King Bailey POV
I stand beside my mate as she regards the young man in the cell with wide eyes. I can hear the shallowness of her breathing and hear the racing of her heart as she stares at Damien. I wish I could just take her away from this, but she insisted on this meeting and I keep myself from reacting as he speaks to her.
"Riley, I was hoping you would come to see me."
She blanches and then steps closer, her eyes raking over him. "Why Damien?" her voice is soft and puzzled "I would have thought that you would be angry with me considering that you were tortured and almost killed because of what I did."
He bowed his head "I was" he admitted in a low voice as I tried to keep myself from snarling at the bastard "when I managed to escape, all I could think about was getting my revenge on you. It filled my thoughts day and night. It's all I could dream about. I spent more and more time in my wolf form, bloodthirsty, my anger growing out of control. I blamed you for everything. I blamed you for our father's death. I blamed you for existing. I blamed you for everything that had gone wrong in my life."
I saw Riley's crooked smile "there's the Damien I know," she said sarcastically as he blinked at her "I was always the scapegoat. It didn't matter what I did, I could never get you to like me, let alone love me. You've always hated me," she said, narrowing her eyes "even though as siblings we should have done our best to protect each other. But whatever father told you to do, you did it. What is it about me that you find so repulsive?" she questioned softly, her hands clenching into fists "because I'm having trouble finding that it was just because I was half siren. You hated me beyond just that" she reiterated.
Damon's eyes are dark as he regards her. "I don't hate you now," he says softly, glancing down at the ground "all my anger is gone. As soon as I heard that song, it was like I was brought back to myself. I could think clearly again for the first time in forever. You brought me back to myself," he said solemnly.
"That doesn't answer my question" Riley breathes "and I'm not sure I believe you. The Damien I grew up with would lie to get what he wanted. I never forgot that."
He looks ashamed. "Riley, I know that I did a lot of terrible things" he began.
I couldn't help myself "you son of a bitch you put a dog collar on her" I growled, even as Riley shot me a warning glance, urging me to be quiet as I fought back my temper "not to mention abused her."
Damien's eyes slide to mine "Yes" he agrees without compunction "I did and if I could take it back I would but I was afraid" he admitted, making me exhale in disbelief while Riley let out a scornful laugh.
"Afraid" she sneers "afraid of what? Father never laid a single finger on you as far as I could tell. You were his favorite. The golden child. He would grant you anything you asked."
Damien shifted on his feet. "Do you think that I didn't have a reason to fear the very man who killed our mother?" he said and I heard Riley's sharp intake of breath.
"Our mother died giving birth to me" she denied, shaking her head.
Damien's smile was filled with sadness as he gazed upon his sister "I was old enough to see it. She didn't die giving birth Riley. He kept her alive because she gave birth to a son first and men can't inherit the siren side."
She glanced at me and I nodded confirming that. Damien took a deep breath "but when you were born, he went crazy. He didn't want a daughter. As soon as he saw your hair, he knew that you had inherited the siren part of your lineage from your mother. Mother's siren side wasn't strong, her hair was almost black in color, it was so watered down that father hoped no children would be born with it. But your hair" he paused and shook his head "it meant you would be strong and possess more power than our mother had. He killed her Riley" he said, and I sensed he wasn't lying by the grief-stricken expression on his face "right in front of my eyes. He strangled her to death so she couldn't use her voice to prevent him. I watched her struggle and claw at his face, trying to get free and I watched the light go out of her eyes. Our father murdered our mother. It was that day that I realized he was capable of anything."
"If that's true, then why didn't he kill me?" Riley demanded "if he was so afraid of my powers, then why didn't he kill me? He could have done it while I was a baby instead of constantly abusing me."
Damien's eyes were troubled "You were an experiment," he said in a low whisper as my lycan began to feel furious in my mind "he wanted to see if he could strike enough fear into you to control you. It almost worked" he pointed out as Riley's eyes shimmered with tears "I was under strict orders to cause as much pain as I could to you. I didn't dare disobey him" he said apologetically as Riley glared at him.
"Do you think knowing this is going to make any difference?" she says heatedly, as Damien reluctantly shakes his head "do you think that I'm going to magically forgive you for everything that you put me through because you claim you were forced to do it?"
"I wanted to tell you the truth" Damien burst out "god knows I don't deserve to be forgiven. Heck I killed innocent people in my feral wolf form because I couldn't control my rage once I got free. I don't deserve anything," he told Riley who was pacing back and forth now "but I wanted to go to my grave with a clear conscience."
That brought Riley to a halt "you think I would kill you?"
"I would if I were in your shoes," Damien told her honestly "I wouldn't take the risk that I would turn feral again. I would use my hatred and demand an execution. I never wanted your forgiveness, I just wanted to see you one last time before I went back to the moon goddess."
I saw a lone tear trail down Riley's cheek and used my finger to wipe it away, my chest tightening in pain for her. She whirled away from both of us, turning her back on the cell, her hands covering her eyes as soft sobs filled the room.
"Why" she screamed, turning back to Damien, her eyes wild and tormented looking "why did you have to tell me? Why couldn't you have just left me in peace? How am I supposed to kill someone whose innocent?" her voice broke "how am I supposed to kill my own flesh and blood as thought it's nothing?"
I could feel myself clenching my hands as I stared at my mate who was losing all of her composure.
"All I wanted was a family" she yelled, as Damien listened, a pained expression on his face "someone to love me, a sibling who I could confide in and instead I got you" she sobbed again. "There were times when I begged for death so that the pain would stop, did you know that" she cried, as I stood there mutely, wishing I could go to her and knowing she didn't want to be touched as she faced her brother down.
"I don't blame you. I'm sorry" Damien choked out "I wish I could take it all back but I can't. I wish I could turn back time but even if I did, I would still take the same path to save my own ass."
I glared at him but Riley was nodding and wiping her tears with the backs of her hands. She understood where he was coming from.
"If I had been in your shoes, I might have done the same thing, and I hate myself for that," she said hiccuping "because part of me wants to be different from you. Wants to deny the blood relation between us."
"Do it" Damien said without remorse "if that's what it takes to earn even a smidgeon of your forgiveness then do it."
But Riley was openly crying now as I reached out and took her into my arms. "All this time and you didn't say a word" she wept "how am I supposed to believe you now. Part of me can hear the truth, the siren part of me hears and sees you" she cried "but the shifter side is angry and filled with rage. It's tearing me in two" she wailed, as I held on tight, unable to do anything to help her.
Suddenly she lets out a scream. I watched in shock as white light poured from her mouth. Damien was crying and his tears were floating from his eyes to the light which turned into a small cyclone that swept over his body. I blinked in shock as Riley collapsed in my arms, her eyes anxiously going to Damien.
We look over and the cyclone disappears. Damien stands there, but his hair is changed. Now it's a turqoise blue. What the fuck just happened?