Chapter 38 Broken loyalties
DARIAN
I storm out of the dining room barely seconds after Zeus slips away with Father. The weight of everything I just endured settles deep into my bones, and I need to get away from the suffocating silence that trails behind their departure.
Adrian is right behind me, but I don’t care. I’m not in the mood for company, not his smirks or his twisted kind of support.
The hallway stretches before me, dim and long, the shadows crawling along the walls like dark fingers trying to pull me under.
My fists clench tightly at my sides, knuckles turning white with the force. Anger simmers low inside me, a steady fire I can’t extinguish. The words from the dining room replay over and over in my head; Zeus’s betrayal, Father’s coldness towards me. How could he do that? How could he let it happen?
Without thinking, I slam my fist hard into the wall. The plaster cracks loudly beneath my knuckles, the sharp sting radiating up my arm but barely registering. I punch again, harder this time, needing to feel something other than this twisting ache.
Adrian’s voice cuts through the noise like a blade, calm and cocky. “You know, I’m not going to stop you,” he says, the arrogance dripping from every word. “You’re Lycan. Your wounds heal fast anyway.”
I spin around, eyes blazing with frustration. “Is that supposed to be funny?”
He shrugs, his smirk unshaken. “Nope. Just stating facts.”
I let out a heavy sigh, the tension in my chest tightening. “Why are you here, Adrian? Why do you even care?”
He hesitates for a moment, then shrugs again. “Because I wanted to make sure you’d be okay.”
Before I can respond, the sound of footsteps echoes down the hall. Kelvin appears, his brow furrowed in concern. “What’s going on? I heard banging.”
Adrian and I exchange a quick glance. I force my voice steady. “We’re good.”
Kelvin eyes us suspiciously but nods slowly. “Alright. Just checking.” He disappears back down the hall.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Adrian falls in step behind me as I head toward my study. I don’t tell him to stay away. He follows.
Once inside, I slam my fist against the leather seat of my chair. The chair doesn’t even budge under the force, and that only manages to fuel my anger more.
Adrian chuckles darkly. “Careful. Don’t want to break your hand on something that won’t give.”
I grit my teeth, eyes narrowing. “Say one more thing like that, and I swear I’ll hit you.” My voice is low, barely controlled. “You’re only making me angrier.”
He raises his hands in mock surrender, stepping back a little. “Okay, okay. No more fuel for the fire.”
I sink down into the chair, the exhaustion and rage crashing over me in waves. My hands tremble slightly as they rest on the armrests. The room feels smaller, suffocating. The polished wood of the desk gleams coldly under the dim light.
Everything feels broken. the family, the loyalty I thought was unshakable, the brother I once trusted. Zeus’s betrayal doesn’t just sting my pride; it rips something raw inside me, something deeper than I want to admit.
After a long moment, I speak, voice low and raw. “It’s Zeus.”
Adrian’s cocky mask slips for a second, replaced by something more serious. “What about him?”
I meet his eyes. “He’s not the brother I thought he was.”
The weight of those words settles over us like a dark cloud. I can feel it pressing down on my chest.
Adrian nods slowly. “I figured as much. It’s been obvious for a while, hasn’t it?”
I sink deeper into the chair, the leather creaking beneath me, but it doesn’t comfort. My hands rest heavily on the armrests, fingers twitching with frustration. I look at Adrian, trying to steady my voice before I say what’s been burning inside me.
“It’s Zeus,” I repeat, slower this time, almost like saying it aloud gives it power. “He’s the one who told Father about Iris.”
Adrian blinks, clearly surprised. “How can you be so sure?” His cocky demeanor falters, replaced by genuine curiosity.
I lean forward, elbows on my knees, and lock eyes with him. “Because I know how Zeus operates. He’s been waiting for this moment, waiting for me to screw up or get caught, so he could step in.” I pause, swallowing the bitterness that curls in my throat. “And Father? He looked... pleased with him today. Like Zeus finally earned some kind of approval.”
Adrian frowns, the weight of my words sinking in. “Zeus always wanted the crown, didn’t he? I mean, it was obvious.”
I nod, my jaw tightening. “Yeah. But I thought there were limits, lines he wouldn’t cross. I thought, maybe, even he had some loyalty to the family.”
I laugh bitterly, a sound without humor. “Turns out, he’d cross every line if it meant getting what he wants. He’s been playing this game longer than I realized, and I was just a pawn.”
Adrian leans back, folding his arms, his eyes darkening. “So the whole thing with Iris, was it just another move on his chessboard?”
“Exactly.” I clench my fists until my nails dig into my palms. “Zeus used it to make me look weak, irresponsible. To make Father doubt me, to push me out of the way. And it worked.” My voice drops lower. “Father was practically glowing when he left the dining room with Zeus.”
Adrian’s expression hardens. “That’s cold. And calculated.”
“It is.” I run a hand through my hair, feeling the tight coil of rage and helplessness twisting inside. “Iris was supposed to be my secret. Something I protected no matter what. And Zeus betrayed that trust, dragged it into the light to destroy me.”
Adrian’s eyes flicker with something t, maybe caution. “So what now? What’s your move?”
I stare at the floor, mind racing. “I don’t know yet. I’m still trying to figure out what this means for all of us. For the family. I’m trying to figure out if Zeus ever cared about anything except the throne.”
The silence stretches between us, heavy with things left unsaid.
Adrian leans against the edge of my desk, eyes fixed on me. “You know, you owe me an apology.”
I blink, caught off guard. “Oh? And what for?”
“For blaming me earlier,” he says, voice smooth like silk. “That I went out and aired your dirty laundry to father.” He shrugs. “I’m not saying I was completely right in that argument, but still. You owe me.”
I smirk, folding my arms. “Funny, I was just about to say the same to you. You owe me one too.”
He quirks an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? For what?”
“For pretending you care in your own weird way,” I say, voice teasing. “And for not stopping me when I was ready to punch a hole in the wall.”
Adrian laughs, shaking his head. “Fair enough. Guess we both owe each other a non-apology apology.”
I grin. “Exactly. So, consider us even.”
He pushes off the desk, stepping closer. “Good. Because with you, that’s as close to an apology as we get.”
I roll my eyes but can’t hide the faint smile. “Don’t get used to it.”