Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,314

across this table right now and ripped his miserable head from his shoulders.

"You're a fucking monster," Xavier breathed, but he was ignored entirely.

"I announced a new law this morning," Father went on like this was just a normal conversation to have over breakfast. "Fae no longer need to wait until graduation to get married. I'm done waiting around for you to fall into line, Darius, so I'm making this simple. Today you will marry Mildred and then you will fuck her. You will fuck her day and night until you put an Heir in her belly to secure my legacy and the purity of our bloodline."

"Mildred?" I choked out, trying to make my thoughts align as they stayed fixed on my girl and the desperate need in me to get to her and save her from this fucking animal.

"Yes. I don't care what you have to use for motivation to get your cock hard for that troll of a girl, but believe me you'll figure it out. Perhaps you'll get lucky and she will fall pregnant quickly for you and give you nine months reprieve before you'll need to put another Heir in her belly."

"I'm not marrying her," I hissed. "I won't. I love Roxy and I'm never going to be with anyone else."

Father sighed heavily like I was testing his patience. "You will. Because every night that oaf isn't pregnant is another night your sweet Roxanya gets to spend like that." He pointed at the Atlas in my hands and I tossed it away from me in disgust so that it thumped down onto the table. "And if that's not motivation enough, then Vard has been hungering for more of a taste of her, so perhaps I'll start sending her to his bed as well."

"You can't," Xavier breathed in horror and Father just huffed a breath like his mere presence was offensive.

"Of course I can. I'm the King. I can do whatever the fuck I want. But I can be kind, too. In reward for you putting an Heir inside the Canopus troll, when I find it, I'll use the Imperial Star to stop the heavens from colliding every time you are alone with Roxanya. You can have her too, in reward for good behaviour that is."

"Have her?" I asked in confusion, my brain struggling to keep up with this fucking mess that had unfolded all around us.

"Phoenixes are useful and there is deep power in her blood. I think it is worth allowing crossbreeding in this one circumstance. Any children you sire with her can be Guardian bonded to the Heirs you make with Mildred. This way you can have it all. I think I'm being more than fair."

"Fair?" I balked. "You can't seriously believe-"

"Enough!" Father roared suddenly, the air vibrating all around us as his power flared with his rage. "I won't have any more complaints or insolence from you, Darius. You have a wedding to attend and if you don't go through with it, I will personally carve Roxanya's heart from her chest and lay it at your fucking feet."

He stood abruptly and stormed from the room, throwing the door open wide and letting it crash against the wall as he left me there, drowning in fear and the most suffocating realisation that I was going to have to do this. There was no way out of it.

"Darius?" Xavier's voice seemed to come from far away and I couldn't even bring myself to look at him until he started shaking me, barking an order at me to fucking listen to him. "There has to be some way out of this," he insisted passionately. "I'll go and get Lance. We'll figure it out. We will. Promise me you won't give up."

Words failed me for several long seconds and in my mind all I could see was the girl with the long brunette hair and eyes which could peer straight into my dark soul without flinching away from it. She was the owner of all that I was and I knew I'd make any sacrifice I had to to save her.

Movement by the door drew my attention and I looked up as Vard strode in, followed by a group of servants who were carrying suit bags and styling products and my gut lurched as I realised this really was happening.

"His Majesty requests you arrive at the chapel within half an hour for the ceremony," Vard said politely, combing his fingers through his long, greasy black hair as he