“Sometimes you say the most romantic things, Mr. Durand.”
His hands trail down to my ass, and he lifts me up against him. Walking us to the bed, he stops when he reaches the edge. “They don’t call me the god of love for nothing, little wolf,” he whispers along my neck before he sucks the delicate flesh into his hot mouth, eliciting a whimper from my lips.
“Etienne!” Ares’s voice booms through the thick wooden door, and Etienne’s response is a frustrated growl.
“Put some clothes on,” he orders me, before going to the door and pulling it open just enough for him to stick his head out. “What the fuck are you cock blocking me for, man?”
“Tarian’s here. Rukaiya and you, downstairs now.” And with that, Ares is gone.
I’m almost dressed, slipping on my shoes, when Etienne turns to regard me.
“It’s a shame,” he tells me. “You look so much better naked, but for my eyes only.” He winks cockily before sliding an arm around my shoulders and leading me out of the bedroom and down the hallway to the staircase, where we can hear people gathered in the living room.
Nervous would be an understatement. I’m not used to being around so many people, even if it is the guys and Dahlia. But the moment we walk into the room, we find Isaac, along with his girlfriend, Thane, Yasmine, as well as Hilary.
This is going to be fun.
27
Etienne
“What’s going on?” I question, as Rukaiya and I make our way into the room. My hand locked with hers is noticeable, and I can read my mother’s expression turning sour the moment her eyes land on our joined hands.
“We need to talk about the contract that you so elegantly burned.” Mother speaks in her cold, standoffish tone, but it no longer bothers me like it used to. I always used to feel heartache when she was like this with me. No more. I’m grown up; I’m an adult, and I no longer have to see the disdain she has for me every day.
“There is no agreement, no contract.” I’m adamant in my words. “Tarian is not leaving the Sovereign. If Thane would like to run a faction of his own, that’s his prerogative, but this is the table that only allows four sons. Can you understand that, mother? Or would you like a glass of wine to assist you in listening to me?”
“Now, Etienne—”
I pin my father with a glare that shuts him up. “No, there is no longer a debate here. You’ve come here to help, but all you’re doing is making things worse. Why don’t you take your far too young for you girlfriend and go back to England?”
“That’s no way to talk to anyone in this room, Etienne.” Isaac’s voice is rigid, and I know he’s angry with me, but I don’t give a shit.
“We’ll leave you four to speak,” Ares suggests, pulling Dahlia along behind him. Thane and Yasmine offer us privacy, but Tarian doesn’t leave.
“Listen, man,” my best friend speaks finally. “This is what I need to do to find out who I am, or what I’m actually doing with this shitshow of a life.” He sounds dejected, pained, and I can’t stand to see the people I care about hurting. It’s who I am and I’m never going to change.
“I get that, and you can do all of that, but you’re not walking away from your seat.” I meet his stare, hoping he’ll agree with me. “This isn’t a game that you can walk away from because you’re tired of it, we’re here, you are family.”
“Yes, you are my family, and I’d like you to respect my wishes. I’m not leaving forever.” His earnest words make me feel more at ease. I understand that need to figure out what you’re doing in life, I wanted to run away so many times, I wanted to leave and never come back. At least Tarian’s promising to return.
“We can’t do this without you,” I tell him, and he grips my shoulder in solidarity before he nods and leaves me with my mother and father, and the young woman who dad has decided to bring along.
“What is she doing here?” Mother sneers, her gaze on Rukaiya, and I pull her into my side. It’s my response. My mother’s eyes widen as she regards us before they narrow. “She’s not taking a Crown. This is ridiculous. I never wanted you to be involved in all these childish games that the adults are playing.”
“Well, it’s a bit late for that. And the girl by my side is who I choose, Mother,” I tell her with confidence I never truly felt when I was around her. She has a big personality, one that takes over the room if you let it.
“She’s not—”
“Her father is Thanatos Calvert; he may not be an Elder, but he’s blood of the Sovereign. The same way Dahlia took her father’s seat at the table. Philipe, along with the rest of us, have decided that it’s a new era. And nothing you say or do will change that. You’re nothing to the Sovereign. You’ve made it perfectly clear that it was something you never wanted to be a part of.”