I knocked on the door, stepping inside when he called out for me to enter. His eyes slipped over my shoulder, and the guard exited, closing the door behind him. Rhys’s office was huge and masculine. He had large filing drawers, with weird writing on the front next to a large wooden hutch that had dragons and the Van Helsing insignia carved into the front. On the other wall was an extensive display of books. Placed in the middle of the largest, widest shelf was the sword I’d crafted for him, prominently on display.
“Sit, Remington,” Rhys exhaled tiredly. I moved forward in the jeans and corset top I wore, sitting in the chair, crossing my legs while I lifted my glare on him. “Tomorrow is the celebration of Beltane, and with it, we observe certain traditions.”
“I understand,” I said dismissively.
I hadn’t spoken more than a few curt words to him since he’d left me in bed. Last night, he’d finally agreed to let me move into the other room on the condition that the knights stood guard. They stood there all night long, and to top it all off, Rhys demanded the door connecting mine to his remain open. No amount of arguing had changed Rhys having an open door into my room.
“Is that it then?” I asked, standing up.
“Sit down,” he said, studying me as I looked anywhere but at him. “It’s going to be rather stimulating and sexual compared to what you are used to.”
“I’m a witch. It will be fine.”
“Everyone will expect you to pick a partner for the night,” he announced, and I paused, turning to look at him.
“Okay,” I said, holding his stare without blinking. “I’ll find someone.”
The pen he held snapped into several pieces. His eyes narrowed as the sound of his back teeth grinding together almost brought a smile to my lips, but I hadn’t found anything to smile about lately. I had felt somewhat normal after being able to be inside an armory again. It wasn’t mine, though, and I wasn’t the weapon’s master of his armory. I dropped my eyes as he cleaned the ink off his hand, continuing to watch me silently.
“A partner to sleep with, Remington.”
“I didn’t assume you meant a dance partner, Van Helsing.” I swallowed past the tightening in my throat, turning to gaze at the sword that had sealed my fate.
He had it on display like a trophy. Go figure. He probably wanted everyone who entered to see and notice it. Rhys cleared his throat, drawing my attention back to him. I studied his face, noting the tight corners of his mouth and eyes as he decided on what to say.
“It’s not a trophy. It’s a display of honor, Remi. Before I placed your blade there, my father’s prized sword occupied that space. It, too, was a work of craftsmanship and held a special place in my heart. I replaced it with yours to remind me that changes are happening, and we’re evolving. The changes in how we will deal with one another are going to be a process, and sometimes we need a reminder close at hand to make them happen. I’m not used to dealing with young people. Cole normally has that responsibility. As alpha, I make the hard choices that protect my people at all costs. Having a full-blooded Silversmith appear from thin air, well, it isn’t easy for any of us. Your family wasn’t loved, mostly because they came from nothing and then ruled everything without a care who they hurt in the process.”
“Is this where you tell me how low we were? How unworthy of being in your prestige graces I am?” I asked, hoping to skip over the holier-than-thou speech.
“No, this is a tale from rags to riches, and how power corrupted what was once a decent family of strong women. Your family enjoyed coming into power, but that wasn’t enough for some. Some wanted to sit on the throne and to control every alpha house. That is how the Silversmith started to become hated by every alpha. The code is simple: take care of those who count on you and remain in the shadows. Roslyn wanted more power, and so she simply took it, and I helped her accomplish that goal, blinded by her beauty. When I was with her, everything seemed right. All my troubles faded away, and I could be me, the knight who swooped in to protect her and keep her safe. It wasn’t enough for her, nor was I. She reached for entire houses, which forced me to step back. I began to see her lust-filled stares at anyone she wanted because no one was ever enough,” he said, swallowing hard against the words.
“When Roslyn asked to speak to my mother, I was blind to what she truly wanted. I allowed it to happen, Remington. I walked my sweet mother into that viper’s house, where Roslyn handed her off to her father to rape and murder with Silversmith silver. My mother was the first alpha to be murdered by your family, but she wasn’t the last. I spent my time serving Roslyn, pretending to be her knight, which made my family hate me more than they hated her. I did anything she asked, and then I took her down. You think I want the immortal throne, but I don’t need it. I have it already. You think I need your silver, and again, I don’t, not really. I need a Silversmith to show the others that when your family returns, they cannot slaughter us. Your presence guarantees peace among a race that is lethal, and I will do whatever it takes to win against your bloodline.”
“If you’re trying to turn me against my family, save your breath,” I snorted, holding his intense stare. “Over three hundred years have passed, and you don’t know if they intend even to return. Here’s the thing, you all made horrible mistakes. I didn’t. I’m just a girl who wanted to make weapons and hunt down the bad guys. I didn’t want to spend my life hiding, so I ran away. I came back because something was wrong, and ended up as your silver, and I don’t even fully understand what it means. It must be something huge if none of my family has ever gifted it before. I get that I’m basically your medieval wife, or whatever, but that’s where my knowledge ends. You’re no better than my mother. She kept so many secrets, and by the time I was old enough to be told the truth, it was too late.”
“Had I taken your silver, and not given my vow, our arrangement would have been one-sided, Remington.”
“That means nothing to me, even though I know it means something to you.”
“Your soul belongs to me and mine to you. Whether we’re going to end up lovers, friends, or enemies, well, that will depend on us. What we choose to be to one another will determine our path when we’re reborn.” Rhys stood to grab the whiskey from the hutch, setting a glass in front of me. I fought the panic threatening to consume me. “Our arrangement isn’t just for this lifetime. It’s something souls do when they’re given. In this case, between our bloodlines, it is silver weapons, or a promise of a knightly duty that, once given, cannot be taken back. If I hadn’t taken your silver, Cole would have, even with my name on it. You’re innocent. Cole would have asked, and you’d have handed it to him. I accepted your offer, so that you wouldn’t become his because the thought of you belonging to anyone, well, I couldn’t allow it to happen.”
“You could have told me what it meant and allowed me the choice to melt it back down. You could have told me that I was sealing not only the rest of my life but every lifetime after this one too, Rhys. You don’t even like me, so why would you do this?”
“To ensure peace remains, and that your family doesn’t rise up to start World War III, slaughtering humans in the process, as they did last time. It wasn’t just my family who stood outside your family’s house, watching them burn, Remi. We all did. Every alpha in every branch helped us trap the Silversmiths into that mansion and set it ablaze. Do you think your sweet mother is going to forgive us? Or do you think she will want to avenge the children we slaughtered? Her children and her mate were within that home, and I assure you, they weren’t immortal. I know, because I buried them.