Chapter 7 Chapter 7 The Truth
“Tell me you're mine!” he whispered in my ear.
“I am yours, forever!” I declared. He fucked me three more times that night, and I still wanted more.
“My little Vixen loves pain,” he grinned, licking my neck where he had bitten me. I wanted him to do it again.
I woke up in his bed; he had carried me back to his bedchambers after I had fallen asleep. I stretched and yawned, just as Lydia was walking in, “Ready for your bath?” she asked. “These are the last of your things,” she had an arm full of my clothes. She busied herself putting them away in his closet. I noticed that all of my belongings were neatly placed in their designated places, even my rocking chair, which was now on my side of his bed, all now part of our shared sanctuary.
But something tugged at me. I had almost forgotten about my bag of things that I had gathered from my village the night of the attack, which was still hidden in the deep brush. Amidst the sense of belonging, a nagging feeling persisted– I had left the precious bag of my village treasures behind. I had to retrieve them! I needed them now! I quickly dressed and ran past Lydia to the throne room to tell him that I needed to go, but first I needed Rryan’s permission to leave the grounds.
As I reached the door, the fierceness of their voices halted me in my tracks. I heard yelling– Ryan and an unknown man were engaged in a heated argument. I stood there frozen, listening intently as I tried to make sense of the intense exchange, unfolding just behind the walls.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” the other man yelled.
“I am the King, I will do as I please!” He yelled back, slamming his fist against the arm of his throne. The sound carried throughout the kingdom.
I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth to cover it. I thought, who was so bold to be yelling at the King like that? Lydia had caught up to me, quickly grabbing my hand, pulling me back away from the door. Come, child, before they find you here!
“W-What's going on?” I asked while being pulled back to my room, which was now empty. She looked around.
“I am losing my mind!” she sighed and grabbed my hand once more, bringing me to our new shared room.
What’s wrong?” I asked again, this time very concerned.
“Who was that man who was arguing with Rryan?” I asked.
“His Father!” she said, pacing.
My mouth flew open, while my eyes grew wide. Now I understood his boldness with the King.
“Does she even know who she is?” he yelled.
“She knows enough!” Ryan yelled back.
“It is done! I have mated with her, and she bares my mark!” Then he spoke more softly.
“My bloodline will remain pure, just as yours did all those years ago.” He took a needed breath. “Is it not the same as what you did with her mother? Was she not also your…” he paused, worrying about how that statement would land. “Mate too!”
“She is my betrothed, what was I to do?” With that, his father grew silent.
“Does she know?” he whispered.
“No, not everything, I will tell her what she needs to know when the time is right.”
Ryan turned his back and walked away.
“It is done!” Kayla whispered as she watched from afar. He has claimed and mated with her. As she had seen in her visions. She will soon bare his child, which will change everything.
I stood in the bathroom, looking in the mirror, waiting for Lydia to finish drawing my bath.
“What is this?” I asked while touching the blue symbol glowing on my neck, pulsating to the rhythm of my heartbeat.
“You now bare the mark of the King, child. He has claimed you as his mate.” She turned to smile at me proudly.
She went back to fixing my bath water and adding the herbs.
“He told me that you showed him what I taught you; he was well pleased.”
I blushed hard, remembering him devouring me, and me begging for more.
“What does this mean for me?” still staring at the pulsating symbol in awe.
“It means that it's high time you find out who you really are.” She retrieved the book that Rryan had tucked away, high on the top shelf.
She climbed back down and handed me the book. I carefully read the words, pausing on my mother’s name. It was a book about his life. Lady Maya, my mother, was described as the King's only true love, his mate! I couldn’t wrap my head around what I was reading. I couldn’t breathe or think straight. I paused, looking at Lydia,
“Does this mean?” I was so confused.
“Keep reading…” she smiled.
He described her as his beloved companion, his heart's desire, the only one he would ever love. His Mate! I couldn’t believe what I was reading.. Could it be true? My father's words came back to me again,
“Forgive me for not telling you the truth.”
I kept reading, their bond was unbreakable, a flame that burned bright and true, even in the face of death itself.
I didn’t understand. My mother, the King’s, but what about me? The words on the pages seemed to etch themself in my brain, refusing to be denied.
I felt a presence behind me and turned to see Rryan standing in the doorway, with a look of concern etched on his face.
“Syla, what’s wrong?” he asked, rushing to my side. I felt you worrying about our connection. I came as fast as I could. Then he saw the book in my hand.
I couldn’t speak, couldn’t form words. All I could do was point to the book, to the page that undone my whole world. His eyes followed mine, and he nodded as if he had known all along.
“It’s all true,” he whispered. “Your mother was his everything.”
His lips brushed against my skin; his scent was intoxicating. I couldn’t resist the pull. A heavy mix of musk with a strong scent of something that smelled like deep sexual desires, an earthy scent that drew me in like a moth to a flame. It left me in a dreamy place where he was the only male I'd ever want or need. He spoke ancient words that calmed my worries and eased my concerns. Only he mattered now. Only he mattered now; everything else was just noise.
My arms circled his neck as I lifted myself, wrapping my legs around him. He carried me to our bed with a grin.
“There’s my little flame,” he smiled.
“Tell me, little flame,” he whispered, his fingers tracing the curve of my neck, where he had marked me.
“What did you learn from the book?”
I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice.
“I learned about your father,” I stammered.
“King Danyel Niklaus DeLacroix”
His eyes narrowed, “And what did you learn about him?” his voice low and curious. He watched me carefully.
I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal, but something in his eyes told me that I could trust him with my life, soI spoke the truth.
“I learned that he loved my mother more than life,” I spoke softly.. Still worried about where I fit into their lives.
Rryans expression softened. He had read my thoughts, he knew. His eyes filled with deep emotions as he began to tell the same tale his father told years ago.
“Yes,” he whispered. “My father’s love for your mother was legendary,” he smiled.
“But what you don’t know is, she was already pregnant with you when they first met. William was your father, but he was not her mate.” he waited for that to sink in. I stared at him, wanting to know more.
He spoke softly as he pulled me tight to him.
“Your mother was mated to my father, but she never took the throne. Instead, she went to live with William, but still came to my father's bed, where he could feed on her sexualy like we do.” he smiled, licking my chin, which made me giggle.
“She was considered his Royal Feeder,” he continued. “The only one my father would ever feed on.”
“But why didn’t my mother stay with your father if they were mates?” I was very confused.
“Because she wanted you to grow up knowing your father. But my father was her true love.” he didn’t know how much of the tale to tell her; he felt bad being dishonest. But it was for her own good.
“She would come daily for his feedings, she remained his mate until the day she died.
Then he took my hand and led me to a lavish garden behind the pyramid. There were flowers that I had never seen before, all so very beautiful, then I saw it, my mother's small tomb, in the center of the garden. With benches around it for those who came to pray.
I slowly knelt next to her grave. I had never had a place to sit with her. A gentle breeze blew my hair across my face. Rryan stepped back to give me some privacy.
Tears flowed down my face as I spent most of the day here with her, telling her everything.
Ryan came back to check on me. I was sitting on the bench now.
I looked up at him with worried eyes as he wiped my tears away.
“Does he want to see me?”
“Yes, that's why he came.”
There was a long silence, my gaze never left his.
“What happens now with us?” That question was loaded, and he knew what that meant; it meant that I had figured it out, I knew. I asked but I was scared to hear the answer.
“What do you want to happen?” he held me tight, whispering into my ear.
“I want nothing to change. I want to be yours forever!” I looked deep into his eyes, my love for him unwavering.
“Then that's how it shall be,” he smiled at me, kissing my lips passionately. We were bound in so many ways. I was born bound to him, and now I bare his mark as his mate.
“I love you, Syla. I always have. I searched for you after she died. But i couldn’t find you. William had moved, taking you with him, and no one knew where,” he groaned. “I thought that I had lost you forever, until I saw you kneeling before my throne.”
I buried my face in the nape of his neck, remembering that day. Tears flowed again.
“So that's how you knew my name.” I smiled, and he nodded. “I recognized your scent immediately. You were all grown up, but your scent was the same.” He looked away. “The man who took you is dead. I killed him that same night.”
I knew he’d never let anyone survive who hurt me.
He carried me to our bed chambers, the sound of him tearing my nightgown off of me was music to my ears.
“I love you too,” I whispered in his ear.