The three men stopped and looked back.
Godric asked, “Who is it?”
“My father.” I tapped my bracelet, putting him on hold. I looked up, keeping my expression serene. “Is there a place I can talk in private?”
Godric ground his molars together. “You and I will need to discuss your father at some point.”
Because I was his…mate.
This situation was fucked.
“We will talk.” I waved my hand left and right. “But where do I go to take this?”
He pointed to my left. “The kitchen is down that hallway. It’s private enough. Eat something while you talk with him. You look exhausted.”
I nodded and started that way. “I will. Thank you.”
“And Poppy?” Godric purred.
I stopped and looked at him. “Yeah?”
One side of his lips curled up into a cruel smile. “Make sure to tell your father you’re no longer marrying Mr. Moore. However you want to phrase, I don’t care. Because if Mr. Moore comes to New City to claim you, I will kill him.”
* * *
“Hello, Father.” I popped a handful of nuts into my mouth, chewing vigorously. My left foot kept tapping in my nervousness, and my palms were sweating. “How are you doing?”
“Poppy Bree Carvene, I am so upset with you,” he growled. My full name had been used. He was well and truly pissed. “Did you even think before you ran away? Or did you merely not give a shit about what I thought was best for you?”
I closed my eyes and dropped my forehead into my right hand. “I love you, Father. I do care what you think. But I told you so many times I wasn’t going to marry a stranger. You didn’t listen to me.”
“So you just decided the fucking Corporate Army was the best solution?” He grunted over the call. “You’re lucky I covered for you when they contacted me. Otherwise, you’d be sitting in a jail cell right now, darling dearest.”
“I’m sorry. I really am.”
He was quiet for a long second before he asked, “The tests should be done by now. Do I need to send a train to pick you up and bring you home? Or did those cocksuckers get their claws into you?”
A genuine smile lifted my lips. I tossed a couple more nuts into my mouth with glee. I whispered in excitement, “I passed, Father. I did really well.”
“Of course, you did. You’re my kid.”
I grinned full-blown. “You’re proud of me. I can hear it in your voice.”
“Those tests are rough. That signature you forged of mine was allowing your death sentence. I obtained a copy of it, and there’s a goddamn death clause in it stating they aren’t responsible if you die during their tests.”
“Well, I didn’t die.” I cleared my throat.
I would never die now.
My head spun again with the realization.
“But you could have.”
“I’m fine,” I lied. I shook my head past the dizziness, and put my new life existence on the backburner. “So about Brandon…”
My father snorted. “I’ll handle him.”
“Are you sure?”
“You’re staying in that damn Corporate Army, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then the marriage contract is void.”
I took another drink of water. “Father, I think he kind of liked me. He kissed my hand for a long time.”
“Wait, did you like him too? Am I misreading this?”
“No. I didn’t like him. What I’m trying to say is that I don’t want him coming after me.”
There was a smile in his voice. “Don’t worry, darling dearest. Your father will handle the big scary man for you.”
I chuckled. “Don’t kill him.”
“I won’t,” he hummed. “As long as he doesn’t mess with you. I don’t think he will. As I said before, he’s a good man. And he’s one I trust. But I’ve seen good men turn bad too. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
I sighed. “Father, I really am sorry.”
He rumbled, “For which thing? That you joined Mr. King’s army or for turning your back on the Liberated Army or for running away and making me worry you might die?”
I nibbled on my bottom lip. “It’s not as bad as all that.”
“It’s exactly like that.” His sigh was loud. “But, popular to contrary opinion—I’m talking about your opinion—I do understand why you did it.”
“Seriously?”
He chuckled. “Back in the day, I was once young. I know what it’s like to be forced into marriage. Though, I was lucky. Your mother and I came to love each other very much.”
I grinned. “I can see why. You’re quite the catch.”
“Maybe a long time ago I was.”
I popped another nut into my mouth. “You still are. I got my looks from you. And you always say I’m too pretty for my own good.” I chewed in thought. “You know, Father, since you like those marriage contracts so much, you could always sign yourself up again—”
“No!” he cut me off fast. Then he breathed and stated more calmly, “Don’t be cheeky.”
I laughed in pure malicious entertainment. “You don’t like those tables being turned on you, huh?”
“Hush,” he muttered. “So when can I see you?”
“Miss me already?”
“What I don’t miss is your dishes left everywhere. It’s been nice having a clean kitchen.”
I glanced at all of the food I had scattered over Godric’s kitchen counter. His pantry was stuffed with so many items that I’d just grabbed whatever looked good. I would have to clean the mess up after I finished eating.
“So when can I see you?” my father pestered.
My eyes narrowed at his tone. “Everything all right?”
He was quiet for too long.
“Father?”
“Actually, Poppy, I received an interesting photo of you. I’d like to talk to you about it in person, not like this.”
“What kind of photo?” I asked cautiously.
My bracelet buzzed. I tapped on it.
A hologram picture formed in front of me.
“That photo,” my father said, his voice quiet.
I sucked in a harsh breath.
The fear of it being a photo of Godric and me on the front lawn of King Corporation vanished. It was much worse than us sitting side-by-side in the grassy courtyard eating lunch together. This photo was intimate and left nothing to the imagination.
Godric’s beautiful naked flesh was on full display from the backside. He was on his knees on the bed, his face tilted to the side showing his profile. And he had me pinned to the headboard, my head thrown back in ecstasy with my bare limbs wrapped around his body.
My father cleared his throat. “That is Mr. King, correct?”
“Yes,” I croaked, my voice filled with guilt.
“And that is a bedroom on my base. Correct?”
I whispered, “Yes.”
He stopped speaking, quiet. So quiet.
I didn’t know what to say, so I stayed silent.
We didn’t speak for a full minute.
Then it only became worse.
Godric walked into the kitchen on silent feet, griping in exasperation, “Poppy, everyone is arriving. If you’re done eating, we need to start discussing what happened today.”
But he jerked to a stop, his eyes caught on the photo before me. The man blinked slowly. His head cocked as he evaluated the picture, his eyes narrowing in slow cooking fury.
Then he bellowed, “What the fuck is that?”
My eyes were wide on my face. “Godric, wait. My father—”
“I don’t give a damn about your father right now,” he interrupted. He stormed forward and pointed at the photo. “How the hell do you have a picture of us like this? No one was in the room then.”
My mouth bobbed, horror etching my features.
My father cleared his throat. “That’s Mr. King, I presume, Poppy?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Godric’s shoulders tensed and his attention snapped to my bracelet. “Yes, it is. Who the fuck is this?”
“My father,” I hissed. “I tried to tell you.”
His mouth snapped shut, and his features cleared of all emotion as he turned into Mr. King, the businessman. “General Carvene, you’ll have to excuse me. I didn’t recognize your voice.”
My father snorted. “Yes, I could tell you were distracted by the way you were berating my daughter.”
Godric’s eyes peered skyward. He sighed heavily. “I imagine you have questions about what you overheard.”
“I do. That can be saved for when I get there. We will talk in person then.” My father hummed. “We can discuss something else now. That photo you are so upset about, the picture I wanted to burn my eyes out after seeing, was sent to me.”
Godric’s shoulders stiffened, and he peered back down to the intimate image. His tone flattened—a dangerous sound. “This was sent to you?”
“Yes. About a half hour ago. It’s untraceable.”
Godric’s jaw clenched.
“Did you have guards outside the room?”
“Yes,” he growled.
My father went silent, and then asked, “Are your men targeting my daughter or are we the targets?”
Smart, smart man.
He didn’t jump to conclusions.
My father had one army. Godric had the other.
Spark a fire between the two, and there would be war again. Anyone wanting to take over would merely wait until they destroyed each other. No work done on their part other than sending a racy photo to an overprotective father.
Godric rubbed the back of his neck, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. “Was it just the photo sent?”
“Yes. There wasn’t a note.”
“Then it’s probably us. I’ll look into it.”
“I’ll expect a report,” my father said, and then he switched topics. “I’ll arrive in New City tomorrow. We’ll talk then about private issues.”
“Bye, Father,” I quickly added.
“Call me if you need me before then. Goodbye.”
He ended the call.
I quickly tapped my bracelet.
The image disappeared.
“Was it Jonathan?” I asked evenly.
Godric’s nose scrunched. “Maybe.”
“You’re not sure?”
“No, I’m not. He’s loyal to my father.”
“Meaning?”
“No one fucks with my father. He would take great offense to someone trying to hurt me. So, essentially, being loyal to my father is being loyal to me too.”
I nodded. “And it would be too obvious. Jonathan was the one interrupting us. If he’s a clever person, he would have been certain not to put himself in a situation to be caught.”
Godric stayed quiet for long moments before he blinked with a thought. “How exactly did you get out of my room without being seen by my guards?”
“There’s a hidden passageway…” I trailed off, my eyes widening. I tapped my bracelet again and pulled up the image. I studied the angle further and pointed. “The bedroom door was more that way, wasn’t it?”
Godric was bent, reviewing the photo too. His golden eyes narrowed. “My men didn’t take this.”
“You’re right.” I nodded. “This was taken from the bathroom. That’s where the hidden passageway is.”
Godric straightened and crossed his arms over his chest. His lips curved in a pleased, evil grin. He chuckled ever so softly, and it was frightening. “That means it came from your father’s, and there’s only one man who would benefit directly from this.”
My forehead crinkled. “His men are loyal.”
“It’s like a puzzle, pet. Think a second.”
Deep in thought, I ate more nuts. I stared off into nothing as I thought about that night, replaying it in my mind. I thought about the people in power directly underneath my father. The people who knew about the passageways. I blinked as if I were waking up.
“It’s Brandon.” I jerked my excited regard to humored golden eyes. “My father said he arrived early. He saw you and me leave together after we were in the bar with your entourage of guards. All the soldiers know the layout of the base, and the higher-up officials are briefed with exit strategies in case of an attack. He would have known about the hidden passageways.”
“Keep going…” Godric rested his hip against the counter, a proud glimmer in his eyes. “You’ve almost got this.”
I shook my head in amusement. “He was getting intel on you. It’s wasn’t me. But he figured out who I was soon enough when we met. The girl with the great Mr. King was his own fiancée.”
Godric rolled his finger. Waited.
“News has spread that I left my father to join the Corporate Army. The timing that my father received the image means that Brandon was keeping track to see if I was accepted or not. And he knows if we’d married, it would have sealed his future as the next general. But I was accepted into the CA, so no marriage for him.” My brows bounced with the giddiness of being correct. “His future as a general was in jeopardy, so he took matters into his own hands. He wants my father dead so that he can secure his place again.”
Godric slowly clapped. One. Two. Three.
Then he dipped and pressed his lips to mine.
His kiss was indulgent.
I grinned against his mouth. “So, big man, how did a man sneak into the bedroom with a shifter who has a great sense of smell?”
Godric nipped my bottom lip. “You tell me.”
“The shifter was finally getting some after one hundred years of no pussy. He was a little preoccupied.”
He chuckled, tilted his head to lick along my bottom lip. “You would be correct, pet.”
A masculine throat cleared behind me.
I didn’t want to move, so I didn’t. I placed my forehead against Godric’s chest and inhaled his unique scent while he straightened to deal with whoever had interrupted us. Wild spice and cherries surrounded me, calming my shattered nerves.
Godric’s arms embraced my frame, his hands rubbing on my back in comfort. He stated gently, “Poppy?”
“I’m smelling you. Hold on.”
He chuckled, his chest vibrating against my head.
I sighed. “You’re ruining it.”
“I’d like you to meet someone.”
“Okay.” I tipped my head back to stare into his eyes.
“It’s my father.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Inside Godric’s warm embrace, I pivoted and placed my back against his chest, a warm smile on my face to greet his father.
The view had me stopping short in confusion.
And a little fear.
I sucked in a lungful of oxygen. “I don’t understand.”
A honey-haired man wearing a pair of orange swim trunks and a gray t-shirt stood before me. His muscles bulged under his beachwear attire, and black flip-flops graced his feet. His age was indistinguishable—maybe twenty, maybe thirty—but his penetrating dark eyes were still scary as hell.
“Poppy, this is my father, Theron King,” Godric explained, a careful hum in his tone. The golden lion was being gentle with me. “Father, this is Poppy Carvene. She’s my mate.”
Immortal. They’re all immortal.
I shivered again at the remembrance.
Theron’s gaze honed on me with his son’s words, his eyes narrowing. “Your mate?”
Scary, scary man.
“Yes, my mate. We figured it out today.”
He strolled forward with strong legs.
I stiffened and pressed harder against Godric.
Theron’s gaze never left mine. He dipped and leaned in toward me. His nostrils flared as he smelled my hair, my shoulders, and even ducked against my neck to sniff at my throat.
Weirdest parent meet-and-greet ever.
“Godric?” I asked, my voice shaking.
Theron was trailing his nose up my neck, smellin
g my skin the whole way. He huffed against my neck. Then his nose pressed harder, his chest expanding as he inhaled again.
Godric hugged me tighter. “It’s okay, pet.”
Theron pulled back and straightened.
His eyes were wide in surprise. “There’s no darkness.”
“I know,” Godric said, his tone gentle.
Then I remembered Godric’s mom.
One of the six matings that were magically wrong.
Theron blinked. “The curse is gone.”
“It is.” Godric laughed. “Now say hi to my mate.”
Theron’s gaze snapped down to me, and he smiled so wide I could see all of his teeth. And he was glorious, a beauty to behold. He lifted my right hand and bent to kiss the top of it gently before straightening again. “It is my truest pleasure to welcome you to the family, Poppy.”
I yelped as he yanked me out of Godric’s embrace and crushed me into a hug. My hands hung down by my sides, and the left side of my face crushed against his hard chest. I peeked out of the corner of my eye back to Godric.
He was grinning, his golden eyes full of joy. But his gaze was all for his father. He was elated with his father’s sudden happiness, his shoulders relaxing.
I closed my eyes in resignation and lifted my hands. I hugged his father back, holding him around his lean waist. “I have to admit, Theron. You may frighten me, but you give a great hug.”
* * *
Godric’s mansion was impressive.
The three of us walked down many different hallways on our way to where ‘everyone’ was meeting. They had decided on the living room. We had yet to get there, after walking for three minutes.
Godric typed on his bracelet, his gaze intent on it.
“What are you doing?” I leaned to peek.
“I’m informing your father about our theory.”
My lips tilted up in a smile. “Thank you.”
Theron walked behind us. “Poppy, your last name is Carvene. As in, General Carvene?”
Godric answered for me, sounding irritated. “Yes, her father is the man who attempts to thwart any new law I put into place.”
I flicked a glare at him. “Then quit trying to put stupid laws into place. You’re not the king of the world. The people should have a say in their wellbeing.”
Trigger (Origin Book 1) Page 14