Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,317

that I could find some faster than that. He'd stolen the last inch of hope I'd been holding onto thinking I might find some way out of this.

"Cheer up, Darius," Father said, his gaze flicking over me, assessing me like he was absorbing all of my pain. "I'll give you two minutes with Roxanya to say what you need to before the rest of the guests arrive and then I won't hear any more of this foolishness. If you wish to have her to yourself again after that then get an Heir in your bride and learn to behave yourself."

He gave Roxy a shove towards me and I caught her face between my hands, creating a silencing bubble around us as my mind whirled with a desperate desire to find some way out of this.

"Tell me what to do, baby," I breathed, looking into her green eyes, hoping she might have thought of something I hadn’t.

She swallowed thickly and shook her head. "There isn't anything," she breathed, a tear slipping down her cheek as she looked up at me. "I'm sorry, Darius. I don't want you to have to do this for me."

"I would do anything for you," I growled fiercely, swiping the tear from her cheek as it felt like my entire chest was caving in and I tried to linger in this moment forever, never wanting it to end and for the future I couldn't escape to come to pass.

"I'm yours," she breathed, her mouth touching mine with her words. "Whatever you have to do...even if Mildred really does have your-"

"I can't be with her like that," I growled. "I can't be with anyone but you. It would fucking kill me, Roxy."

She smiled weakly, reaching up to hold my cheek in her palm as her other hand fisted my shirt over my heart.

"You're mine where it counts, Darius. And I'm yours. Nothing can change that."

Her lips met mine and I tasted her tears and my grief between us for the sweetest, most painful moment I'd ever known.

Something heavy knocked into my leg and I cursed as pain shot through the limb, breaking away from Roxy as I stumbled back.

I looked down at the fallen lectern which had hit me as the minister gasped his apologies for somehow knocking it over.

But it hadn't been him. Not really. That was the fucking stars stealing her from me again and as Father tore her away and pushed her down into the pew at the front of the chapel, I knew that we were never going to truly be allowed to be together. And the fact of that coupled with the knowledge that I couldn't protect her broke something inside me that hurt so much I couldn't fucking breathe.

Xavier caught my arm, squeezing tightly as he tried to reassure me and the minister directed me to stand to the side of the aisle to await my bride. My fucking bride. What the hell had I done to the stars to deserve this? Were they really that pissed about me and Roxy managing to be together despite their best efforts to keep us apart that they felt I deserved this fate? On fucking Christmas? Who the hell would do something this fucked up on Christmas?

Clara, Stella and Vard entered the chapel amongst the few guests Father had invited, alongside a handful of his favourite Dragons and my heart fell as I realised he hadn't even invited the Heirs and Councillors. They had no idea this was happening to me. And that was the very last hope for help I'd been holding out on.

When everyone was in their seats, the door swung open once more and Mildred's unmistakable frame darkened the doorway.

She was wearing a voluminous white dress and thankfully had a veil pulled down to cover her mismatched features, but it wasn't much comfort. I was still going to have to lift that thing and look upon her star-damned face as I swore to be her fucking husband.

Fuck only knew how I was supposed to get an Heir in her belly. But if I didn't figure it out then Roxy's suffering may as well have come from my own hand. And despite what she said, I knew this would break us in ways we couldn't repair. We might still own each other but if I had a child with that monstrous girl how could Roxy ever look at me the same way?

Mildred took her sweet time walking up the aisle, almost falling out