by Winter Fox
Before Adonis could reply, Charles pointed across the table. “I thought that Cara could sit with Erebus, seeing as they are already acquainted.”
I looked over to see Erebus smirking at me. He was sitting back in his chair, and holding a glass of wine in one hand. The other hand was draped over the back of the chair that Charles was pointing at.
“Really?” Adonis sounded bored.
“Really,” Charles confirmed.
“As you wish,” Adonis replied. Then he looked to me, before he pointed at the seat. “Sit.”
I was about to tell him that I wasn’t a fucking dog. But the sudden, strong vibrations between my legs made me groan in discomfort instead. I sat down stiffly, and Erebus leaned over me, to whisper into my ear.
“I wasn’t finished with you, slave. And when you fuck up, which I know you will, I’ll be waiting to pick up where we left off.”
I was about to reply, but the vibrations kicked in again, only this time just for a fraction of a second. I looked over to where Adonis was sitting at the opposite end of the table from his father, and I understood the message.
Keep quiet, and look at me.
I kept my eyes trained on him during the entire meal. The men were mainly discussing incubi politics, and most of what they said went entirely over my head. I had no appetite for the delicacies which were presented to me by the waiting staff, and my plates were all removed still mostly full.
Every now and then, Erebus would seem to remember me, and start trying to torment me, all over again. Each time I was reaching the point of hitting him, the vibrator would kick into life, and I would squirm in pleasure at Adonis’ hands. He had given me two, of his promised three orgasms by the time dessert was served.
Their talk did eventually turn to the impending marriage, and Charles raised his wine glass in a toast to me.
“To my wife-to-be.”
The other men lifted their own glasses, and repeated the words. Adonis did not; I noticed. And so, apparently did his father. Charles faced his son across the table, and I was struck by how alike the two men looked. Adonis was his father’s double. They each had the same dark hair—although Charles’s was mostly grey, now—the same cold blue eyes, and the same strong, ruthless jaw.
“Adonis?” Charles’s voice sounded like gravel running down a metal chute.
The handsome man at the opposite end of the table from his elder doppelganger, looked darkly at Charles for a full minute. He said nothing. He just glowered at his father—unmoving.
Just when I thought he wouldn’t say anything at all, Adonis slowly raised his glass. It wasn’t a wine glass like the other men’s, I noticed. It was a whiskey tumbler, and it was generously full.
“To you, Charles, and to my number eighty-eight. I hope you’re both very happy together.” His speech was slurred, and I realized with a start that he was drunk.
The room fell into a hushed silence, and I bit my lip worriedly. What was going to happen now?
Charles stared at Adonis for a long moment. Adonis tipped his tumbler at his father, before chasing the whole glass of whiskey down his throat in one smooth motion.
Charles stood. “I think my son has had enough to drink. I’m afraid that our evening is at an end, gentlemen.”
The other men seemed to know that this meant it was time for them to leave, and they stood quickly; making their excuses and departing.
With the exception of Erebus, not one of them had said a word to me, all night.
When there was only Charles, Adonis, and me left in the dining room I started to stand up, wanting to leave them to work out whatever father, son shit they had going on.
“Sit back down, Cara.” Charles’s voice was so powerful that I fell back into the seat.
Adonis picked up a bottle of whiskey, and refilled his glass to the top. He watched his father in the same way that a child might watch a clown in the circus—mostly the clown was funny, but there was little bit of you that was afraid of that clown, and what it might do to you.
I knew that Adonis was afraid of Charles.
Charles’s stood suddenly, and shot forward with a supernatural speed. He grabbed the whiskey glass, and threw it across the room, where it shattered against the wall.
“You disgrace yourself, and in turn you disgrace me,” Charles yelled.
Adonis shrugged. “You disgrace yourself. Marrying a woman two-hundred years your junior.”
Charles’s hand once again came out of nowhere, and connected violently with his son’s cheek. The sound of the backhanded slap made me wince.
“And here I thought that she was the problem, all along.” Charles gestured vaguely in my direction as he spoke. “You are the problem, Adonis. I don’t know whether she’s completely seduced you, whether you’re still pissed at Erebus, or whether you just want to piss me off. But it stops. Today.”
Adonis sat back in his chair, and narrowed his eyes at his father. “You know, I’ve missed that.”
“Missed what?” Charles growled.
Touching his finger to his already purpling cheekbone, Adonis spoke. “The hitting. It reminds me of why I never wanted to be like you, Charles.”
Charles shook his head angrily. “You don’t have it in you to be like me, boy. Now listen up, and listen well. You and me are done. You will not lay another hand on my property. Do you hear me?”
Adonis’ face suddenly sobered. “You aren’t taking her away? There’s only six days left.”
Charles made a show of thinking about it before he responded. “No. I won’t take her away, there’s little point in that, now. But she needs no more of your training, Adonis. Understood?”
Adonis looked at me indifferently for a moment; before he shrugged. “I don’t care if I don’t touch her again. I’m just looking forward to my holiday, once this is done.”
I wanted to tell him that I was fucking delighted he would never touch me again, but the vibrations soon stopped me from speaking.
Charles stood up, and crossed the room to the door. Pausing with his hand on the handle, he spoke one final time.
“I have often wished that Erebus was my son. But never more so than today. You aren’t fit to bear my name.”
Then he was gone, and Adonis and me were left entirely alone. He was staring at the empty space where his father had stood, and he looked hurt. I stared at my captor, surprised by the feelings of sympathy which were overwhelming me. I’d had no idea that his father was so horrible to him.
He seemed to detect exactly what I was thinking, and he stood up quickly. “Come on eighty-eight, let’s get you to bed.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Adonis
Adonis’ head hurt—a lot. He had only ever been drunk a handful of times in his life before, and none of them had felt this terrible the next day. It was his age, it had to be. He hadn’t even been close to a hundred-years old the last time he’d had so much whiskey.
As he started to remember the details of the night before he winced. His father wouldn’t forget his disrespect. Shaking his head to try and clear the haze, Adonis grabbed the bottle of water which he’d obviously had the sense to leave beside his bed last night.
He picked up his cell, and saw that he had two text messages. One was from Erebus—gloating.
Pretty sure that your precious little slut will be back in my bed by tonight, cousin.
Adonis closed his eyes, how his father hadn’t taken eighty-eight out of his care, there and then, was beyond him. Although, he suspected it had something to do with her own impeccable conduct last night. He owed her an apology.
It was the second text message that really got his attention though. It was from Tobias, the incubus to whom he’d given Emma’s potion.
Adonis. Talia had the child last night. Mother and baby are well. We had a daughter. My daughter is the only living succubus on Earth. Can you believe it?
Not quite the only one, thought Adonis as he rushed to shower and dress. He had to get to his father, and
tell him about this before he heard it from somebody else. If Charles thought that Adonis had kept this information from him, then Adonis reckoned he was probably going to be disinherited on the spot.
On the other hand. If Charles knew that Adonis had brought him the information as soon as he found out, then he would have no excuse not to release eighty-eight from their marriage contract. She could be free before the day was done.
Adonis was freshly showered, dressed, and mostly sober when he walked into Charles’s office forty minutes later—he was confident that he was in time to beat the news of a miracle succubus baby.
“You look a lot better than I had expected you to this morning,” Charles said coldly, as Adonis walked into the office and sat down.
Adonis knew how he should begin he conversation. Biting back his pride—because all of this was for her—he apologized.
“I’m sorry for my behavior last night. I didn’t realize that I’d drunk so much.”
Charles frowned at him. “Adonis, it takes at least six bottles of that stuff you call drink, to do that to an incubus. I suspect you knew exactly how much you’d had.”
It was true. It took a lot of whiskey to get even a hint of an effect on an incubus. He had known he was getting himself drunk, and he had done it for spite, if he was honest about it.
He changed the topic onto more positive conversation. “I have some news for you, Charles.”
“Go on,” his father said, in clipped tones.
“Tobias’s slave has given birth to a succubus, and she survived the birth.” Adonis watched carefully for his father’s reaction as he spoke.
“I know,” was all Charles said.
Adonis silently seethed. “How?”
Charles sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers in the familiar way he shared with his son. “Tobias told me about your little witches brew on the day that you gave it to him.”
Adonis was furious. Tobias’s new kid was going to grow up without a daddy, if he had anything to do with it.
“I know everything, Adonis; except for why you chose to keep it from me,” Charles prompted.
Shaking his head in despair, Adonis replied. “I just fucking told you. There was no point in letting you know, until I knew that it worked. Otherwise I would have just been wasting your time.”
“So, you decided that I should find out about a child savior via one of my fucking inferiors?” This was not the conversation that Adonis had anticipated.
“It was my witch who made the potion. And she’s agreed to make more—enough for every single incubus to use. It only takes one tiny drop, and we can all live normal lives. Your men will be able to meet a woman, fall in love, and marry them, without any fear of ever hurting them.” Surely, knowing that Emma was on side would please Charles.
“I know all about the witch. In fact, I had somebody collect her from your house earlier on. She’s been relieved of her service to you, and from now on, she serves me.”
He could read the message in his father’s eyes, loud and clear.
Checkmate.
Fighting against the rage which tore through him, Adonis somehow managed to remain calm. The witch wasn’t his priority. Cara was.
“If you have what you wanted from Emma, then you no longer need Cara. I guess we can return her back to her old life.” He tried to sound as nonchalant as he could.
Charles snorted.
“Why would I do that?”
“Why wouldn’t you?” Adonis countered.
Charles leaned forward until he had both elbows planted firmly on the surface of the desk. In this close proximity, Adonis could see every single fine line etched on the older man’s face. He could see that Charles’s eyes weren’t exactly the same color as his own any longer. Now they were a slightly faded version of his. Watery. Yet still so hard and unforgiving.
Most of Charles’s remaining hair was a shining silver color, although it had once been the exact blue black shade of Adonis’ own thick, locks. They were so alike, in so many ways, he and his father. But as he studied that cold, hard face, he suddenly realized they were also two very different people.
Adonis blinked first—seeming to break the silent spell which hung over the room.
“There are three reasons why,” Charles explained.
Adonis didn’t even realize that he was drumming his fingers anxiously on the desktop.
“If we let her go, after everything you’ve done to her.” That hurt—a lot. “Where do you think she’ll go? She’ll run straight to the law, and she’ll bring everything that this family has built crashing to the ground.”
Adonis had no idea if that was what Cara would do once she was free. He knew she wouldn’t want to see another woman hurt in the way that she had been. But if she knew they had the ability to stop the kidnapping, and the houses, then maybe she would agree to stay silent.
“Secondly. Having a succubus as my wife will only ever solidify my place as ruler of the incubi.”
Adonis couldn’t argue with that logic.
Charles was still speaking. “And finally.” He pointed to his missing eye, now. “That bitch took my eye, and I want...no I need to make her pay for it. For the rest of her miserable, fucking life.”
Even through all of the beatings of his childhood—all of the mental humiliations, and the rages. When Charles told Adonis time and time again, that he was a pathetic, useless excuse for an heir—Adonis had never felt further away from his father as he did in that moment.
Adonis wasn’t stupid. He knew what he was. He was a kidnapper, an abuser. If he was totally honest with himself, he knew that he was also a rapist—because demonic seduction did not equate to consent—he was a terrible person. But everything he had done, had been to protect his kind, and ensure their survival.
To Charles, all of these women were just sport. Eighty-eight had been the greatest hunt of Charles’s life. And he would never let her go.
Adonis stated the obvious. “She’s only twenty-three. She’s going to outlive you by around two-hundred years.”
Charles frowned darkly. “Are you asking me to hand her over to you, once I’m dead? You really can’t find yourself anything fucking better than her?”
Pushing aside the overwhelming image of himself smashing his fist into Charles’s face, Adonis replied calmly. “You’ll have no use for her when you’re dead.”
His father’s face broke out into a broad, and sunny grin. Charles could offer an extremely charismatic smile, on the rare occasions that he chose to. But this smile never even came close to touching his eyes.
“No, I won’t. But Erebus will.”
Adonis felt as though he’d been punched in the stomach. “Why?”
Charles sat back in his chair once more, his slender fingers steepling together. He pursed his lips together, and shook his head, almost sadly.
“Because you and I have never truly been on the same side, Adonis. You betrayed me in your mind, within days of Cara Westenra arriving into your care. I had hoped that she would be your greatest work—that perhaps she could be what healed the differences which separated us. But you’ve chosen her above your family, and for that I could order your execution.”
“Then do it.” Adonis replied in an agitated voice. He was mentally trying to calculate where was the best place to run with the girl.
His father shook his head slowly. “No. It’s more interesting this way. You’ll watch me marry her, then you’ll leave, just as we planned. I will summon you when I wish for you to return home.”
“And Erebus?” Adonis spat his cousin’s name into the air.
“Will inherit my wife, when I’m dead.”
He wouldn’t wait any longer. He was had to get Cara out. Tonight.
But Charles was one step ahead of him, yet again. “I have stepped up the guard detail around your home. It’s only fitting that the wife-to-be of a ruling incubus should be protected. Erebus will be on hand with his pack of dogs.”
Adonis’ fists clenc
hed so tightly, beneath the table, he worried that he might burst blood vessels. It was too late. He’d left it too late.
“If she runs again, your cousin will hunt her down with his dogs. I’ve given him express permission to let them tear her apart. As you quite rightly pointed out earlier, I don’t need Cara Westenra any longer, after all.”
And just like that, the game was won. He had no more cards to play. Any direction Adonis pulled in, would result in Cara’s death. As he always did, Charles Olympus had won.
Adonis stood, and hastily made for the door. He needed a drink—about six bottles should do it, he thought.
His father’s cold voice stopped him at the door. “Adonis?”
“What?” He growled, without turning back.
“I want her branded, the night before. I want you to do it.”
It was customary to brand each slave when they passed out of their training. It was a hideously barbaric practice, and one that Adonis had always despised.
He turned back to face his father. “She’s not a slave. She’ll be your wife. Why?” He asked.
Charles wasn’t even looking at him any longer; instead he was shuffling papers around his desk.
“Because it pleases me to make her hate you a little bit more than she already does.”
With words failing him, and shaking with fury, Adonis closed the door to his father’s office. There was nothing left here for him anymore.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Cara
Adonis apparently took his father seriously. It was the day before my “wedding” and I hadn’t seen him since the night he’d gotten himself drunk. It had been fascinating to see the dominant and controlling man become an argumentative boy, in the presence of his father.
I sensed there was a hell of a history between those two, and I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of a man Adonis would have been without Charles Olympus’s influence.
Not only had Adonis been taken away, but Emma was nowhere to be found either. I was a little surprised by just how much I missed her. Unfortunately for me, Emma was replaced by Esther—who now saw to my daily needs. Esther couldn’t check my aura, but I guessed that wasn’t really necessary now that they all knew exactly what I was.