Begrudgingly Yours Ch.11

ASH

Standing before my father was terrifying. I had expected anger or outrage. Accusations, yelling. I'd braced myself for all of it, for his fury. I was ready to fight, to defend my decision. Victor was my mate, my fated mate. I had willingly accepted his mark and allowed him to claim me. That alone should have sent my father over the edge. Of the only two omega sons he had, both had chosen to mate with lion shifters, turning our backs on our Vampire heritage and choosing to abandon the coven we had been born to and grown up in.

I waited, breath held and shoulders tense. I waited for his wrath to come down on me. I imagined him rising to his feet, glaring at me and announcing to all that I was no longer his son. I expected him to order me out of his sight or even call for my arrest. I even half expected him to strike me dead in front of everyone, but he didn't. For a long moment, he just stared at me. His lips were pressed into a straight line. His eyes unreadable. I thought, here it comes. The anger. The rejection. The shame. But, none of that happened. There was no anger. No disappointment. Not even a hint of disapproval. Just... quiet.

I was met with a kind of stillness that startled me more than any shouting could ever have. If he'd yelled, cursed, or refused to accept that Victor was my mate... that I would have at least understood. I wouldn't need to guess at what he was thinking. But this, this I didn't understand. This was not what I had expected, at all.

Maybe because I was still angry with him I had expected the same reaction. Maybe I wanted him to be pissed at me. If he was pissed at me, it would be easier for me to hate him. I wanted to hate him. I wanted to hate him for what he did, or rather what he didn't do. Mostly though, I wanted to hate him for what he'd said.

When Liam called him out and asked him why he was pushing for a mating that I didn't agree to and didn't want, father hadn't answered him honestly. He hadn't lied exactly, but he hadn't been entirely truthful either. He said I never gave him a reason why I didn't want Niklas. That was a lie. He said I refused to explain why I had refused the mating and that was a lie too.

I tried to tell him. I really did.

I went to my father, nervous, scared and practically begging him to help me. To release me from the contract. Niklas had changed. He looked at me like I belonged to him, like he owned me. His jealousy had become unreasonable and frightening. I was forbidden from talking to anyone, especially men. He accused me of cheating--of fucking any man who so much as looked my way. Which was ridiculous. I was a virgin. Not totally innocent. I did know how to pleasure myself but no other man had ever touched me. I told him as much but he didn't believe me. He called me a whore and then he said something that made my blood run cold. He told me that if he ever caught me with another man, he'd kill me.

That was the last straw, I was done with him and I told my father so. I told him what Niklas had said, how he treated me, and the things he had accused me of. I told my father that I was scared of him. Terrified. I told him everything and I really needed him to hear me. For once in his life, really hear me.

But he didn't.

He said I was overreacting. I was young, impulsive. He told me that jealousy was normal in alphas and he would settle down once he had claimed me. Once I wore his mark, things would be better. As if being owned by Niklas could fix things. As if becoming less of myself would fix me!

Niklas wanted an omega who would sit quietly, smile prettily, and never raise their voice or have an opinion of their own. He wanted an omega that would obey him. One that he could show off like his own private little song bird, ready to sing on command. The problem was, I was not built to live in a cage. I could never be the kind of omega he wanted and so I refused him.

I tore the mating contract right down the middle and then threw it in Niklas's face. "You will never own me!" I told him.

My father was furious. I still remember the look on his face--like I had just spat on centuries of tradition. Like I had humiliated him.

Maybe I had.

But he wasn't angry with what Niklas had said or done. He was angry with me. With how I had behaved in front of a noble house. My actions reflected poorly on him. I'd disgraced my house and family. "Princes don't throw tantrums like spoiled children," he told me. "your behavior is completely out of line."

That's what broke me.

Not Niklas.

Not the contract.

My father's disappointment and his failure to see me, and what I wanted.

I didn't want to show my weakness by crying in front of them so I stormed off, back to my rooms.

And then Niklas followed.

And everything fell apart...

So now, standing here--declaring my bond with Victor in front of my father--I expected to see that same disappointment. That same anger and cold denial of my feelings. But instead, there was something else.

Not approval exactly, but understanding. Maybe even sadness. There was something old and heavy in his eyes as if the years had finally caught up to him and settled on his shoulders. He wasn't angry. He wasn't even surprised. And I found myself wondering, what had changed?

Was it me?

Was it Victor?

Or maybe, just maybe... he actually had cared about me all along. Maybe he just didn't know how to show it.

When he'd told Liam that all he's ever wanted for his children was to be safe and happy, maybe he'd actually meant it. Maybe, he really did love me after all.

***

Evander stepped forward, placing a hand on my father's shoulder as he leaned over and whispered in his ear. My father sat back in his chair, his chin resting on his knuckles, then he pursed his lips. His eyes, which had remained on me this entire time, now drifted up to Evander and father gave him one, solitary nod.

"A declaration of fated mates has been made and witnessed by all present." Evander stated, measured and neutral. "But, given the circumstances under which the claim was made, I find that the timing is somewhat suspicious. It certainly raises a few red flags and the high council will want proof before they accept the claim as fact."

"Proof?" Victor snarled. "How are we supposed to prove something like that?" He tensed suddenly, his eyes narrowed. "If you're planning a forced separation just to see Ash's reaction, I swear to you..."

Father raised a hand to stop Victor from saying anything more. "I would never allow something that puts my child's life at risk."

"Then what are you proposing?" Liam asked.

"A blood concordance test." Father answered quickly. "It's safe and the results are instant. More importantly, its incontestable. Whatever the results, the high council will have no choice but to accept them."

"And, as council representative, I will personally oversee the test and report the results to the council myself." Evander added.

"How is it done?" Liam asked.

"It's relatively simple," Seraphine told him. "Both Ash and Victor will give a drop of their blood, usually in a ceremonial chalice. If the claim is true, the blood will merge and pool together as one. If the bond is false, the blood will repel or separate, disproving the claim."

I looked to Victor and nodded my approval. It was the simplest way to prove that our bond was real. Besides, we'd have to give a drop of blood each to preform the blood ceremony anyway so what was the harm?

"You don't have to do this." Liam said, looking at Victor. "The Pride has no such laws demanding proof of a fated bond."

"But the coven does." Victor told him. "This isn't about proving to Gerard, or Evander, or anyone else that Ash is my mate. We have nothing to fear because I know, in my heart and in my soul, that this bond is real. But, if establishing our bond shields Ash from Niklas or the council then that's what I'll do. My main concern here is protecting my mate."

"Victor's right." Carter turned to look at Liam, his voice steady. "If they do the test now, the council can't dispute the claim at trial. It's the best protection Ash has right now."

Liam frowned, his jaw tight, but he didn't argue. Instead, he crossed his arms and sighed. "Victor, I don't doubt your bond. I want you to know that. Personally, I find it insulting that anyone would. But, I understand the need to protect Ash. If you feel that this is the best way to do that, I won't stop you. The choice is yours and Ash's to make."

"Thank you, Liam." Victor took my hand and held it tight. "This may be the only way to save him. When this test proves that my claim is real, and it will, the council will have to accept it, and so will Niklas. There's no way they could force a blood-bond when it's proven that Ash and I are a fated pair."

I swallowed hard, my throat going dry. Even hearing the bastards name made my stomach turn, but they were right. This wasn't about honor or tradition anymore. It was about survival. Victor looked at me then and smiled warmly. "You sure you want to do this?" He asked. Just the fact that he took my feelings into consideration touched me deeply. All my life people had made decisions for me, decided what was best on my behalf and never once asked or cared what I thought or what I wanted. My choices had always been taken from me but Victor didn't do that. He included me in the decision, asked my opinion, and treated me as his equal. He cared what I thought.

I nodded again, then kissed his hand and that was all he needed. He knew what I wanted. He knew what I felt and, in a way, could almost tell what I was thinking. We were that in tune with each other. We could communicate without words. That alone should have been enough to prove our bond but how do you coney a feeling to someone else when Victor and I alone had experienced it? They needed something concrete. Something they could all witness with their own eyes. Then and only then would it be real for them and I was ready to show the world just what Victor was to me. So yes, I was sure I wanted to do this. I couldn't have been more sure. Victor was mine and I wanted everyone to know it.

***

Antoine, the servant from earlier had appeared at Gerard's side instantly. So fast that I was a little surprised to see him. In all the commotion earlier I had completely forgotten that he was even there. He still looked nervous and scared, but at least he wasn't cowering under the table anymore. Evander had written down instructions on a slip of paper and handed it to Antoine. He read over it quickly, bowed, then disappeared out the main doors. Five minutes later and he returned with a crystal wine glass as well as a decanter of red wine on a silver tray. I knew it was real silver and not just silver colored because he wore gloves to handle it.

He placed the tray on the table in front of my father then stepped back behind my father's chair and waited.

Evander stepped up to the table and addressed the room. "Normally, this would be done with a ceremonial chalice in the Holy Temple but given the circumstances, we have to do make do with what's currently available to us."

"That won't invalidate the test will it?" Liam asked.

"Not at all." Evander told him. "The chalice is symbolic. The magic is in the blood."

He turned to my father who then handed him a knife that he'd removed from the inside of his jacket. It was small. A four inch black velvet hilt and a four inch silver blade. I knew this knife. It was as old as my father himself maybe older, and had been a gift from his father, Grigore. He carried it with him at all times though why I couldn't say. It wouldn't do much if used to defend himself. His claws and fangs would be of more use. The silver would burn but it wouldn't do enough damage to kill unless the blade broke off and was lodged in the heart for too long. I suspected he carried it more for nostalgic reasons. It was a piece of his history and a family heirloom, passed onto him when he took the throne. It's possible he would someday pass it onto my brother, Dimitri, when it was his time to rule.

"Ashlynn, Victor. Would you please step forward." Evander held the knife in his hands as he waited for us to approach him. Victor stepped up first and Evander handed him the knife. "Slice your thumb and place a single drop into the glass." Victor did as he was told, slicing the blade across his thumb until a small amount of blood pooled over the cut. He hissed as the silver touched his skin. The cut would take longer to heal but no real damage would be done. He held his thumb over the wine glass and let a drop slide over his flesh and into the glass, settling at the bottom. He handed the knife back to Evander who then wiped the blade clean on a napkin and handed it to me.

He instructed me the same as he had Victor though there was no need. I knew how the test worked. I had seen the blood ceremony preformed many times though not for the same reason as it was now. It was usually done solely as a marriage rite and not a test of a fated bond. Still, I took the knife and sliced my thumb. The silver blade burned as it cut into my flesh and the pain was worse than I had expected but it was still tolerable. I heard a slight sizzle and then a sliver of smoke as though I'd just burned myself with a candle rather than a knife. Victor seemed surprised at the reaction of the blade on my skin but I wasn't. The effect it had on Niklas had been much worse as it ripped through his flesh and pierced internal organs. Of course the blade of my dagger had been much longer and the force behind the thrust more deliberate. I had tried to kill him. Was even disappointed when I learned he was still alive.

I laid the knife down and held my thumb over the glass. My blood was already starting to thicken, the cut trying to heal itself despite being cauterized and I had to squeeze to get the drop to fall into the make-shift chalice. The room held its breath as my blood fell next to Victor's. His blood called out to mine. I could feel it through our bond. The blood swirled around the glass then settled like a garnet in the moonlight.

For a moment, nothing happened. We all held our breath, waiting, watching. I had never seen this ritual preformed with a fated pair before so I really had no idea what to expect. Ordinarily the blood pooled in the bottom of the chalice, overlapping, forming a kind of bubble. Then the wine was poured. But this was different.

We weren't two strangers joining as one, we already were one and only just now finding that part of our soul that had been missing. When our blood touched it was like coming home after a long absence. Natural, yearning, like a magnetic pull too strong to withstand.

It began as a pulse, faint and barely perceptible and then, it bloomed, like a rose bud unfurling in the dark. The two drops of blood shimmered, glowing faintly where they touched. Slowly, they began to move toward each other, hesitant at first, careful, like two lovers brushing fingertips. Then, the drops began to merge, melding into each other in a soft, liquid embrace. The air around the crystal glass thickened. A whisper of a hum vibrated through the room almost as if the glass itself were singing. The merged blood began to swirl, slowly at first, then faster, as though caught in a tidal wave. It glowed with an otherworldly sheen. Colors flickering as they danced, swirling like dark, crimson pearls.

Victor stepped closer, his arm brushing mine. I smiled. Looking into the glass together we saw what we had always felt inside become a reality that could be witnessed by all. I never doubted what the results would be and neither did Victor but now, there wasn't a person present who could deny it. Seeing the blood speak the truth that had, a moment ago, only existed in our hearts alone, was liberating. Now, they all knew what Victor and I had known all along. What we felt each time we looked at each other or touched one another. We were a fated pair, destined to be together since birth. Our love had been written in the stars long ago and there was no one who could dispute it now. Our bond was sacred.

Seraphine let out a soft breath. Alaric beside her looked stunned but also relieved. Evander's expression was unreadable but his gaze locked on the wine glass, watching intently as the blood settled at last into a single, unified pool at the bottom.

No separation. No rejection. One.

He picked up the glass, studying it carefully. The blood inside shone like rubies beneath the overhead light. My pulse raced. Victor squeezed my hand gently to steady me. I knew what the test revealed but would Evander be honest in his assessment? I had known the man my entire life but honestly, I could never tell if he was a friend to me or not. He was loyal to my father, loyal to a fault, but how he felt about me had always been a mystery. All eyes were on him now, waiting for him to speak. Slowly, he returned the wine glass to the table. His gaze lifted, head turned and his eyes found Victor and I standing to my father's right.

His voice was calm, steady and heavy with the weight of authority. "By my own observation, the blood did not waver or divide. It merged. The bond is undeniable, bound by the threads of fate that no mortal nor immortal hands can sever. Let it be known to all gathered here tonight that Victor Kerrisk of the Belle Village Pride and Prince Ashlynn Dargan of the Highblood coven, son of King Gerard Dargan are recognized in the eyes of the high council, as fated mates. The blood has spoken, their claim is true and their bond is sacred."

I heard breath release all around me. Relief, and the steady calm of silence. The tension in the room evaporated and the air felt lighter, more breathable. Evander looked to my father then. "If you agree with my findings, your Majesty, the blood ceremony may commence."

Father nodded. "I agree." He stated simply. "If the couple wish, we can proceed with the rite, here and now. With your blessing of course, Chief Kerrisk."

"I ask permission first to confer with my mate."

"Permission granted."

"Thank you, your Majesty." Liam turned to Jai. "I'm not familiar with this rite. Do you have any concerns or objections?"

Jai smiled and shook his head. "None at all. It's perfectly safe."

"Even for Victor?"

"Yes. Victor will be fine. It takes more than a single drop of blood to turn someone and, as far as I know, only humans can be turned. I've never heard of a case where another supernatural was changed."

"I've tasted his blood before." Victor added, making me blush. "When I gave him the claiming bite. As you can see, I'm still alive and I haven't sprouted bat wings." I frowned, elbowing him in the ribs. He smirked.

"And the purpose of the ceremony?" Liam asked, ignoring Victor's quip.

"A traditional Vampire wedding ceremony." Jai told him. "Nothing less and nothing more. Just a way to seal the bond before family and friends. In a normal mating the drinking of the blood wine is symbolic in the sense that the couple are sharing a part of themselves with each other, essentially becoming one. For a fated pair, it only strengthens the bond that's already there."

Liam kissed Jai's knuckles as he thanked him for his advice, he then turned to Victor and I. "Members of my Pride have always been free to do as they want in regards to personal matters. Any concerns I had regarding the safety of this rite have been laid to rest. You don't need my blessing but if you want it, you have it."

"Thank you, Liam." Victor pulled me against him then looked at my father. "We would be honored, your Majesty, to have you officiate the ceremony."

My father nodded, then rose to his feet. "The honor is mine."

***

Chairs had been moved aside, clearing the space at the head of the long, marble table. A hush had fallen over the room like a spell cast in moonlight. Antoine had lit two candles and placed them on the table that, for tonight, served as an alter. The flames flickered and danced, their golden glow reflecting off the polished crystal of the wine glass, our chalice for the evening.

This wasn't how I had ever envisioned my wedding ceremony to go. I'd always dreamed of being wed in the holy temple, a priest of the old order officiating, and my father walking me down the aisle and giving me away. I, like my father, would be dressed in ceremonial robes. My soon to be mate would look so handsome dressed in an expensive suit, tails, and an embroidered vest. The temple would be filled with people, mostly nobles, most of which I had never even met but they would be present to witness the marriage of their Prince. My mate and I would speak our vows, drink the wine and then be escorted to a waiting horse drawn carriage that would carry us to a small cabin somewhere isolated and private where we could begin our life together.

That was my dream. Not being wed in a hotel conference room in front of my father's royal council. I didn't know if Victor had ever dreamed of what his wedding day would be like but I'm sure it wasn't this. If nothing else, I imagined he would have wanted his mother and sister here. Maybe his father though I'm not sure he would have even come. Jonah looked positively sick, standing beside Sloan. He wanted to object to the whole thing but out of respect for Liam and Victor, he kept his mouth shut. Good thing too. If another fight broke out in the middle of my marriage ceremony I might have lost it completely.

Victor and I stood next to each other, hands clasped, our fingers intertwined. In the end it didn't matter where we said our vows or who was there to witness them. Just being here with Victor, about to proclaim our love for one another felt right.

Beside me, my father stood tall and regal in his silence. Beside Victor, Liam and Jai stood. It was customary that the clan elder stand with the groom during the blood ceremony so as Pride Chief, that responsibility fell to Liam. The rest of the attendants, our witnesses, formed a living aisle. Shifters to one side and Vampires on the other. I tried to ignore the scowl on Jonah's face or the look of warning Liam gave him. Jonah straightened his shoulders at once and his expression became hard and emotionless. Not ideal but better than viewing my marriage to his younger brother with disgust.

I took in a deep breath as Victor released my hand and stepped forward. The time had come for the first step in the ceremony, asking for the bride. Jai had quickly explained the ritual to both Victor and Liam, going over every detail down to the vows. Victor had written them down but said it was just in case he became too nervous and forgot them. I had faith in him though. My strong alpha. Besides, if anyone screwed up and made an ass of themselves, it would be me.

I was so nervous that I actually asked for a bathroom break before we began so I could throw up. I visited the urinal while there so I didn't accidentally pee myself during the ceremony. That would be one for the history books. Incontinent Vampire pisses himself while saying vows. I'd bury myself alive if that happened.

But, it seemed I had nothing to worry about. My bladder was thankfully empty and my mate, well he was as cool as a cucumber. He didn't miss a step, didn't falter. He did everything perfectly, confidently, as if he'd been rehearsing this for weeks. He took a knee before my father and bowed his head and when he spoke, the words were sure and flawless.

"I, Victor Steven Kerrisk, of the Belle Village Pride, ask King Gerard Dargan for the hand of Ashlynn Alexander Dargan, Prince of the Highblood Coven, that I may be his mate and protector."

My father, who until now had looked solemn and a little sad, smiled. He actually smiled. "I, King Gerard Dargan of the Highblood Coven," he said softly, "give freely the hand of my son, Ashlynn Alexander Dargan, Prince of the Highblood Coven, to Victor Steven Kerrisk of the Belle Village Pride, to be his mate and protector."

My father held out a hand which Victor graciously accepted. "Rise, Victor Kerrisk, and go to your mate." As Victor stood, I swear I saw of glint of something in my father's eyes, something like... pride.

Victor did as instructed. He stood, facing me and took my hands in his. Evander addressed the room from where he stood behind my father. "The couple shall now speak the traditional vows. Prince Ashlynn, you may begin."

I exhaled slowly, easing my panic. I could do this.

'Please don't fuck this up.' I told myself. 'If you only ever do one thing right in your entire life, let this be it.'

Victor brushed his thumb over my racing pulse and whispered, "relax." I nodded, steadied myself, and began to speak.

"You are blood of my blood and bone of my bone. I give you my body that we may be one. I give you my spirit, till our life shall be done. I give you my life that we may bound together. And I pledge you my heart which shall remain yours forever."

Victor looked at me and I saw actual tears in his eyes. I think I fell just a little more in love with him in that moment. I knew my mate was brave, strong and kind but there was something else, hidden beneath the surface. Something I hadn't seen before now. When he opened his mouth to say his vows, the words flowed through him with such passion and love that I nearly fainted just from the deep baritone of his voice. When Victor spoke, he spoke with the strength of a warrior and the heart of a poet.

"I vow to give you the first bite of my meat, the first taste of my wine. From this moment on, it shall be only your name that I cry out in the night, and only your eyes I see waking with the morning light. I shall be your shield as you are mine. No one shall ever deny our union for our bond is sacred and unbreakable. Above and beyond this, I will cherish and honor you through this life into the next."

Now it was me who was crying. I realized as I listened that he was not speaking the vows from the blood ceremony as written in the Vampire grimoire. He was reciting shifter vows as a lion shifter, promising to care for and shelter their mate. He was reciting the vows of a warrior, the words steeped in centuries of Celtic tradition and they were... so very beautiful.

It was perfect, both sides fitting together, as though made to compliment each other. Light and darkness come together in perfect, beautiful harmony. I smiled through my tears, my heart so full of love I thought it might burst open. I squeezed Victor's hand then echoed his words, my voice barely rising above a whisper, cracked with emotion. "Above and beyond this, I will cherish and honor you, through this life into the next."

My father stepped forward and filled the crystal glass with red wine from the decanter. He lifted the glass above our heads. It shimmered faintly with the mingled blood still resting at the bottom. My father gently swished the liquid around and we watched it swirl inside the glass, hitting the sides like waves crashing against the rocks at high tide.

"Here before all to witness," he said, his voice sonorous and powerful, "Victor and Ash have sworn their vows to one another. By the rites of old, as is our way, this wine shall be the final seal of their union. By sharing this cup, they bind soul to soul, and heart to heart--fated mates, eternal and unshaken. The covenant they enter cannot be undone for the bond is not merely of flesh, but of spirit, forged by fate and blessed by blood."

He turned to Victor. "Victor Kerrisk, do you promise to love, protect, and provide for Ashlynn? To be his strength when he falters, to care for him always, and to be his guiding light in the darkness?"

"I do." Victor said without hesitation. Father handed him the chalice and with great care, Victor raised it to my lips. I opened my mouth and drank deeply, never once taking my eyes off Victor, my mate, my husband.

Father turned to me next. "Ashlynn Dargan, do you promise to love and follow Victor? To be his strength and compassion, to love and care for him, and to be his guiding light in the darkness?"

"I do." Father handed me the chalice and I lifted it to Victor's lips as he had done for me. I watched as he drank the last of it. I handed the empty cup back to my father and he raised it once more above our heads.

"Let all bear witness," he announced, his voice ringing with power and quiet pride, "the wine has been shared, the blood has been bound. Their bond is sealed. Not just by vows nor rite, but by love. In the eyes of the Highblood Coven, and of the moon and stars above, Victor and Ash are mates, now and forever."

Victor took my hand and pulled me forward, against him. He held me for a moment then cradled the back of my head with one hand while the other wrapped around my waist then he leaned forward, and pressed his lips to mine in a passionate, searing kiss. I kissed him back, greedily, my arms sliding over his shoulders and reaching around his neck. Normally I would have been too shy to kiss someone in front of my father this way but at the moment, I didn't care. This was my mate, my husband, and this was our first kiss as an official couple. I wanted everyone to witness it, to see the truth of our love, and know that I had made my choice and it was Victor. When we finally broke the kiss and pulled apart, I looked around, gauging the reactions of those present.

I was surprised by the applause, though Jai seemed to be the only one who appeared genuinely pleased. Liam nodded with quiet approval, even the Vampires smiled warmly. Carter and Sloan congratulated Victor, Sloan gave him a hard pat on the back. Jonah turned, scowling and walked away. I didn't waste another glance his way. I wasn't about to let him ruin this night for me, or for Victor. If he couldn't accept me as Victor's mate then that was his problem, not ours. I just hoped eventually he'd come around, for Victor's sake.

My father took his seat again while he and Evander worked on drafting a quick certificate or marriage or something similar. Something that could be presented to the council as proof. My father was the first to sign the document, then Liam and Jai, Victor and finally, me. Afterwards, I sat back down, Jai sat beside me, smiling. I wasn't sure if we were allowed to speak or not so I smiled back but said nothing.

He put his hand on my shoulder. "We can talk to each other." He told me. "Just not to Gerard directly or any of his council without permission."

"Seems strange." I said. "After everything that's happened, we're still treated like outcasts."

He shrugged. "That's the life of an apostate. I suppose I've gotten used to it but I can understand why it seems strange to you. This is all so new for you."

I nodded. "New and a little scary."

Jai chuckled a bit. "Yeah, married life can be scary at first."

"Not just that. All of this. It's all happened so fast, I've hardly had time to catch my breath and I don't even know what's going to happen down the road."

"What do you mean?"

"The trial coming up in seven days. I'm terrified." I admitted. "I don't know what's going to happen. I don't even know if I'm going to be leaving here with Victor or spending the next seven days in a holding cell."

"Well, I heard Gerard speaking to Liam before I came over here. Gerard had every intention of granting sanctuary even before Victor declared himself as your mate. But now that he has, by law, Gerard can't separate you. Even if he wanted to. Only the high council can separate fated mates and not without good cause."

"I think attempted murder is cause enough." I sulked down against my chair.

"Ash," Jai placed his hand over mine, giving me a look that was way too close to pity for my liking. "I think it's time you spoke to Gerard. He and the council need to know what really happened."

"You mean that Niklas raped me?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry, honey. I know you don't want to talk about it but I really think you should. Do you really want Niklas to get away with what he did to you?" He paused for a moment, turning to look back at Liam and Victor who were still speaking to my father. "Does he know?" Jai asked me. "Victor I mean. Have you told him?"

"Yeah, well, he figured it out on his own. Kind of. You really can't hide anything from your fated mate."

"No, you can't." He smiled softly. "I figured that out the first night."

I held up a hand. "I really don't need to hear anymore." I told him.

"No?" He raised an eyebrow, grinning. "And here I thought you'd want me to give you 'the talk'."

"The talk?"

He nodded. "You know. The talk all mothers tell their omega children on their wedding night."

I audibly gagged. "Fuck no!"

"What? No advice? Pointers?"

"Are you trying to make me puke?"

Jai threw his head back and laughed so hard a few eyes turned our way.

"Hush." I scolded, turning beat red. "People can hear you."

"Well maybe Father would be the better person to..."

I put my hand over his mouth. "Hell, no! I'm perfectly capable of figuring things out on my own. Can we drop it now?"

He nodded, though he hadn't stopped laughing. Until that moment, I'd forgotten how annoying older brothers could be.

***

Jai had left to speak to Liam and Victor. I stayed behind, leaning back in my chair, legs crossed and head resting against the back frame. The events of the night had worn me down and honestly, all I wanted to do was sleep. I was exhausted.

The room, unfortunately, buzzed loudly with movement. Some gathered their belongings while others were still engaged in hushed conversation, ironing out final details and making plans for the upcoming trial. I felt removed from it all though, like a stone left behind on a river bank. I could barely keep my eyes open, could barely concentrate on anything going on around me.

Victor stood across the room with Liam, my father, and Evander. Jai had joined them. They were finalizing that last details of our request for sanctuary. A moot point now. Still, it gave me some relief to know that my father had already planned to grant the request even before finding out that Victor was my mate. At least I knew that no matter what, Gerard was on my side.

Victor's eyes kept glancing my way, checking to make sure I was alright. I tried to give him a reassuring smile but it felt forced. Wrapping up this meeting was taking too damn long. I just wanted it to be over so we could leave.

I should have felt relieved. My father had accepted Victor as my mate, even seemed happy about it, which I was still stunned about, if I'm being honest. The only thing I had to worry about now was the council. Only the High council could challenge a fated bond and only in the most extreme of cases. At least they wouldn't be able to force a blood-bond with Niklas now. I was safe from that but I was still accused of attempted murder and unless I could prove I acted in self-defense, I would have to face some kind of punishment.

Immuration was still on the table I supposed but I wasn't sure. Having a fated bond changed things and Victor wasn't likely to accept me being entombed alive. Not that he'd accept any punishment that separated us and that was a problem. Our being officially mated was a blessing and a curse. It could possibly save me, or doom him, depending on the outcome of the trial. The only way out that I saw was by proving to the council that I was only defending myself against Niklas but how could I prove that without telling them what really happened? The answer was obvious. I couldn't. I was going to have to stand before the trial and explain how Niklas assaulted me, violated me, in my own room, and that's why I stabbed him. I could do that, I supposed. If it meant keeping Victor safe. But I was still scared.

I pushed the thoughts of Niklas and the council out of my mind. Thinking about it only made my head ache. I had seven days to figure it out anyway and besides, this was my wedding night. I had other, more enjoyable, things to think about. Victor's arms wrapped around me being the main thing on my mind at the moment. I couldn't wait to be alone with him, curled up at his side, his body pressed against mine...

I'd almost fallen asleep thinking about him when my eyes suddenly snapped open and I jerked awake, fully alert now.

"No!" I heard Jonah yelling across the room. "We are not bringing two more Vampires into our home!" His anger sliced through the room, his eyes wide with rage.

"It's only until the trial." Liam told him. "Seven days."

"I don't care." Jonah snapped back. "It wasn't part of the plan."

"Well, it is now."

I was confused. Two more Vampires? What were they talking about? I got up and walked to where Victor was standing.

"What's going on?" I asked him.

He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Jonah's pissed. Gerard wants Alaric and that servant kid..."

"Antoine." I clarified. "And, he's not a kid. He's eighty-seven years old."

"Antoine then," Victor corrected himself, "anyway, he wants Alaric and Antoine to come back with us."

"Why?"

"For added protection. Gerard's concerned about what Niklas might do when he finds out about us. Gerard thinks he might come after you."

"Okay, that makes sense, kind of. Alaric I can understand but Antoine? He's about as fearsome as a newborn kitten."

Victor smirked. "Yeah, I thought the same thing. Honestly, I think your father's just annoyed with him. He reprimanded the k... him for hiding under the table when I attacked Marcellus."

I cringed when he mentioned Marcellus, the memory of it still so fresh in my mind. I shivered.

The room felt colder now, if that was even possible. Not the sharp chill of winter. A deeper cold. The kind that seeped into the bones and chilled you from the inside. There was no escaping it. No fire or extra layer of clothing could chase it away because it was inside you, clawing at your ribs and choking the air out of your lungs.

The incident with Marcellus had terrified me. It brought back traumatic memories of being restrained, held down against my will and violated. Just the feel of his hands on me, touching my skin, had made me feel physically ill. I could feel his body pressed against mine, my face being pushed into the cold marble, and my shirt being torn. I panicked and froze. I remember thinking, please, not again. Not like this. I was on the verge of a complete break down and then... he was gone.

I heard the wall crack before I'd even looked up and then the howl of an angry lion. When I turned and saw Victor, the fear I'd felt before instantly vanished. He'd partcially shifted. He wasn't man nor beast, but a mixture of the two. His eyes, wild with rage, had turned golden brown with slit pupils. A mane of black fur had replaced his hair. Even his face had transformed. His nose had become longer, and thicker. More animal than human. His lips curled back to reveal long thick fangs and his hands were now claws. He should have looked terrifying but to me, he was beautiful.

Liam was holding him back from lashing out at Marcellus whom he'd flung across the room. Victor was growling and snarling, trying to get around Liam, to get to Marcellus. I had no doubt that he would have killed him had Liam not restrained him. Marcellus had done the unthinkable. He threatened the mate of a newly bonded alpha. It was stupid. Even for a Vampire. I don't think he planned to harm me really, he was just trying to expose the mark, to see if it was true but that didn't excuse his actions. He should have known better.

As soon as Victor had returned to his fully human form, I was in his arms. Shaking, tears streaming down my face, and ready to collapse from the stress of it all. Victor wrapped his arms around me and I calmed... a bit. We should have asked for a recess. I needed a moment to recover from the shock and fear but I wanted to get this over with. All I wanted at that point, all I needed was Victor. I wanted to be curled up with him somewhere, wrapped in his arms, safe and away from everyone else. I was getting overwhelmed and anxious but we couldn't just leave yet. My father had asked me a question and I had to answer so there could be no doubt that Victor was mine.

I suppose I was still in shock from everything that had happened. Not just at the meeting but before. Before I'd ever ran and found Jai. I'd never really given myself the time to process everything that had happened since that night. I hadn't given myself time to be angry, to grieve, to feel. I had been in survival mode but now I was beginning to feel the weight of it all pressing down on me. Facing my father now was just more coal on the fire. I needed to go, needed to get away. The room was starting to close in on me, the air too hard to breathe. I might as well as have been sealed in a coffin because I suddenly felt as though I were being buried alive.

Victor must have sensed my building anxiety because he seamlessly slid in closer beside me and put a strong arm around my shoulders and held me tightly against him. That little bit of contact had seemed to ease my fears and calmed my racing heart. I knew it wouldn't last though, not until we were away from that h0tel and someplace where I actually felt safe and secure. For a newly bonded omega, that's exactly what I needed. Just time alone with my mate. Just me and Victor, someplace quiet and stress free.

"This is not negotiable." Father said. His voice pulling out of the memories and back to reality. His eyes cold and unyielding, were now trained on Jonah.

"You don't command me, old man." Jonah hissed. "You, are not my King."

My father snarled but remained calm. His restraint was impressive. No one spoke to the King that way. It seemed Jonah had some balls after all.

"Jonah, control yourself." Liam warned. "We're on neutral grounds. Both sides agreed not to fight."

"I don't want a fight." Jonah said. "I just want things as they were. I never expected Ash would be returning with us, let alone two more."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Victor narrowed his eyes as he took a step toward Jonah, his posture fierce, threatening.

"It means that Ash isn't one of us. He doesn't belong in our Pride and he most certainly doesn't belong in our family."

"He's my mate." Victor growled. "He belongs with me."

"Then maybe you don't belong in the Pride either." Jonah hissed.

"That's enough!" Liam stepped up to Jonah, so close they were nearly touching. Victor took a step back, pushing me behind him. Even my father waved his people away. The power rolling off Liam now was frighting and overwhelming. Jonah had no choice but to submit though he struggled not to.

"If you allow this," Jonah said, "I'll leave. I won't be part of a Pride that opens it's doors to leeches and liars."

Behind me I heard hisses and growls but my father only raised a hand, silencing his people. He remained calm, removing himself from the situation and becoming nothing more than an observer. His message was clear. This was a fight between two very powerful lions, a Pride matter that required no interference.

Liam's expression didn't waver in the slightest. "Then leave." He growled. "Anyone who can't stand with us is free to walk away at anytime."

Jonah's face twisted into something between heartbreak and betrayal. "You would really choose Vampires over your own Pride? Over your own blood?"

Liam sighed. "I'm not choosing anything over the Pride. This isn't about choosing sides, its about doing what's right. Ash is a part of the Pride now. He's Victor's mate, Jai's brother, and so he is family, whether you like it or not."

Jai stepped forward then, placing a hand gently on Jonah's arm. "Jonah, please. Think of the family. Your mother, your sister..."

"Shut up." Jonah snarled, jerking his arm away. "You're part of the problem. Lying to us the whole time about who and what you really are."

Jai paled.

"And Ash," Jonah continued his rant. "He's just like you. Hiding things, lying to everyone. None of this would have happened if he'd just been honest from the start. If he'd told Gerard the truth about Niklas--"

"That's enough!" Victor's voice boomed, low and dangerous. "Say one more word against my mate and I'll bleed you where you stand." Victor stepped closer, eyes burning with rage. Not even Liam stepped between them this time. Instead, he moved Jai back and out of the way.

I froze. My pulse pounding in my throat. The walls were suddenly too close, the air too thin. My mind was spinning. Jai was at my side, speaking softly to me but I barely heard him.

Gerard, my father, who had been watching Jonah with mild interest, was now staring at me.

"What truth?" His voice was quieter than before but it still cut through the room like a blade, piercing my heart.

I couldn't speak.

"Ashlynn!" My father bellowed. "You will answer me this instant! What did Niklas do?"

"Nothing." I choked. "I mean--Please, I just want to go." I looked at Victor, pleading with my eyes. "Victor, can we just--"

"You're not leaving." My father narrowed his eyes, walking toward me. "Not until you answer me. Not until I know what happened. What really happened."

"I can't." I whimpered, tears flooding my eyes. "Please, I can't..."

"I'm your father. I deserve the truth."

I took a step back, crashing into Victor's strong chest. Instantly his arms wrapped protectively around me. My fingers twisted in the hem of my shirt. "Please..."

Gerard's voice was firmer now, but not cruel. He spoke to me not as my King but as a father, concerned and fearful for his child. "Ash, son, talk to me. Tell me the truth. What happened that night?"

And just like that, every memory I had tried so hard to bury clawed its way back up to the surface again.

Victor looked down at me, "Are you alright?" He whispered.

I nodded, though I was pretty fucking far from alright.

My hands were shaking. I hadn't noticed at first. Just a tremble, barely more than a flutter. But now my whole body felt cold and tight, like a glass statue with building pressure, ready to crack. The walls were closing in around me. The voices around were too loud and my father's stare too heavy.

'What did Niklas do?'

That question echoed in my skull like a war drum. Victor held me close. I could feel his arms around me but he felt far away. Everything was far away.

I couldn't breathe.

The scent of wine still lingered in the air. The smooth, dark, surface of the table shone under the lights but none of it seemed real.

I wasn't in the conference room, safely in my mates arms. It was all an illusion, a trick of the mind. I was back home in my father's mansion. Back in my own room where I was supposed to be safe but wasn't because he was there, Niklas. Smiling like a deranged God. Moving toward me, reaching for me. I moved father away but he wouldn't stop. "You're mine." He had told me, his voice silken and monstrous, pressing down on me as I screamed. But no one came.

"You will learn your place." His hands were around my throat, choking me. He pushed me down on the bed, one hand pinning my arms above my head, his grip so hard it bruised my wrists. I tried to fight him off but I was only half conscious. He continued to squeeze my throat, sending a blinding flash of pain through my head. Everything around me was sliding in and out of focus. I was certain that he was going to kill me. I was going to die and no one would know. Would he hide the body? Dump me in the sea? My father would think I'd run away, never knowing the truth.

But, just as I had accepted my fate, the pressure around my throat was gone and I could breathe again. My relief was short lived though. I remembered the sound of fabric ripping as he tore my shirt open. I was still foggy, still trying to make sense of what was happening. Even as he ripped my pants down and off my legs it hadn't really registered, not until I heard the clinking of his belt open did it finally dawn on me what he intended to do.

My eyes went wide with fear and horror, my heartbeat so loud I thought I might actually die from the sound alone. Niklas crawled onto the bed, hovering over me.

"No!" I cried, begged. "Please, don't do this!"

"It's my right." He sneered. "To take you anytime and anyway I want. You're my mate and you will learn to obey me."

I tried to move away but he pinned me down under his weight. Still, I fought, hitting his chest with my fists until my knuckles bled. I screamed, cried, and clawed at his flesh even as he forced my legs apart, his nails biting into the soft flesh of my inner thighs.

"Shut up!" He demanded. "Hold still."

Like hell I would. I'd fight him until my last breath. I wanted him to know that if he did this, he did it against my will. I would never submit to him freely, never.

He held my thigh, just under my knee and pushed my leg up. He leaned over me. His cock, rock hard and dripping, was held firmly in his hand as he lined himself up, nudging the head forward. I could feel it pressing against me and then, in one hard, violent move, he thrust forward, into me. No preparation, no lubricant, just brutal, vicious, searing pain.

I screamed. It felt like I was being ripped in half. I begged him to stop. I told him he was hurting me but my pain only seemed to turn him on more. He enjoyed my suffering.

I turned my head, unable to even look at him now, and tried to focus on something else, anything else. Anything but what he was doing to me.

He continued to thrust into me, pounding against me, over and over again. I had fought so long and so hard that I could barely move. My arms felt heavy so I fisted the sheets of the bed, ripping through them with my clawed hands. It was all I could do.

My hand slid up through the ruined bedding to the pillow above and when my fingers slipped beneath, I felt the hot sting of silver. That's when I remembered the dagger. I reached out and grabbed the hilt, gripping it tight.

Niklas gave one final thrust, grunting like an animal as he came. He released my leg and leaned over me, capturing my jaw in his hand. He held my face, painfully tight, preventing me from turning away then pressed his lips to mine, forcing a tainted and vile kiss. I gagged. Bile rising up my throat and choking me but when he pulled back, his eyes went wide.

I used every ounce of strength I had left and plunged the blade into his chest. His mouth opened, he screamed in pain and rage. His hands flew to his chest, clawing at the silver blade burning through flesh and bone and organs. I shoved him hard and he rolled off me, landing on his back, still struggling to remove the dagger.

I heard the clank of metal as it hit the floor. Blood spurted from the gaping wound in his chest. He gurgled curses at me but I was already off the bed, struggling to get dressed again just as two guards came rushing into the room, alerted by his screams. Funny how my own screams had gone unnoticed, or ignored. Yet, when and alpha screams, everybody comes running.

I pushed past them, running through the room, refusing to obey their orders to stop. I ran out of the bedroom and into the outer chamber and right into my father's arms. The alarm on his face was unsettling. I could only imagine what was going through his mind as he held his half naked, sobbing child, drenched in blood.

He demanded to know what had happened and I opened my mouth to answer but the words would not come. They were there, on the tip of my tongue. "He... he..."

But then, my body gave out. I was surrounded by darkness and blessed silence and then... nothing at all.

As the memory faded, I realized that I was again in the conference room. Shaken and scared, I stumbled backward, away from my father, away from Victor, away from the memories. My chest was caving in. I clutched at it, wishing I could dig my nails into my own skin and claw the memories out.

"I... can't... please..." My voice cracked, low and paper thin, barely audible.

Victor was there in a heartbeat. "Ash, baby, look at me."

His hands were on my arms, warm and grounding but I was already unraveling. My breath hitched, my knees buckled.

"He... he..." I gasped, the words tumbling out, almost incoherently.

Victor pulled me into his chest before I could fall. "Shh," he whispered. "It's okay. I've got you, baby. You're safe."

But was I? Would I ever be?

Victor wrapped his arms tighter around me, as if he could hold my shattered pieces together. "You don't have to say anything else. Not right now."

I looked up at him, tears blurring my vision. "Victor?"

"I'm here, Ash. I've got you."

Time and place held no meaning for me anymore. I was there in Victor's arms, then back in my old room, sobbing in my father's arms. Back and forth until I could no longer tell past from present, memory from reality. The only thing going through my mind was that one single moment before I had collapsed in my father's arms. Three words that were left unspoken. Three words that could have changed the course of all our lives. I should have said them then but I was too weak, too broken.

I wasn't anymore.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and said what I should said that night. The three words that could set me free. "He raped me. Niklas raped me."

My legs gave out completely but Victor caught me, lowering us both to the floor. I buried my face in his chest and screamed, a raw, broken sound that cracked something open in the room, in me, in everyone.

I didn't care anymore.

It was out now. The grief, the shame, the rage. All of it. It was everywhere, choking me like smoke in a burning building.

And Victor... he just held me, rocking slightly, murmuring in my ear softly.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, over and over again. "I'm so sorry--I should have done something, fought harder..."

"No." Victor said, voice calm, soothing, like he was talking to an injured animal. "No, honey. You did nothing wrong. He did. It was him, not you. You did nothing wrong..."

My eyes blurred over with tears. My father was standing over me suddenly and the look on his face was of complete and utter horror. Before it even registered what was happening, I found myself looking up at the face's of Liam's Pride. Jai was holding my hand. My father was beside him, looking down at me. The alarmed voices of those around me merged into a singular congestion of unintelligible noise that grated on my nerves.

"Back up!" Victor growled. "Give him some space."

Yes, space. That's what I wanted. Space. Empty space. Only Victor beside me. I laid my head back and closed my eyes, shutting everything but Victor out of my mind. Only his touch, his voice, the sound of his breath above me. I let it lull me into a sense of relief and the rest of the world just... disappeared.