. I hope you all rot in hell.”
He stared at me for a bit, before his lips pulled back into a smile. “Son, you sure will have your hands full with this one.”
I could feel the rumble in Kade’s chest through my back. “I will enjoy taming her. It’ll be worth the fight.”
Rollin approached me slowly and grazed a finger down my cheek. I jerked away, but Kade held me in place. “Once we build up our pack with royal blood, we’ll be unstoppable. I have you to thank for that.”
Eyes wide, I froze. “What are you saying?”
He grinned at Kade and then down to me. “I’m saying that when you give me grandkids, our blood will be mixed with yours, turning us into the next royal pack. Everyone will bow down to us.”
Chuckling, Kade leaned down and whispered in my ear. “And I’ll get to f*ck you anytime I want. Who knows,” he said, putting his hands on my stomach, “you might be pregnant with our child by next week.”
“Fuck you,” I screamed, fighting him as hard as I could. “So help me God, I’d rather die than be your whore.” Everything came crashing down on me and I snapped. I tried clawing at my neck to get the necklace off, but nothing worked. Kade attempted to contain me and we fell to the floor. I hit my head, my vision blurring. All I could feel was the pain.
“Do something,” Rollin shouted. Maret appeared above Kade, whispering words under her breath.
My body grew heavy and the darkness crept in. Kade lifted me in his arms, and I could still feel Maret’s cold hands on my face. “Now she’ll sleep. When the full moon rises, she’ll wake up and see what her heart desires. You can have her then.”