Page 7

Annalise

C yrus has shown me cruelty from the day we encountered one another. And it has only grown since he brought me back. Especially since he forced me to watch my son be taken from a room without being able to hold him. I don’t think Cyrus himself can understand how everything he has done is cruel. Separating me from Ciel is the cruelest thing he could do. I can’t imagine how he thinks he can top that.

I exhale a trembling breath as I silently release the ties of Cyrus’s shirt. I recall easily how to undress the king. It was something I did every night when I was a slave. And now I do it again as I stand in the same room where Cyrus embedded his seal into my flesh over a year ago. My fingers are clumsy upon the fabric from the alcohol dampening my senses. I barely remember dinner, if I even ate anything. My lack of motor skills makes it difficult to complete this simple task, and Cyrus notices.

I tense as his fingers cover mine. His touch is gentle, holding me firm as I study my hand in his. I slowly lift my eyes to meet his, my heart beating faster when I see the lust behind his hooded gaze. My body relaxes slightly at the sight of something other than his rage directed towards me. But I also know from experience that Cyrus’s lust is something to be wary of.

It can cloud his judgment as it did when he got me pregnant.

His grip tightens slightly before he releases my fingers, stepping away from me. I watch him curiously, his white hair trailing down his back as he sits on the edge of the bed, his deep gaze studying me. His hair and eyes are features he passed onto Ciel. What I adore in my son, I fear in his father. I involuntarily pull the tatters of my dress closer together, and Cyrus’s eyes follow the movement. Instead of berating me like he normally would for such an action, he only heaves a deep breath.

“Why? Why did you run? Why did you betray me?” Cyrus gestures to me as he speaks. “You can’t even stand before me without shaking. If you are so fearful of me, why would you go against that instinct? Why didn’t you warn me? Why didn’t you stay?”

I don’t know how to answer. But I can feel my nails digging into my palms from the tight grip I have on my dress.

Cyrus senses my distress, waving his hand in irritation. “Speak, Anna. I won’t punish you for your words tonight.”

I still can’t bring myself to say anything. There are a number of reasons, none of which he will be pleased to hear, nor will he think are good enough to justify running away with his heir and leaving him for dead. And while he may say he won’t punish me, if I anger him too much, he just might kill me. That thought alone turns my tongue to lead in my mouth.

“Speak!” Cyrus shouts.

I flinch from the harshness of his tone, the sound forcing words from my lips.

“You don’t know what I endured in the hunters’ camp… what I saw in the king’s stronghold,” I say.

My memories come crashing down on me as I speak. I’ve worked hard over the past year to stuff the memories of my past away, especially what I saw in the hunter camp. It was horrendous, to say the least.

“The torture, the suffering, God, the blood… They were cruel and evil in so many ways, especially the king— the man who is the reason I am even here today. It makes me sick to think his blood runs through my veins. But I stayed. I stayed to prove to you that I was loyal. I needed to prove that to you. I stayed because I knew how important your father was to you. And I knew if I left, you would never have seen him again. I saw everything… including his very last moments, for you.“ Tears burn my eyes as I look at him, and he’s watching me with an unreadable expression.

“I never wanted to choose sides. I hated both. I saw what they were doing to your subjects. And your father told me what they did to you, how you got those scars. He told me of your hatred for humanity, and I knew there was nothing I could do to sway you. I knew you would never fully accept or trust me because of who I was and what my blood stood for. But I tried anyway. I tried to show you I was loyal to only you, but you…” I trail off as the tears become too intense to keep speaking.

After a moment, I finally regain my composure.

“All I want now is my son. He’s all I have. And he’s all I want to protect,” I say softly.

When I look up, Cyrus is watching me with a blank expression. He then holds his hand out to me, silently coaxing me to where he sits without a word. I force my legs to move, one foot in front of the other as I come to stand before him, placing my hand in his. His touch is strangely gentle as he releases me, his fingers working at the dress.

“You are right. I loathe humans. If not for my father’s ideals, I would have killed them out a long time ago. And thanks to the mother of my son, I don’t know that there’s much left for them on this side of the world,” he says.

The dress falls around my feet, leaving me naked in front of Cyrus. I shiver as the air touches my bare skin, noting the way my nipples bead as he watches me. Cyrus gently turns me around to face him, his fingers tracing my flesh as he speaks.

“I will never understand my desire for you. I’ve never wanted someone while simultaneously hating everything about them,” he says as his finger gently runs over my stomach.

“You are… distracting,” he chuckles.

He falls silent as his eyes follow the trail his fingers make. After a moment, he lowers his hand, no longer touching me, and his smile disappears.

“Still. You left. You betrayed me and left me for dead. Trust and loyalty are two things you will never earn from me.” Cyrus finishes his sentence, his eyes meeting mine as he reaches for the robe lying across the bed next to him, standing.

He continues to watch me, his gaze terrifying as he wraps the robe around me, tying it at the front.

“I will never trust you, Annalise. And I will never underestimate you again.”

As he speaks, he pushes a stray hair from my face, his dark gaze roaming over my features. I can see him having an inner battle with himself, though I can’t decipher what it could be about. He then steps away from me, making his way to the bed.

“Go. I am tired tonight.”

Cyrus

What am I doing?

For a year, I’ve been lusting and locked in an insatiable rage, planning what I would do once I had Annalise back. I planned to beat her, torture her, and make her petrified of ever attempting something so brazen again. But now that she has returned, I can barely control myself. I am constantly battling with killing her or fucking her. And when she is in my presence, it takes everything in me not to give in to the latter.

I suck in a deep breath, her words ringing in my head.

“Now, all I want is my son.”

I chuckle aloud at the entitlement. She refuses to acknowledge that anyone else would have been beheaded for committing the treason of taking the heir. But not before they were tortured because they raised him among commoners. But she never will know. She will never know the countless mistakes she has made that should have cost her life. But because I was so intrigued by her, she never endured them. I never should have touched, let alone gotten a human pregnant. And now that she has brought my child into this world, my possessiveness has grown dangerously.

I am well aware that Ciel longs for his mother as she longs for him. He’s a vocal child, giving the servants who have been tasked with raising him a hard time. He’s imprinted on his mother as we all do when we are born. But since I was nowhere around for so long the effects are much more intense. She is his world and his very reason for waking up in the mornings. To him, she is his everything. And I have taken all of that from him by keeping them separated.

I suck in a frustrated breath.

The emptiness left in me when my mother was killed was something I struggled with. A mother’s presence is vital to a beast’s first few years of life. She is life, strength, and nurturing in a way only a child born from her can understand. And while I know I can’t let my rage towards Annalise affect Ciel’s life, I also can’t let Annalise think she can outsmart me without consequence.

A light knock on the door is followed by a timid servant’s voice.

“Breakfast, Your Majesty.”

The door to the study opens, and the servants all enter, silently going about their duties. During my father’s reign, humans were also a part of the servant staff. It was something I hated. I hated seeing them, breathing in their scent, and watching them bumble around. Annalise, however, I enjoyed. I enjoyed the terror on her face as she tried her hardest not to make a mistake. I enjoyed the tensing of her muscles once I called her to stay. And at my weakest, I enjoyed allowing her to have my spread, knowing the slaves didn’t eat well. She was the one human I ever allowed to serve me or ever will again.

“You seem irritated.” The servants all bow as Felix enters the room with an amused grin on his lips.

It doesn’t take long for them to leave in the presence of their master. I shift my attention to the halfbreed, who silently follows Felix with his head down. He has proven himself more beast than human over the past year. Felix was right about where his loyalty lies. Even now, I trust him as much as I trust Felix.

“I just have a lot on my mind,” I grumble, looking back at the letters strewn all over my desk.

Felix laughs softly, taking a seat across from me.

“A courier has arrived from the capital with a letter,” he says.

I look at Felix in confusion, gesturing to the letters that are already on my desk as I speak.

“This should interest me because…?” I ask.

Felix leans in, lowering his voice. “It came from a region across the sea.”

“How is that possible?” I ask.

Felix shakes his head, his confusion mimicking my own. When traveling, I made sure not to leave any trace of my existence. We know nothing of that area other than it is where humans flee. But seeing as it is across the ocean, there’s no need to covet it for land or expansion. The hassle wouldn’t be worth it. Not only that, but there were no signs of beasts while we were there.

None at all.

I release an irritated breath. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another. I wanted to remain here while trying to navigate this new territory with Annalise. Not only in being parents, but in understanding what exactly it is that I want from her. And I can’t take her with me to the palace. The entire capital has been cleansed of human existence, especially the palace. If any human does reside in my kingdom, they must wear a visible brand on their throats. And they exist far from the palace grounds.

After what was done to my father, no human shall ever set foot in my palace again.

“Prepare a horse. I will depart within the hour,” I say.

“Just one horse?” Felix asks.

“Yes. Annalise and the prince will remain here in your care. I trust you can handle her while I’m gone. I won’t be gone longer than a few weeks,” I say.

Felix’s smile widens, and he nods. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

“Do not lose control with her, Felix,” I warn.

Felix has never liked Annalise. I’m sure it is because of the relationship she and the halfbreed once shared. It took him longer than he expected to break the halfbreed because of his loyalty to her. And I am sure my lack of self-control with the same woman doesn’t help. Either way, he’s never cared for her.

My gaze shifts to the halfbreed, who is standing silently behind Felix with a blank expression. He is loyal to Felix in ways I cannot fathom, especially after what Annalise did to me. I thought I had broken her in the way Felix has broken him. I was excited when the halfbreed arrived from their mission, telling me of her new plan. I thought I had her. But as it turns out, I didn’t. She outsmarted me.

“How did you do it?” I ask, looking at Felix.

Felix’s expression shifts to one of confusion.

“Do what?” he asks.

I gesture to the halfbreed.

“How did you break him so well that he wouldn’t dream of betraying you?” I ask.

Felix once again smiles, enjoying his “I told you so” moment.

“Wondering how you can do the same to your little infatuation?” he asks in amusement.

I stand, making my way to the front of my desk as I study the halfbreed. Even now, he hasn’t flinched from our conversation.

“Yes,” I say.

Felix rises as well, standing next to him.

“Reward. Consequence. Trust.”

I scoff. “Trust?”

Felix’s expression is serious as he nods.

“Dimitri and I have had a long time to understand one another. He knows that all I require is obedience. He also knows the life I offer is one worth living. I own him. His happiness, his desires, his decisions, they are all dependent on me. He knows I hold no weakness for him as my affection comes with his loyalty. And I have made sure he knows he is weaker in every way. If he ever did betray me, I would not hunt him down and bring him home. I would kill him. His loyalty begets reward, his mistakes beget consequences.”

I shake my head, making my way to the door.

“Yet I’m the cruel one,” I murmur.

I pause in the doorway as Felix’s speech reminds me of something, turning to face the halfbreed.

“You exceeded my expectations in finding Annalise and my son. I told you I would reward you handsomely for it. So tell me what it is you want? Land, gold, anything is yours,” I say.

I detect it the exact moment Felix does. The sound of his heartbeat. And the scent of his fear as he kneels, keeping his head down.

“Your Majesty… I know it isn’t my place to ask this of you. I want nothing extravagant, just to right a wrong.”

His fist clenches as he takes a trembling breath before me.

“Would you allow Annalise to see her son?”