Page 122 of The Chains You Defy

“No, I'm not.”

Shaking my head, I contemplated which insult to hurl at her when my world stopped turning, and I froze. All sound vanished, deafened by my blood roaring in my ears. My vision was tinted red after I’d spotted something worse than Danartha could ever be, and the beast in me roared its ugly head. Magic leaked from me, an unconscious reaction as my surroundings faded away.

Like through a tunnel, I stared at my Nayana, who was dancing with Thain.

Earlier, when I’d realized she’d spent time much too close to Cantarlann, I’d been furious to no end. But compared to what I was witnessing now, it had been nothing.

Nothing.

My deep-seated hatred for Thain exploded, coated every inch of me, and my subconscious screamed in cacophonous cadences, urging me to neutralize the threat he posed once and for all.

But as much as I wanted to tear him into tiny pieces and fuck my female on top of his remains, the last thread of reason held.

Barely.

Not only did my fantasy of Thain’s demise and the potential events following the action have the flaw that Naya wouldn’t be thrilled or that said act would have the same outcome as if I disposed of Danartha, but the disgust battling the choir of howls in my head kept me immobile.

How could I confess my deepest feelings to Nayana and then incinerate my chance to convince her of theunfoundedness of her fears when I’d allowed another female to whisk me away only minutes after?

With the size of my blunder, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that she’d sought consolation in the arms of another male whom she…trusted, but still, my understanding of why she longed for solace couldn’t change how much I loathed her in another’s embrace, and especially his.

And she wouldn’t even look at me. She wasn’t sparing me a single glance. Instead, she was fixated on Thain’s soon-to-be-destroyed face, smiling, her cheeks rosy.

No.

“Scriosta.”

Fuck no.

Danartha sounded far away, and even if I’d cared for her a sliver of an inch, I would have ignored her.

She was of no significance.

None at all.

This was it at last. My breaking point.

No more pondering.

No more outside control, like I’d allowed all those centuries.

No more following my grandfather’s every whim. Just because I couldn’t hurt him didn’t mean he owned me. After all, I could attack everything around him he held dear—his reign had started and was persisting thanks to me, even though he tended to forget that. And what would a king with no subjects to rule over be worth? I’d annihilate every single living soul opposing me if necessary.

Galrach believed I had no backbone? I’d fucking prove him wrong.

He would learn to fear me until he was begging for his death.

But first, my female.

My lips twisted into a half-smirk. My path was clear, and I was done questioning the timing.

Here and now was the only option.

Consequences be damned.

During the dance with Thain, I concentrated on the redhead and attempted not to waste a single thought on Dion, as hard as this was. Although I was unsuccessful in banishing him from my mind, at least I avoided seeking him out with my eyes.

Not once.