The Heir

by Ariana Rodriguez

  From first child to first child

  No matter who the Lykaon mates with, be it human or shifter, the Lykaons first child is always one hundred percent werewolf. When I say that the heir carries the blood of the Arcadian King, I mean that it’s an exact copy of his blood. Male or female, the Lykaons child is the Heir to one of, if not, the oldest royal dynasty in the world. Our last ruler had one child." He'd told her. "But the council doesn't know where the Lykaon Heir is."

  "Nick only wanted you for the power." Kate continued, taking joy from Jessica’s ill-concealed shock. "Why do you think he chased after you so tirelessly? Because he had to claim you before anyone else discovered your existence." Kate glared at her. "If it wasn't for you, Nick would be my mate. But you haven't won, he is going to discard you after you give him an heir and come back to me."

  Jessica felt something breaking inside of her but she refused to show any weakness in front of Kate. She didn't want to believe it but it all made sense. Looking back Jessica realized that Nick had never really professed his love, only his desire to mate with her and Jessica now understood why.

  With cold fingers, Jessica reached behind her neck and unclasped the necklace that Nick had given her, and with the necklace dangling from her fingers, she stretched her hand out towards Kate and told her flatly. "Nick is all yours and so is this."

  Kate eyed her for a second then smirked when she realized she'd been triumphant. Standing in front of Jessica she stretched her hand out, palm up. “You’re doing the right thing for all of us." She told her without bothering to hide the malice in her voice.

  Jessica didn't seem to hear her. "This is yours." She repeated stoically then added, "and so is this."

  Jessica brought her free hand back and punched her square in the nose. It happened so fast, Kate was unable to do anything to stop the punch. The force of it sent her flying back and slamming against the wall.

  Jessica's eyes grew wide in surprise of her own strength, she was sure that everyone had heard the impact. "That's for being such a vindictive bitch." She spat at her then added as a second thought, "and it's not a compliment."

  Out in the hall, Sarah had to bite her lips to keep herself from laughing out loud. She wished she could have seen the look on Kate’s face. She’d been dying to do the very thing that Jessica had just done for a very long time. Unfortunately Sarah’s hands were tied. One wrong move on her part, one foot out of line and they would destroy her world.

  "You’re going to pay for that!" She heard Kate snarl.

  The snarl had Sarah’s back snapping straight in apprehension. Kate was going to shift. She was going to shift and attack The Heir, Jessica, Nick's mate. Between the two, in a human form battle Sarah had no doubt that Jessica would be the victor. But Jessica had yet to shift, she may be strong in human form but Sarah didn't know if she could hold her own against a wolf with Kate’s fighting experience.

  Sarah knew that she couldn't risk it.

  She had to intervene.

  But she would have to do it without stepping out of line. It was a tight rope she would have to walk but she couldn't sit back and hope that Nick's mate was not killed.

  "Whoa! Someone needs a wax!" She heard Jessica exclaim tauntingly.

  Knowing that if she was going to step in the time was now, Sarah schooled her features into a look of disdain as she prepared herself to meet her brother’s mate for the first time.

  "I'm surprised you know what that is." She heard herself say.

  Stepping into the room she walked up to Jessica and deliberately placed herself in front of her; taking Kate’s attention away from Jessica.

  The first thing that caught Sarah’s attention were her eyes, they were electrifying. Eyes a clear blue like the color of the tropical ocean. And in one of those eyes she found the birthmark that declared her the Heir.

  "Who are you?" Jessica asked her.

  "I am Sarah, Nick's sister." She answered coldly when in reality she wanted to hug her and welcome her warmly into the family.

  This wasn't how she'd hope to meet her new sister in law for the first time but she comforted herself with the knowledge that one day, hopefully soon, she would be able to make up for what she was about to do.

  "What's going on in here?" Sarah whirled around to look at Matt standing by the door. "What are you two doing here?"

  Before Sarah could answer Jessica spoke up as she made her way past him and out the door. "They were just filling me in on the truth."

  Matt watched her go before turning to look at Sarah. The look of contempt in his eyes had her backing away. He'd never looked at her with so much hate before and she stiffened her spine, preparing for the worst.

  Kate caught the silent bypass and she smiled triumphantly to herself. She'd just killed two birds with one stone. She'd managed to not only cause trouble for Nick but Sarah also. "My work here is done." She told no one in particular. "I think I will leave you two alone." She told them as she sidled past Matt.

  He didn’t try to hold her back; all of his attention was focused on Sarah. This time she'd gone too far. He couldn't believe she'd just done that to her own brother. He'd always hoped that one day she would go back to being the Sarah of old but now he realized how hopeless it all really was.

  "He is your brother." He stated in a low defeated tone.

  Sarah stared at him blankly. She had nothing to say. She couldn't say anything.

  She wished she could, with every fiber of her being she wished she could defend herself. She wished she could tell him everything. She wished she could tell him the truth but she couldn't.

  She couldn't risk it. I'm doing the right thing, she told herself. It was painful and lonely but it was all worth it. One day she'd be able to tell him the truth. One day they would be able to be happy.

  But that day was not today. Today Kate was out in the hall listening to every word. Today Sarah would keep on playing the charade. To do otherwise could mean his death.

  "You aren't going to say anything?" Matt asked, cutting into her thoughts.

  Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and said in a snobby tone, "I have nothing to say. You already know how I feel about all this."

  Look into my eyes! She wanted to scream. Look at the pain I feel!

  But she didn’t say anything and Matt didn't look.

  He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "I am done." He told her flatly and his words had her going cold. "I can't do it anymore. I thought you would change. I thought my love could be enough but it's not." He laughed mirthlessly. "I never pictured myself thanking you for not letting me mark you."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "You should know you did it enough to me."

  Sarah could have sworn she felt her blood turning into ice. Felt the cold crystals forming in her lungs robbing her of her breath. The look in his eyes, she'd never seen it there before.

  "What are you trying to say?"

  Matt looked at her with indifference in his eyes. "I am rejecting you as my mate."

  She felt the ice slowly creep towards her heart. "You can't," she told him in a panic. She'd never thought that this would happen. She thought she would have more time. In her mind she had created a whole different outcome.

  Not this.

  Never this.

  Biting back her panic, she said, "We are soul-"

  "I've heard that if you haven’t marked your soul mate that you can mate with someone else." Matt spoke over her. Sarah felt the floor disappear from under her. "You don't mean it." She whispered.

  "With every bone in my body." He told her. For the first time he looked at her, really looked at her and threw his head back and laughed. "Now you're acting like you care? It's too late. Even if I can’t mate with anyone else, I won’t have you." Matt looked down at her with contempt. "I'd rather die alone." He turned to leave and paused at the threshold to add, "I would suggest that you leave before Nick finds out about your involvement in all of this. Goodbye Sara
h."

  Sarah watched him go. Her heart breaking with every step he took. One thought kept flying through her mind.

  This wasn’t and how it was supposed to happen.

  "That's what you get for interfering." Kate told her smugly.

  Sarah glared at her, she refused to give her more ammunition than she already had to use against her. Wrapping her pride like a cloak around her she pointed at the blood on Kate’s shirt. "And that's what you get for... What did she call you?" Sarah tapped her finger on her chin thoughtfully, "oh that's right, being a vindictive bitch."

  Sarah moved around her to walk out of the room but Kate wrapped her hand around her arm to stop her. "Where do you think you're going?"

  "Didn’t you hear Matt? He wants us out of here." Sarah shrugged out of Kate’s hold. "Let’s go."

  Kate laughed. "And miss all the fun? I don’t think so. I still have work to do. But you've served your purpose better then I'd hopped so you can go." Kate dismissed her and as she walked away she heard Kate say with delight. "I'll give him hugs and kisses for you."

  Sarah’s steps didn't falter. She refused to let Kate know how much her words hurt.

  Without another word she left. She went away to lick her wounds in private.

  She made her way to the back yard, out to the woods where she shifted with a natural ease and allowed her wolf to take control. Her wolf only cared about natural instincts it didn't care about broken hearts. And that’s what Sarah needed, to not care.

  Chapter 22

  Jessica finally found Nick in his office and barged in without knocking.

  "Is it true?" she asked uncaring that he was on the phone.

  Nick turned to look at her with a smile that vanished the moment he looked at her face.

  "I have to let you go. I’ll call you back tomorrow." Nick put the phone down, "what is?" He got up and walked around his desk, tried to reach for her but Jessica stepped away. "What’s wrong?"

  Jessica raised the hand that held the ring up to him. "Is this true? Am I the Heir?"

  Her question was met with silence. It was answer enough. Shaking her head she turned to leave but he grabbed her wrist to hold her back.

  "Who told you?"

  "You’re jilted mate." She looked down with disgust at the hand that held her wrist. "You both deserve each other."

  She pulled her hand away and turned to go. She couldn’t stay here any longer. She was seconds away from breaking down and she refused to do it in front of him. She’d given him everything; she refused to give him her tears.

  Jessica couldn’t believe how fast everything had changed. Within seconds her world had come crashing down around her.

  Now all she had left was her pride.

  And she would never let him know just how much his deception hurt her.

  "Let me explain. I was going to tell you tonight." He told her desperately.

  Jessica shook her head and kept on walking. "Isn't that what everyone says after they've been caught in a lie?"

  She stormed out the front door and down the steps. And when she remembered that she'd been driven here, she ran. She would run home, she decided. It would give her time to think. Give her time to figure out what she was going to do.

  She was the heir. She was the heir to the oldest dynasty, she thought in wonderment.

  That brought her up short and wondered what that meant, what it entailed. Jessica didn’t know, she had no clue what she was supposed to do now

  Nick knows, a soft voice reminded her. Nick her mate.

  She couldn't do it. She couldn't leave. They were mates, which meant something. She wasn't seventeen anymore; she couldn't run away every time she heard something she didn't like. She would let him explain. She'd been looking for answers and now that she'd found them she wasn't going to walk away.

  She specially wasn't going to give that horrible person the pleasure of seeing her run away.

  With a new resolution Jessica turned around and retraced her steps back to Nick’s house. She was a bit surprised that he hadn't followed her. After chasing her so persistently she never would have thought that he would just let her go. It didn’t make sense to her and she was even more confused when she didn't find him anywhere in the house.

  Thinking that he might be in the backyard, she made her way around the house and froze upon the sight in front of her.

  "You had no right to tell her." Nick growled.

  Kate pouted. "I'm sorry, but are you going to deny that the only reason you chose her was for her status? Tell me you love her. Tell me you weren't just using her. Tell me you didn't move here just to get to her. Tell me that you care about her, not about her inheritance and that to prove it, you would turn it all down."

  Jessica held her breath, hoping Nick said something.

  But he said nothing. And Jessica realized that she would be holding her breath until the end of time. Minutes ago she thought her heart had been broken.

  Finding out about his deception was nothing compared to finding out that he really didn't love her. That he cared nothing for her, only for her supposed inheritance.

  She didn't realize she made a sound until Nick whirled around. "Jessica!"

  Kate smirked and crossed her arms triumphantly at the sight of all the color leeching from Jessica’s face. "You heard it from his lips," she told her smugly then corrected herself "...or didn't in this case."

  "Get out of here Kate." Nick growled without taking his eyes off Jessica.

  Jessica saw Kate smile like the cat that had eaten the cream and slowly Jessica’s sorrow made way for anger. Kate walked past her, head held high like a queen, without a word the look of triumph on her face said it all.

  Jessica hadn't realized there was any more room for hate within her, but there was.

  "Kate?"

  Kate stopped and turned around to face her with a malicious smile and a glitter of hate in her eyes. "No need to say thanks."

  "I wasn't."

  Once again, Jessica caught her by surprise. Before anyone had any idea of what she was thinking Jessica performed a roundhouse kick that landed squarely on Kate’s chest and sent her flying back and down to the ground.

  Jessica quickly regained her balance and looked down at the stunned and fuming Kate. "I still think you’re a bitch and next time, don’t do me any favors."

  Kate got up and snarled and Jessica took up her defense stance when she saw Kate’s hands turning into claws.

  "You’ll pay for that you mutt!" Kate shrieked as she charged towards her.

  Jessica braced herself but it was unnecessary.

  Matt, Christian and Axel materialized in front of her as if out of nowhere and they pushed her back into Nick’s arms. His warmth and scent enveloped her and she had to fight with everything she had in her to keep herself from melting into him. She became like a wild cat.

  "The mighty heir.” Kate spat out the word. “Needs protection from me?" Kate asked as her teeth began elongate.

  Her taunt sent Jessica over the edge.

  "I don’t need anyone’s protection," Jessica snarled and fought to get out of Nick's embrace. She clawed at his arms and when he picked her up to bodily move her she kicked her feet in the air. "Let me go! I'll give her a reason for plastic surgery! She needs a new nose!"

  "Get out of here Kate! Matt!” Nick yelled. “Get her out of here!"

  Matt moved to do Nicks bidding even as Jessica kept flinging insults at Kate.

  "Let her stay! I'll do the world a favor and neuter her!"

  Nick grunted when one of Jessica’s uncontrolled kicks landed on his chin. "Jessica, stop!"

  "I’ll do her a favor," Jessica sneered, completely ignoring Nick. "I’ll rearrange her face and she won’t have to shift to look like a dog!"

  It proved difficult for anyone within hearing distance to keep a straight face and Kate noticed it. She saw the laughter lurking in everyone’s face, everyone except Nick. He only had eyes for the mutt.

  She hated them all for i
t.

  One day they would all pay she vowed as Matt dragged her away.

  Along with Kate’s departure, Jessica’s need for violence also left her body. She felt drained. She felt drained and unfortunately for her, it wasn't over. Earlier she remembered thinking that she was on cloud nine and never getting off but she didn't take into account that someone would push her off.

  "Nick, let me go."

  Nick did the opposite, he held on tighter. "I can't not until you promise that you will let me explain."

  Jessica nodded even though she was doing no such thing. Nick let his hands drop reluctantly. Jessica felt bereft without his touch and she resented herself for it.

  Why couldn't she be like him? She asked herself. Why couldn't she be cold and uncaring? Do what needed to be done without involving her feelings?

  Jessica took a deep breath but it didn't fill her lungs. She felt like she was suffocating. Felt like something inside of her was breaking.

  Lies it had all been lies.

  Every caress, every smile, every sweet word, it had all been lies.

  She couldn't take it. She couldn't do this. She couldn't look at him anymore. She shook her head and told him so as she took a step away from him.

  Nick tried to stop her. "I’m not letting you go. You promised you would let me explain."

  Jessica shook her head again, swallowing back down the vile that threatened to erupt from within her. "I lied, just like you." Jessica turned around to go and found herself in front of Axel and Christian. "Lied, like all of you."

  With one look, she condemned them all.

  Neither Axel nor Christian could look her in the eye. Filled with shame they turned their gazes to the ground.

  "Damn you all." She gritted past numb lips. “Damn you all for this.”

  She began to walk past them when Nick snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. Jessica closed her eyes and forced herself to ignore the heat that his body ignited within her own. She forced herself to stand still, as stiff as a log, and ignore the comfort she found in his touch.

  "I'm not going to let you go, we are mates. We'll talk about it. I know it looks really bad but I swear I was going to talk to you about it tonight. Let me explain, you will see that it is not as bad as she made it seem."