The Magic Of Betrayal

by Britt Andrews

  "I have not. They haven't completed their missions, so they are not welcome back in my kingdom. Simple as that."

  Wow, what a prick face.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Khol's jaw tick and I wondered what the hell he was thinking.

  "Where is the girl's mother, Khol?"

  "I don't know. I suspect she'll show at Saige's home soon, once she realizes she's missing. Why?"

  "You know why," my father's eyes narrowed, challenging.

  My eyes widened. "You want to bring her here? To what? Fuck her? See if you can knock her up yourself?"

  "Don't sound so scandalized, son. I'd do anything for my people. She's carried demon spawn once before, I have no doubt she can do it again. Whether it's mine or not, I don't really give a fuck."

  "I'll keep an eye on the area to see when she returns. I don't give a fuck what you do with her," Khol snarled, his horns erupting from his head.

  A knock on the door broke the conversation.

  "What?" My dad barked and the door cracked, one of his little bitch boys coming in to whisper something in his ear and I watched a wicked smile grow on his face as he listened to the words.

  "Thank you, Nigel. Gentlemen, you'll have to excuse me. There are things I need to do that are more important than sitting here with you both. Do not be late to dinner," he growled as we stood and moved to the exit, slamming the door behind us as we stepped out into the hallway.

  Khol walked beside me through the castle and I observed several of the staff's eyes bugging out when they saw him. Everyone knew who Khol was and knew that if he was back, it could only mean that he'd been successful in his mission.

  "The king has... changed."

  I snort. "Yeah."

  "Do you think he's stable? To lead?" Khol asked quietly. He may be a badass, but even asking such a question was treason.

  "He hasn't been stable in a long fucking time, Khol. I've tried telling you, but it's really not something that hits properly until you've seen it for yourself. And now you have. All he does is drink, fuck, and sleep. Oh, and kill people. Ones that have supposedly wronged him in some way." I shrugged my shoulder, our steps clapping against the stone beneath our feet as we approached my home.

  "Does she... does she want to see me?"

  He didn't need to say her name, we both knew who he was referring to.

  "I'm not sure. She shifted the other evening. Completely, a full shift." I smiled when his face lit up.

  Khol twisted his hands together in front of him and it was strange to see him uneasy. Vulnerable.

  "She's okay then?" he asked softly.

  "She's far from okay, man. You went about this whole thing in the worst possible way. She misses all of them. Her home, her store. Bette."

  "Fuck, I know. I'm horrible at this. All I could think about was getting back here, coming home. It was selfish. I'll tell her as much. I never thought I'd get a chance to be a father and now that she's grown up and doesn't really need one, I'm not sure how to do this," he admitted and I felt for him. But I felt for her, too.

  "Let me go in and see if she wants to talk? No promises, though."

  He nodded and I slipped through the door.

  "Goldie? Where are you? I need to talk to you about something," I called out, my eyes darting over the room but not finding her anywhere.

  My heartbeat picked up and I was about to bellow her name when a giggle had me slowly turning around, but she wasn't there.

  "I swear, princess, you better come out from wherever you're hiding. As much as I'd love to hunt you down, there's— oomph!" All the air whooshed from my lungs as I hit the ground.

  "Gotcha!" Goldie laughed, rolling over onto her back. Pushing myself up on my hands, I glared at her. Wings out, hair splayed across the dark hardwood. "I was floating up there in the corner," she breathed, trying to catch her breath from all the laughter.

  "Hmm. Well, it seems I'll have to be more on guard if these are the kind of games you want to play. But you have no idea what you've started, pretty princess. I love games, and I always win in the end," I growled and smugness settled into my bones when her cheeks flushed and she squeezed those thick thighs together.

  "What did you want to talk about?" She changed the subject, but that was probably for the best right now.

  Jumping up, I extended a hand to her and pulled her to a stand.

  "Khol is outside. He wanted to know if he could come in and hang out with us for a bit. We have a dinner party tonight at six, so it won't be for too long," I added, hoping to ease some of her anxiety by letting her know that this wouldn't go on for hours. Her eyes widened and she nodded slowly, wringing her hands together.

  "Oh, well, okay. Do I need to change?" she asked, looking down at her outfit. She was wearing a pair of ripped up jeans and a loose navy blue tank top.

  "You're perfect," I promised, leading us to the door. Before I could open it, she slipped her small hand into mine, squeezing tight. Looking down at Goldie, I gave a supportive smile and opened the door to let Khol in.

  His arms were clasped behind his back, his face serious and intense. That's how he was all the time though, so I was used to it. But if he wanted to win her over, he might need to not look like he had a cactus lodged in his ass.

  "Hi," he said with a hint of shyness, eyes on my girl.

  "Hi," she responded with a degree of wariness, eyes on her toes.

  "Come inside," I offered, gesturing for him to get in here.

  We moved over to the sitting area, Goldie taking up the corner of the sectional with the chaise so she could have her legs out in front of her. While they got situated, the minibar was calling my name.

  "Drink, anyone?" I offered.

  Khol and Goldie both said, "Yes, please," at the same time, and I chuckled.

  I poured two glasses of whiskey for myself and Khol and made a vodka cranberry for my girl. I'd seen her drink one before and I didn't want to get her fucked up on dragon fire before the party. When I turned around, Khol was sitting in a chair across from the couch, nervously twisting his hands together. I'd never seen this man nervous in my fucking life. Goldie was staring at me, though. That's right, princess.

  After passing out the drinks, I didn't hesitate to sit down right beside her, our thighs pressed together. Khol cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably and Goldie blushed. Didn't bother me in the slightest.

  “So-”

  “I-”

  Goldie and Khol spoke at the same time. They both froze and I squeezed her hand and gave Khol an encouraging look.

  "Saige. I want to apologize for the way I brought you here. For the way I went about looking for your mother. I didn't know you were my daughter, I didn't even know you existed. I'd given up any hope at being a father a long, long time ago. It's been a century since I've been in Besmet, in my home. I was desperate to get back here and see old friends, family." He grimaced at the word when Goldie shifted in her spot.

  "Family? Do I have more family?" she questioned, biting her bottom lip, nervous for his response.

  Khol smiled and visibly relaxed knowing that she was interested in hearing what he had to say. "You do. A fairly large one, in fact. There have been a few additions in the years I was gone, so if you'd like, maybe we could meet them together?" he offered, looking hopeful.

  She nodded, taking a sip of her drink.

  "You're right, though. You did fuck up," she told him and he choked a little on his whiskey. Bet that burns. "When exactly did you find out that I was your daughter?"

  Khol's face pinched a little and I kind of enjoyed seeing the big bastard in the hot seat. His daughter was a gods damned ball buster and he was going to get a grade A verbal smackdown.

  "I suspected when Sullivan revealed that you were actually Laura's daughter. Though honestly, I didn't want to believe it. That would mean that the woman who I'd loved had left me and hidden my child, probably the only one I'd ever have, from me. That I'd missed her entire childhood and a big chunk of her young
adult years. Not only that, but none of the other three had been successful in reproducing, so I didn't want to get my hopes up," he admitted, leaning back in his chair and running his hand over his face.

  "Keep talking. I want to hear everything. You and Laurie. The guys. The orders you gave them. Did you know that we were involved romantically? Was that part of their—" her voice cracked, "mission?"

  "I met your mother in a bar. We had a fast and intense love story. Or I should say I did. She never loved me.” He shook his head and diverted his eyes to the carpet for a moment before continuing, “She was intelligent, beautiful, witty. She told me she was a research student and was in the city working on a project for an employer who’d snagged her out of college after reading some of her reports. When I convinced her to stay, she assured me her boss was fine with her working remotely and building up business in Portage Falls. I proposed four months later. She'd told me how much she wanted a family of her own, despite being so young. She was only nineteen at the time, you know? But I couldn't deny her a thing. I wanted to give her the whole world, and knowing that I likely wouldn't be able to give her a baby fucked me up. But I was selfish and I figured what the hell, not thinking that she would actually get pregnant. I really loved her and I’d long given up hope on returning to Besmet, so why not be selfish for once? We could adopt kids and have our own family if that’s what we wanted," Khol explained as I twirled Goldie's hair around my fingers.

  "But she did," Goldie responded.

  Khol nodded, taking another drink of his whiskey.

  "She did. She must have found out very early on, because of how everything lines up with your birthday," he added, his voice low.

  "Did she know you were a demon?"

  "No. After I fell so hard for her, the thought of telling her the truth scared the shit out of me. I was afraid she would leave, that she'd be scared of me, or worse, disgusted. Demons don't exactly have the best reputation, if you hadn't noticed. I let her believe I was a mage since I could do all of the same kind of magic." Khol leaned forward and placed his empty glass on the coffee table.

  "Why would she have run away then? You were engaged and in love." Goldie sounded skeptical, and I didn't interrupt. This was between her and her father.

  "That part, I don't know. That is why I've been searching for her for the past twenty-eight years. She destroyed me. Then to find out she also stole my chance at being a father?" Khol's knuckles turned white as he gripped the arms of the chair.

  "I'm sorry she did that to you," Goldie said quietly and I quickly glanced down at her. Her eyes were wet. Ah, fucking shit, if he makes her cry again, I'm going to have to kill him.

  "You're apologizing to me, wild one?" Khol asked, his tone full of disbelief. Or maybe it was wonder.

  "She wasn't a good mother, she didn't want me either. So, I kind of know how it feels to be rejected by her," she murmured.

  Khol's mouth was hanging open at this point and my heart was aching for my princess.

  "Saige, I am the one who is sorry. I became obsessed with finding her, getting answers, making her pay for what she'd put me through. Did I know that the team was involved with you? Yes, I did. I sent them there with direct orders to get any information they could, by any means necessary."

  Goldie sucked in a sharp breath, but Khol didn't stop.

  "When Sullivan found that picture of Laura, you, and your grandmother, he sent it to me. I had him get some of your hair and mail it to me so I could test it. I didn't get the results until you had the unresponsive episode after projecting here. But, Saige, there's something I need to tell you. I want there to be total transparency here, and while I could have defended my actions before, claiming a broken heart and just being in the line of work that I am... but please, believe me when I tell you that I am so very sorry. If I could take it back, I would. I wish I could."

  The ice in Goldie's drink clinked as her hand trembled. Watching him though, whatever he was about to say, it wasn't going to be good. His face was pale and I could feel Goldie's heart pounding from her back as I draped my arm around her and pulled her closer.

  "Just tell me." Her voice shook and a tear slipped down her cheek.

  "Cam, Fischer, and Kai... as far as I know their feelings toward you are genuine. When I learned of your relationship with them and I felt like I was getting closer and closer to my target, I made an order and I regret it." He shifted in his seat and the beast inside of me was two seconds away from attacking him for her sake. "I ordered Sloane to get involved with you," he finally admitted quietly.

  Goldie dropped her head, her hair spilling forward to shield her face.

  "He argued with me. He didn't want to, didn't want to betray his brothers. I think he knew that they would be devastated when it was time to leave and he also didn't know what to think about that photo he'd found. I wouldn't take no for an answer... he negotiated with me. He wanted a personal mission for Cam, so they could find some answers on what happened to his family, and I agreed. Knowing now that you're my... my daughter, having met you, I can't stand to look at myself in the mirror."

  "Khol," I snarled his name as Goldie cried silently beside me.

  "I'm so fucking sorry, Saige. I understand if you never want to speak to me again, but I couldn't live with myself without telling you the truth. I'll give you some space." He stood up and moved across the room to the door.

  "Wait," she choked out as she pushed herself up off the couch and darted after him to where he was standing.

  He stood so still it was as though he'd been frozen and when she collided with him, her arms wrapped around his waist, he looked at me like what the hell do I do now? Then he exhaled and pulled her tightly against his large body, tears glistening in his green eyes.

  "I don't forgive you yet, and I don't know where this will go, going forward," Goldie told him, her cheek pressed against his chest. "But, I always wondered what it would have felt like to get a hug from my dad."

  "Oh, sweet girl," Khol's voice cracked as he held her tighter. "I've wanted to hug my own child for over one hundred years. I will make this right, I promise. I'll see you two at dinner."

  A moment later, Goldie stepped back, wiping her eyes and Khol nodded once before he disappeared from the room.

  "Princess, are you okay?" I asked as I stepped up behind her and pulled her against me.

  "I will be."

  Warrior woman.

  "Yes, you will," I promised.

  She turned to face me. "It's kind of strange, but I feel more calm than I have since I got here. For some reason, getting the answers from him, knowing that my other relationships weren't just part of the job... it helps. I'm still upset, but I miss them, Bram," she frowned.

  "Even Sloane?" I cocked an eyebrow and she breathed a laugh.

  "Surprisingly, yeah. I'm still level thirty-eight pissed at him, though. That number needs to come down to more like a fifteen before I'll be able to speak to him without ripping his tits off."

  "Jesus, woman. Don't arouse me right now. We have a dinner to get to," I joked, attempting to lighten the mood, and she smiled.

  I love when she smiles at me.

  After Khol left, I started getting ready for the party. I was in the large bathroom again, utilizing the massive walk in shower and Bram was using the smaller bathroom to get ready.

  My mind felt like it was so full with everything I'd learned in such a short time. I had a father, one that I could get to know, if I wanted. He seemed to genuinely want to get to know me, and that made me happy. When I'd first met him, I was horrified. He was so... demanding, scary, and intimidating. I wanted to trust him, and knowing what I did of my mother, his story didn't surprise me much. But why did she leave him, and why did she hide me like that?

  The words he'd spoken about the guys had given me some peace. I'd wanted to believe with all of my heart that our relationships hadn't been a lie. They were so intense with me, and I just couldn't see how someone could fake that. Even Sloane, I wanted t
o forgive him. After hearing about what Cam went through as a teenager, I couldn't act upset that Sloane wanted to get time off for them to look into everything. Not having closure on something so horrible had to take its toll.

  I knew I needed to get back home sooner, rather than later. Who was running the shop? Were the guys even speaking at this point? What had happened after I was pulled out of that room? Cam must be losing his fucking mind... and while I was still pissed that they'd lied to me, I was trying really hard to put myself in their shoes. Plus, I had lied as well. Bryce's face flashed in my head, the way he'd threatened to kill them, and how I hadn't told any of them because I didn't want them to be harmed.

  Of course, I probably would have said something if I'd known they were fucking killing machines. My gut twisted uncomfortably at that. Who exactly did they kill? Bad guys? Has to be bad guys or people who deserve it, because they did have a moral code.

  A knock on the door cut off any further thoughts.

  "Princess, I have a dress for you on the bed. I'll be in the kitchen, come find me when you're ready," Bram told me through the door.

  "Okay, I'm almost done!" I called out in return and started putting on my make-up. Bram had everything I needed. Liquid black liner, red lipstick, foundation that matched my skin perfectly. Fucker had probably gone through my bathroom and looked at all my stuff, but I couldn't even bring myself to get upset about that because it was comforting to have some things from home.

  I went with a smokey look on my eyes that made my green eyes look brighter than usual. Nerves fluttered in my belly when I thought about what might happen tonight at this party. I hadn't met the king yet in any official capacity, and from what little I’d seen of him, plus what Bram had told me, I wasn't really sure I wanted to meet him, but I had no choice.

  After applying my lipstick, I made sure my robe was tied securely and I walked out of the bathroom, eyeing the garment bag that was draped over the mattress. I sucked in a breath as I pulled the zipper down and caught a glimpse of the black beading that shimmered in the light. As I removed the bag, I saw that the dress had a nude mesh bodice with long sleeves and the intricate black beading swirled in floral patterns that would make it look painted on. The black tulle skirt flared out at the waist and trailed down to the floor. This dress was gorgeous. By far, the nicest thing I’d ever worn in my life.