by Zoey Ellis
A Tainted Claim, The Beholden Duet Book 2
Copyright © 2020 by Zoey Ellis. All rights reserved
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
The right of Zoey Ellis to be identified as the author of this book has been asserted by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patent’s Act, 1988. All rights reserved. Except for use in review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part, by any means, is forbidden without written permission from the author.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by any way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the author’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Cover design: Jacqueline Sweet
First Edition: July 2020
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Author Note
Acknowledgments
About Zoey Ellis
For Gideon and Margarita
A Tainted Claim
He will take what he is owed
And she will not escape him
Ana is determined to put her nights with Maddoc behind her, but one thing becomes clear.
The Alpha outlaw won’t let her go.
Infuriated by Ana’s disobedience, Maddoc uses all his resources to reassert his claim, no matter what violent destruction it causes. But Ana is no longer the Omega she once was.
And as she launches a rebellion of her own, she begins to wield her true power.
Not as a princess or a prize, but as an Omega to an Alpha.
A TAINTED CLAIM is the second and final installment of the Beholden Duet, a fantasy Omegaverse romance that explores justice, punishment, and dark, tainted love. For fans of Alpha anti-heroes and sassy heroines. HEA included. This story features romance and situations of a dark nature.
1
ANA
From her carriage window, Ana watched the shadowy stain of dusk take hold of the skies.
Maddoc would be in their room now, realizing she was not there as promised and that she wasn’t coming. A strange feeling drifted in her chest; melancholy and forlorn clouding her thoughts as unbidden memories of him revolved in her mind. His twitching beard, the intensity of his eyes, that gritty bassy voice… The tremble in her stomach flickered, and her nipples hardened at the memory of his tongue grazing them, his hands gripping and squeezing the fleshy parts of her thighs, his groan when he lapped at her clit or sunk deep into—
“Ana?”
Stiffening, Ana glanced over at Ryden, who sat next to her in the carriage. “Yes?”
“Your father has been informed.”
Ana nodded, exhaling a heavy breath. So, Father knew she had left, which meant Mother did too by now. It was strange being separated from them. She’d never been apart from them in such a drastic way before, and they’d been the steady base she’d relied on for so long, but she had to take the opportunity to strike out on her own.
Never would she have considered that her parents would lie to her, but even more unbelievable was her mother’s outright admission that they wouldn’t stop lying to her. After all their talks of upholding honesty and fairness, the betrayal of it cut her deeply. Her parents and Milly were the three people in the world she’d never dreamed would lie to her about anything. How was she supposed to know what was true anymore? As reluctant as she was to believe any word that had come out of Maddoc’s mouth, if he’d been even half right about any deception on her parents’ part, her life wasn’t what she thought it was. And that gave way to another uncomfortable thought; what else was he right about?
A warm hand covered hers. “Are you all right, Ana?”
She turned to see Ryden gazing at her, concern in his blue eyes as they roamed her face. She smiled, relaxing in her seat. The one thing she could be sure of was Ryden. As her fated mate, he was the only one who was guaranteed to be there for her, to protect her and be her home, regardless of what happened. “Of course, this is just… unexpected, that’s all.”
“I know. It will take some getting used to.” He paused, staring at her. “I was surprised you came with me.”
“You were?”
Ryden nodded. “I thought you’d want to consult your parents or at least have me prove that I could do what I said.”
Ana tilted her head slightly. Was he implying she was foolish for believing him without proof? Perhaps she had been. “I desperately want the promise to be broken,” she admitted. “I didn’t want to go back into that room to… him.”
Ryden’s jaw clenched. “I don’t blame you.”
“And I know we are fated mates, Ryden. I must have faith in that. If there’s even a chance we can break the promise and be married… I have to take it, regardless of what my parents think.”
A smile spread on his handsome face. “That’s the way I feel, Ana.”
Ana squeezed his hand, returning his smile. “Good. So tell me how we can break the promise. Both my parents were adamant it couldn’t be done.”
“It has to do with the majority vote of the houses,” Ryden explained, leaning back in his seat. “There are five houses, as you know, and in all voting scenarios the majority wins. The houses can overthrow a decision made by the ruling couple if the majority of the houses agree.”
Ana nodded. She’d heard of that concept, but slightly differently. “I thought it was only if the houses were unanimous in their decision that they could overthrow a decision by the king or ruling couple?” It rarely happened because each of the houses had such different interests, but it was possible.
“Usually yes,” Ryden agreed. “But in this case, we will agree that the majority vote should count.”
Unease wormed through Ana’s stomach. “So it’s not guaranteed we can break it?”
“It will be more likely to happen if we have public support.”
Horror jumped into Ana’s throat. “We’re going to make it public?”
“Only if we need to, Ana,” Ryden said. “But it might come to it if the other houses and the king fight us on the decision.”
“But the commoners won’t agree that Maddoc isn’t owed the promise if he saved Father’s life. They would expect him to honor it—that’s been the whole reason they’ve been trying to keep it quiet.”
“Don’t panic, Ana,” he said, taking her hands again. “We’ve got a plan and strategy that will ensure we will prevail on this. You’ve just got to trust me.”
Ana held his gaze and took a deep breath. She had just learned that she couldn’t trust her parents to be honest with her, and even though Ryden had never shown her any reason not to trust him, she was nervous about his ability to judge the situation, when Maddoc was a factor they had to consider. Ryden was from House Redcrest and very experienced in arguing politics and familiar with Allandis law. Perhaps he could see a way to get through this that she wasn’t aware of? But Maddoc could not be dealt with the way the court could. “I trust you, Ryden,” she said. “But you must understand that you are not only dealing with the assembly or the crown. You are dealing with Maddoc. He has no concern o
r respect for innocent lives, and he will drag others into this if he does not get what he’s owed.”
Ryden shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Is he in love with you?”
A beam of something strange shot through the cloudiness in Ana’s stomach, but she pushed it away. “No, I don’t think so. It is about the principle. He was owed three nights, and he didn’t get it. He will think it is not honorable, and he will retaliate.”
“He isn’t one to determine what is or isn’t honorable considering his crimes,” Ryden barked, his eyes flashing. “It is all very well for him to murder, steal, and rape, but we are not honorable for giving him two nights out of three? That bastard cannot dictate anything to us. He is not just a nameless man or a criminal, he is the most despicable outlaw known to the kingdom. He shouldn't have been given that much power just for saving the king."
Ana’s gaze sharpened on him. "I am grateful that he did, Ryden."
Ryden met her gaze. "Ana, I know King Orick is your father, but if he was that careless while hunting, it is a sign he is losing his touch. All of his king's guard were killed or maimed, leaving him unprotected. That doesn't sound like a situation that should befall a competent king. Where were his archers? Where were his own weapons? It is well recognized that kings should take all necessary steps to protect themselves from having to be saved by anyone other than their knights."
"The men who attacked him were not from Allandis, Ryden," Ana said, grappling with the annoyance that surged in her chest. "They planned it—they must have known his schedule and attacked when he was vulnerable."
"Is there evidence of that? Did you ask your father?"
“There was evidence they carried an insignia not recognized in Allandis. I assume he would have shared that with the houses."
Ryden’s shoulders lifted. “He may have. I wouldn’t necessarily have been told everything about the incident since I’m not a formal representative of Redcrest,” he admitted. “But the fact he was attacked badly enough to owe his life to Maddoc is a disgrace.” He turned to face Ana and remained quiet for a long moment. “Ana, I know you love your father and I respect him a great deal. But it is time for you, and him, to come to terms with the fact that he is no longer fit to rule. He should step aside and let us take the throne."
Ana’s eyes widened in alarm. "Us? But we're not ready for that kind of responsibility!"
"I disagree. What your father has made you go through is inhumane. It has caused more damage to our future, our children’s future, and the future of the crown than any other single act. He is a detriment to us and himself. I don't think we should wait to succeed him." He paused, taking in Ana's panicked face. "I know that is hard to hear, but the crown isn’t just about one man, it’s about Allandis. Take some time to think about it, Ana.”
Ana could barely reply. She slumped back in her seat, a lump building in her throat. Usurping her father would be considered an act of violence. It would cause much discontent in the kingdom and wouldn’t be an easy thing to do, especially on the basis of her father being incompetent for an incident in which he was ambushed. How could Ryden use that as the sole basis for him being an unworthy king? It wasn’t a wise argument to make.
She watched the buildings passing by her window without really seeing the scenery. Maddoc suggested that her father did things in court that she wasn’t aware of—things that made him unlawful like Maddoc. “Do you go to many court events?” she asked after a while, still watching the skies.
“Yes, quite a few.”
“What did you think of my father’s decisions and approach?”
“They’ve been good,” Ryden said hesitantly. “But that doesn’t mean he should remain king in light of what happened with Maddoc.”
Ana turned to him. “Would the kingdom agree?”
Ryden’s expression became guarded, but he said nothing.
“Because that is what we will be fighting against,” Ana explained. “The Allandis people like familiarity. My mother and father are proven leaders who have kept the kingdom stable for years—we don’t have that track record. They may strongly rebel against any suggestion that we take over.”
Ryden watched Ana carefully. “Did you learn that from your studies?”
Ana frowned. “Learn what?”
“About usurping and its consequences.”
“Yes, and from reading.”
“I thought your studies focused around history.”
Ana looked at him in confusion. “All instances of usurping come from the past. What does it matter?”
Ryden was silent for a moment. “I’m not saying it will be easy, Ana. We will meet resistance, but it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. The fact remains that the king owes a debt to Maddoc. We do not.”
“But if I had gone through with tonight—”
“I didn’t want you to,” Ryden said sharply. “And you didn’t either. It is not our burden, Ana.”
Ana lowered her gaze. As her father’s daughter and heir, she’d felt it was her burden. And maybe it had been before tonight. But as her Alpha enforcing his intention to wed her, Ryden had every right to insist that she not be involved, or at least dispute it with her. It was not unreasonable that the circumstances would upset her mate. The destruction of the crown wasn’t as personal an offense as his Omega being used by another man. Now she had chosen to go with him, she’d ultimately chosen his needs and opinions over those of her father’s. “I suppose not,” she murmured, her gaze returning to the window.
The carriage continued its travels as the sky morphed from the muddy blue of dusk to velvety navy, encrusted with twinkling stars.
Finally, just as Ana’s head drooped on Ryden’s shoulder, the carriage slowed and lurched to a stop. Ryden assisted her out of the carriage and led her up to his mansion.
Ana had visited most of the royal house mansions before, when she was getting to know the families, prominent figures and their status’ within Allandis, but she didn’t recall Ryden’s home. It was more modern and smaller than the palace, but no less grand. Each of the houses owned a castle in the kingdom, but the representatives of each house lived in mansions near the palace for when the royal assembly gathered. Even though Ryden wasn’t an official representative, Redcrest was one of the wealthier houses, so it could afford to give promising dukes like Ryden such accommodation.
Ryden assisted Ana to the semidark entrance hallway before releasing her arm and heading back to the carriage to instruct his staff. Inside, a smoky, charred odor from a fireplace mingled with the tang of polish, but the building was mostly dark with only a few candles dotted along the walls. Nerves jittered in Ana’s stomach. This would be her new home now, at least until she was crowned and could move back to the palace. She looked around, wondering if she could really make this place her home, but memories of Milly, her library, and her parents made it difficult to imagine… It could never be the same.
"Princess Ana."
Ana turned to see an older man leaning in a doorway that led off from the hallway. "Duke Aldous," she greeted in surprise. "What are you doing here? I didn't expect anybody to be visiting Ryden so late."
"Waiting for you, Your Majesty," Aldous said, his eyes twinkling as he raised the tankard in his hand in greeting. "I'm glad you agreed to come. We are pleased to have you onboard, Ana. Your contributions to this alliance will be invaluable."
Ana eyed his tankard, wondering if he was drunk. "We?"
Aldous gestured behind him. "The houses that have come together to support you and Ryden’s efforts."
Ana’s brows raised in shock. "Who else is here?"
"Come and see," Aldous said, nudging his head for her to follow him.
Ana followed him, her stomach dropping as she realized the lounge beyond the doorway held several visitors, all waiting for her and Ryden. In the low candlelight, she recognized two representatives each from houses Thorneshaw and Goldfrost. "Good evening," she said nervously. She ran her hands down her dress, wondering if sh
e was appropriately dressed. She hadn't prepared herself in any kind of elaborate fashion to meet Maddoc for the third night, and she certainly wasn't expecting to meet several important dukes and duchesses from the royal houses.
"Good evening, Princess Ana." Duke Everard stepped forward. He stood next to Duke Theodore, both from Goldfrost. "We don't mean to alarm you, but this alliance was made at significant risk to us, and we want to be sure you are fully in agreement with what is planned. Things will commence quickly now that you have left the palace, and we will need to move swiftly. Everyone will need to play their part."
Ana blinked, looking around the room as she tried to process what he was saying. "Ryden explained the general plan in the carriage on the way here, but I would appreciate knowing what part I am to play."
Duke Everard nodded. “Of course."
"Ladies and gentlemen," Ryden greeted as he entered the room. "Let's not move too quickly and overwhelm Ana. She has just been traveling for a couple of hours to get here, after narrowly escaping a night with that savage. Let us please allow her some time to familiarize herself with her new home, or at least rest and have a drink for a moment."
"Respectfully, we do not have time for such luxuries," Duke Darcel of Thorneshaw said apologetically. He was accompanied by Duchess Rhoslyn. "The fact we are all here right now is already risky for us. Our greatest advantage is ensuring they don’t know what’s coming."