Darius
All night I wasawake. I couldn’t sleep. I had completely forgotten about the true meaning of keeper. She would know our darkest secrets, even the ones not even my mates knew, and some I kept were unforgivable. I was too ashamed to tell them, too afraid they would run from me if they knew the sort of monster I truly was. I could feel her so easily through the bond, feel her fear as she lived through what Kalen endured.
Feel her burning anger at what they did to him. I wondered what she would think of my past, how much she would turn against me once the truth was out. We all had secrets, but none of them kept the secrets I did. None of them had done what I did.
They all thought they were monsters. I was the biggest monster of all. Hearing the door push open, I see Lycus walk in. His wolf sniffed the air before coming over to the bed. He climbed up, laying across Kalen and me. I stroke his fur, and he purrs, resting his head on Kalen’s lower back, his tail swishing back and forth in the air happily. Tobias flicked his wrist toward the door closing it before turning his attention back to me.
Tobias watched me. I could feel his eyes on me, feel his burning curiosity. I knew he was also worried about Aleera knowing his past, knowing about his brother. At the same time, he wanted answers too. Some part of him wanted her to know what she took from him. He may act like he has forgiven her, but I know he hasn’t. I could feel it festering inside him, yet the bond was irresistible, and he was done fighting it.
We all had lost something because of her, maybe not directly because of her, but what would happen when they learned everything started with what I did. All of it was my fault. Everything that happened was my fault. I never should have gone looking for her. If I had known whose daughter she was, I would have waited until she came of age before seeking her out.
I was not expecting her father to answer that door. What were the chances that I would be bonded to my father’s greatest enemy’s daughter? Aleera was his best-kept secret, but knowing what I know now. I was certain he was the one that unleashed the plague. Hearing a commotion downstairs, Kalen jumped, sitting upright.
I grip Lycus’s fur as he growls and stands glaring at the door. Tobias gets up. “For crying out loud. What now?” Tobias growls, stalking toward the closet. Shaking my head, I push Lycus back so I can get up before kissing Kalen when he rolls off me. Getting up, I walk to the dresser.
“Wait here,” I tell Lycus and Kalen. I grab a tank top, pulling it on before walking out of the room and down the corridor. Tobias cursing as the racket grew louder as the recruits freaked out about something downstairs.
“What time is it?” I asked Tobias. He pulls his phone out of his pocket. “5 am,” he growls, shaking his head. We walked down the stairs to the next level. The recruits were freaking out about something, and I could see them all looking out the windows. Some even rushed back up the stairs to their rooms.
“What the fuck is going on?” I boomed, leaning over the banister and looking at the ground floor. They all froze, looking up at us, and Tobias cursed while a few pointed out the windows. All of them are too stunned to speak, and Tobias growls.
“Back to your rooms!” Tobias snapped, his voice echoing like a thunderclap, and they took off.
Waiting for the stampede of men to scatter, we descended down to the next level. Grabbing one of the stragglers, I yanked him toward me.
“What is going on?” I snarled at him, and his mouth opened and closed like a fish as he shook. I shoved him away, looking up to see haunted peering faces staring back at us.
“You call yourselves an army?” I bellowed angrily.
Tobias turned toward the double doors. Some ran. Others shrieked when someone on the top level spoke up. “I wouldn’t go out,” he said, and Tobias froze, looking at me and I, him. He looked out the windows, and I moved to the wide double doors and glanced out but saw nothing.
“Fucking bunch of pussy’s,” Tobias snapped. He shoves the doors open and stalks outside, and so do I.
“I swear if this is a fucking prank, I am opening veins,” Tobias snapped as we stepped outside.
Looking around, we saw nothing. Shaking my head, we started walking toward the huge obstacle course to find what they were scared of.
“You have been quiet tonight,” Tobias states, nudging me.
“Just thinking,”
“You’re worried about her finding out her parents are alive,” Tobias says, and I sigh. That wasn’t what I was worried about.
“You might as well tell me. We will find out anyway,” Tobias says as we stop at the edge of the obstacle course. “What the fuck is that?” Tobias says, looking at the climbing wall. He points, and I follow his finger to notice something torn apart and bloody perched on top of the wall.
Sniffing the air, it was definitely blood. I growl, stalking toward it to see better, yet the closer we got, the more unidentifiable it became.
“You going to answer?” Tobias asked as we climbed the hill toward the center of the obstacle course.
“What if I did kill someone?” I ask, and Tobias stops. He looks at me, and I look toward the forest, unable to meet his gaze.
“I think she would understand you killing your father, Darius,”
“Not him,” I admit. Tobias seems taken aback, and his shock hits me through the bond. I swallow, and he steps closer before grabbing my arm and shaking me.
“What did you do?” he snarls.
“I killed him,” I tell Tobias. Though I had a reason, it was also a reason for her to hate me when she found out.