Page 9 of Royal Beast (Royals of the Underworld #1)

DARCY

T he morning light filters through the blinds, illuminating every corner of Kellan’s pristine penthouse, reminding me, once again, of just how far out of my own element I am. Every line, every shadow in this place feels like him—sharp, unyielding, and impossible to ignore.

I don’t belong here and yet here I am, trying to carve out some small piece of normalcy amid all this cold luxury.

My days have been a careful balancing act since I’ve arrived.

Whenever Kellan’s around, I keep myself busy, making sure Rose is occupied with activities, keeping my hands full and my distance even fuller.

I don’t let myself linger in his gaze too long.

I keep our conversations polite and measured, always leaving just enough space between us to fool myself into believing I still have control.

Because the truth is, that first night when I let myself fall so easily back into bed with him, I lost some of my control.

And it’s infuriating. I promised myself I wouldn’t let him get to me, wouldn’t let myself fall back into the trap of his presence, his touch.

Now here I am, married to him, living under his roof, playing the role of his wife, all while trying to keep Rose from noticing the tension.

But he notices. I catch him watching sometimes, that slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth whenever I brush by him or leave the room with Rose in tow. I know he thinks it’s only a matter of time before I slip again. And maybe he’s right. But I’ll be damned if I make it easy for him.

A few days into our new arrangement, the three of us are having breakfast together. Rose is attempting to eat her toast, her fingers sticky with jam, while Kellan sips his coffee at the far end of the table, watching us with that irritating calm of his.

I keep my focus on Rose, listening to her chatter about her favorite cartoons and what she wants to do later.

I smile as I respond to her questions, keeping my replies light and polite whenever Kellan tries to pull me into conversation.

It's not that I want to ignore him. It’s that I need to, for my own sanity.

Kellan clears his throat, breaking the temporary peace. “I’ve arranged for a nanny to start looking after Rose,” he says casually, as if he’s simply suggesting I try a different brand of coffee.

The words slam into me, and I turn slowly to meet his gaze, my patience unraveling by the second. “A nanny?” I repeat, my words edged in disbelief. “I told you before we married, Kellan. I make the parenting decisions for Rose.”

He meets my gaze without flinching, that maddening confidence still intact. “And I agreed to respect your decisions where Rose is concerned, but a nanny isn’t negotiable. You’re busy with work, and Max isn’t here to watch her anymore.”

“I’m her mother,” I say, my voice rising. “I don’t need, or want, someone else raising my daughter.”

Kellan raises an eyebrow, unfazed. “A nanny won’t be raising her, Darcy. She’ll be helping you. You have a lot on your plate right now, and I don’t expect Max to rearrange his life to come here every day.”

I clench my fists under the table, trying to keep my voice steady. “Kellan, I’ve been doing just fine. I don’t need a stranger involved in our lives like this.”

For a moment he’s quiet, his gaze steady and unyielding. “I know you can take care of her. This is simply support, Darcy. And it’s happening whether you like it or not.”

I stare at him, struggling to keep my composure, but there’s no mistaking the finality in his tone.

And it’s that very finality that snaps something within me.

“I don’t care if you already hired her. That doesn’t make it right, and it doesn’t mean I’m just going to stand back and let you decide who stays with my daughter. ”

“But you’re my responsibility,” he says coolly, his eyes hardening. “And that means Rose’s care is something I have a say in.”

A stiff silence stretches between us, and I can see he’s not going to back down. A knot forms in my stomach as I realize I might have to find another way to handle this. But there’s no way I’m letting him win this easily.

As if on cue, a soft knock comes at the door.

Kellan stands up, giving me one last pointed look before answering it.

A bright-eyed young woman steps in, beaming with all the fresh excitement of a new job.

Kellan introduces her with a warm smile, rattling off her credentials as if hearing them will somehow convince me.

“Darcy, this is Elise. Elise, my wife, Darcy. Elise will be taking care of Rose during the day, and she’s more than capable. I’m sure you’ll find her helpful.”

I force a polite smile, exchanging pleasantries with Elise though I’m sure my expression is strained. Rose, oblivious, waves shyly at her from her seat. Kellan pats Elise on the shoulder in that easy, confident way of his before grabbing his coat and heading to the door.

“Have a good day,” he says, then he’s gone, leaving me alone with Elise and a simmering resentment.

The second his footsteps fade, I turn to her, holding my composure as best I can. “Actually, Elise,” I say, letting a hint of apology slip into my tone, “There’s been a change of plans. We’ll be enrolling Rose in preschool, so your services won’t be necessary after all.”

She looks momentarily taken aback but nods with professional understanding. “Of course, Mrs. Brannagan.”

After she leaves, I sit down with my laptop, ready to tackle this myself. There’s no way I’m letting Kellan or anyone else dictate what’s best for my daughter. But the more I search, the more reality sets in. This won’t be cheap.

I scroll through preschool websites, weighing tuition rates against my mounting annoyance.

There’s no way I can admit to Kellan that I might have bitten off more than I can chew with the preschool thing, but I’m not about to let him win this.

He can take my freedom, but he’s not controlling how my daughter is raised. Not without a fight.

Maybe I can arrange to work from home for part of the week. I’d need to go in for meetings, of course, and I have a lot of those. Frustration bubbles up, and I run a hand through my hair, tapping my foot as I think.

I’d taken the week off to adjust to the situation, giving Miranda as little information as possible, just enough so she wouldn’t worry. But now I wish I had the distraction of work to keep me from realizing how hopelessly entangled I’ve become in Kellan’s web.

The door clicks open, and I barely register Kellan’s footsteps until he’s standing just a few feet away, his eyes scanning the room in a way that instantly puts me on edge. I close my laptop, straightening up and steeling myself for whatever reason he’s come back so soon.

He raises an eyebrow. “Where’s Elise?”

My pulse quickens, but I hold his gaze with as much defiance as I can muster. “I told her we didn’t need her after all. I’ve decided to look at preschools instead.”

A heavy silence settles between us. Then, in one swift motion, he reaches over to the hook next to the door and grabs my car keys, tossing them onto the counter with a clatter. Then he grabs my wallet, plucks out the credit card he’d given me, and lays it down slowly beside the keys.

“If you want to go anywhere,” he says, his voice low, “or do anything that requires spending money, it will be with my permission.”

My cheeks burn. “So now you’re just cutting me off?”

He shrugs, a cold, dangerous glint in his eyes. “You want to be independent, fine. But under my roof, you will work with me or you will learn the consequences. If you refuse my help, you won’t be able to pick and choose when it suits you.”

The room suddenly feels too small, the walls closing in around me as I struggle to keep my expression neutral. My nails dig into my palms as my hands curl into fists. “You can’t control everything, Kellan.”

A smirk pulls at his lips. “You might be surprised.”

Kellan’s cocky smirk stirs something deep within me—something fierce and wild that refuses to lie down and take his orders.

I don’t think. I just act.

Scooping Rose up from her toys, I march past him, ignoring his look of mild surprise as I head straight to her bedroom. I shut the door firmly behind us and twist the lock. My heart pounds in my chest as I sit Rose down, taking deep breaths to push back the rising sense of panic.

I try to distract myself with Rose, arranging a little tea party on the floor with her stuffed animals.

But my mind races. How did I let myself agree to this arrangement, to Kellan’s false promises of independence when all he really wanted was to have me under his thumb and his control?

I glance at the locked door, wondering how long he’ll wait before he tries to drag us back into whatever twisted setup he’s orchestrated.

This isn’t what I wanted for Rose, nor is it the life I agreed to. The harsh truth hits me—I have no idea how to fix this.

As an hour drags by, each tick of the clock reminds me of how cornered I feel.

Rose is content, building block towers and stacking her toys, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing in my mind.

Every time I glance at her, guilt surges up, mixed with frustration.

I’d promised myself that I’d give her a stable life, but instead, here we are, locked away because I can’t bring myself to face Kellan.

Hiding out in her room with no plan is only stalling the inevitable.

With a sigh, I push myself up, smoothing down my clothes as I gather my thoughts.

I’ll have to talk to him eventually, if only to get some sense of control back, to show him that I won’t let him bulldoze over every part of my life.

I unlock the door and step out. Kellan is in the middle of the living room, phone to his ear, voice low and tense. He glances over as I approach, but instead of ending the call, his tone shifts.

“Yeah, I’ll be there. Just give me twenty minutes,” he says then hangs up, pocketing his phone with a frown.

“You’re leaving?” I demand, irritation spiking. Of course he’s off to handle some business emergency, conveniently avoiding the mess he’s left at home.

He straightens, not even attempting to hide his impatience. “Something came up. It’s important.”

“And this isn’t?” I snap.

He exhales, his jaw tightening. “I’ll be back soon, Darcy. We’ll discuss everything then.”

He reaches for his coat, and I know he’s going to walk out, leaving me with nothing but my frustration. As the door closes behind him, I grit my teeth, realizing that once again, I’m left without answers.

The moment Kellan’s gone, a calm settles over me, one that feels more like resolution than defeat. I’m done waiting around for him to throw another rule at me, done playing by terms he’s made crystal clear that he’ll change on a whim.

Rose looks up at me as I check on her, happily playing with her toys in her room. I gaze around the penthouse, searching for his study, the one room he didn’t show me.

His keys, his rules. But I’ll be taking back mine.

I find his office tucked away down the hall, the door locked, just as I suspected.

A thrill of determination courses through me as I pull a hairpin from my pocket and get to work, fiddling with the lock until I feel it click open.

Inside, his desk is neatly arranged, his laptop closed, a handful of expensive pens lined up like soldiers.

I quickly pry open a drawer, and there are my car keys and the credit card he thought he’d hold over my head.

Keys and card in hand, I walk back into Rose’s room and gather her in my arms. Her bright eyes are wide as I adjust her on my hip, her arms winding around my neck.

“Where are we going, Mama?” she asks, her voice curious.

“Somewhere else, baby,” I murmur, brushing a kiss over her hair.

Anywhere but here , I think to myself.

My pulse is steady as I head to the car. Whether Kellan likes it or not, I’m getting the hell out of here and not looking back.