“Because no one fucks with the bogeyman, my little savage.” He crept closer and trailed his fingers over my cheek. “I didn’t think I wanted you, Xariana. I thought I’d look after you, please your father, and then simply hold my claim over his head. I was wrong. You’re an exquisite, murderous little creature. Plus, I promised to protect Noah, because he’s the sun, and darkness doesn’t thrive without the sun to cast its shadows. I knew you weren’t the princess he said you were, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t looking for a beauty to become my queen. I needed someone whose madness could see mine and not look away. It also helps that you aren’t afraid of me. You’ve never been fearful of me, because you were born into the darkness of this world, and you still grew like the most beautiful rose with no assistance from the sun. Only the rarest flowers grow without light, Xariana.”
“You’re insane, Kieran.” I started to argue, but the door to my room opened, and Xavier and Eryx entered, eyeing us before he slid his gaze to the pack on the bed.
Silently, I saw my father remove the identification cards, credit cards, credentials, money, and anything else he could find that would help me escape this nightmare. I snorted, glaring at him before folding my arms over my chest.
“What the hell are you doing?” I demanded frostily.
“Making sure you don’t flee after the funeral ends,” he said tiredly. “I know you. Remember? You’re my daughter.”
“I’m uncertain that is the truth anymore.” His eyes shot to mine, locking with them in silent challenge.
“You are, Xariana. Even if you weren’t my blood, you’d still be my daughter. I raised you, trained you. I ensured you were protected at all times, by any means necessary,” he snapped, moving closer to me with my things in his hands.
“Including selling my soul to Kieran, apparently,” I returned, snorting at the look of worry etching over his features.
“You couldn’t fucking wait until shit calmed down to tell her, could you?” he growled, staring murderously at Kieran.
“She intends to bolt,” he hissed back, smiling wickedly. “She needed to know why that wasn’t a good idea, Xavier. I don’t plan to start our relationship with even more deception lies than I was already forced to keep.”
“We don’t have a relationship, psycho! There’s no you and me, or us. And you,” I said, pointing at my dad. “You don’t get to dictate my life anymore. You lost that ability when you lied to me about everything. Don’t you understand? You had no intention of ever accepting me, did you? You meant for Sandra to give birth to your child in a safe space, and what was the plan once I was born? Ditch us? Your mate was pregnant, and you loved her. I know that to be true. You wanted Noah, but me? I was an inconvenience until the moment I could benefit you. No child deserves to be done that way. But you went beyond that, which is why you broke the spell on Micah. He couldn’t have me, because you’d already struck a deal with Kieran for me to belong to him. So not only did you wreck what could have been for me in the past, but you stole my future too, by giving me to Kieran. You’ve taken enough from me, father.” I stepped back, shaking my head as I sidestepped the men to exit the room.
Xavier thought he could stop me by stealing my shit? The master of deception had taught me himself. I had a backup plan. I also had more options if any of those fell through. I had over three hundred ID cards and credentials stashed around the continent. I’d hidden money in offshore accounts and buried some beneath rocks in the woods across America. I made friends with many people not associated with the hunters’ guild, just for this purpose.
I didn’t need my dad or the things he’d taken. If I wanted out, nothing would stop me. As hunters, we often had to hide for weeks or months in the forest. I knew every vacant cabin, hut, and hunter’s perch within 1,000 miles. I had been dropped deep inside 100,000 thickly wooded acres at twelve, forced to survive with nothing but a knife and the world around me. If he thought stealing a few items from me would halt my exit strategy, he was sorely mistaken. All three men were watching me with wary looks on their faces.
“Your funeral will begin shortly. I suggest you put on whatever face it is you intend to wear tonight. The guests have taken their seats already, and the fires should be lit within ten minutes. I’ll meet you downstairs. What is it I call you now?”
“Your father, Xariana,” he growled.
“Oh my, haven’t you heard? He’s dead. Wouldn’t want to confuse the attendees, now would we?” I asked, sliding my gaze to Kieran, who watched me carefully. “Unless, of course, you’ve changed your mind about tonight?”
“We’re going to get through this, Kid.”
“No, you are. Me? I’ll survive because it is embedded in my fucking DNA. That doesn’t mean I intend to get through anything. Now, stick a pin in it, and prepare for another shit show that’s about to go down. I need a fucking drink, or ten.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
My fingers slid over the rim of my glass, uncaring that tears rolled down my cheeks. It was my father’s funeral, after all. Tonight would be the only time I allowed myself the weakness, needing to give the funeral-goers a show. The sound of feet moving through the hallway forced me to wipe my face, and I lifted the glass, taking a sip, and closing my eyes as the liquid burned its way down my throat. Pouring another drink, I downed it before a hand reached out, grabbing the bottle away from me.
“You need to be sober in case anything happens,” my dad ordered.
I slid my stare over his face, turning to look in the mirror at his reflection. Micah’s image watched me, and I swallowed down the irony that my father chose to assume the identity of my ex-fiancé, whom he’d personally fucked over, to attend his funeral.
Dropping my eyes to my hands, I narrowed my gaze before darting it to his. “Where is Micah?”
“He’s been reassigned,” he informed smoothly, as if he hadn’t just stated he’d relocated one of my team members and oldest friends without letting me know first.
“Excuse me?” I asked, blinking slowly while he filled a glass for himself to the rim with the whiskey.
“Micah wasn’t willing to come to terms with what had happened here. He chose to leave and be stationed someplace else. If you make it through tonight, I may even tell you where he is. It was his choice, Kid.”
“And he chose not to say goodbye?” I asked, sensing all the people in the room watching us with worry exuding from their pores.
My dad and I had never fought, ever. I didn’t argue with his orders or second guess them until now. But things had changed, and I wasn’t able to give him that trust because he’d broken it. In our world, trusting the person at your back meant everything. If you couldn’t depend on them to guard you or to watch it, you had nothing.
“Micah didn’t want to make a scene,” he replied, slowly lifting his glass. “Try to use his example, Xariana. Once we’ve finished here, you can take a few days in your apartment to rediscover yourself and accept what has happened. I cannot undo it, and I can’t stand here and say I would, either. What was done is done. Get over it, and move on.”