Chapter 101

Her father took a step forward angrily as Slonsky made Casey get up.
“Dad-”
“You should have known your place, witch,” he growled.
Slonsky pushed Casey behind him as her father took another step. Sasha got in front of him and put her hand on his chest.
“Dad-”
He shoved her hand off. “I should take something from you. Something you love. I think I’ll take that little girl behind you.”
Kalani moved next to Sasha. “Dad, wait.”
He glared at them. “MOVE!,” he roared and Kalani immediately stepped to the side, struggling to fight his aura.
Sasha slammed her hand against his chest. “I SAID STOP!”
He froze, narrowing his eyes at her. “Move!”
Sasha maintained eye contact with him, keeping her aura a steady flow to keep him in place. “Lani, take Casey and Lily upstairs, please.”
Lily peeked out from around Lukas’s body. “I’m staying with Lukas.”
He sighed, turned around to scoop her up and held his hand out for Casey. “Come on, Casey.”
Casey hesitated behind her father until Lukas repeated his command, pushing his aura out to force obedience. Casey hurried towards Lukas and their father tried to lunge at her as she passed. She screamed out and Aiden got between them, blocking her from the angry prior king of kings. The door shut firmly behind the three leaving and Sasha let her aura drop. Aiden caught her as she stumbled.
“Dad, listen to me. You can not- will not hurt Casey or I will kill you myself. Not only is she a child, but she might be our little sister. If you wish to punish Slonsky, punish him, but the girl is off limits,” Sasha told him.
He glared at her. “He destroyed everything. He deserves to die.”
Sasha glanced at Slonsky who stood still, eyeing him.
“Sterling, listen to me-”
Her father darted around her to slam him against the wall. “YOU PIECE OF SHIT! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! I DIDN’T WANT ANASTASIA! I LOVED ODANYA! SHE WAS MY QUEEN AND BECAUSE OF YOU I LOST HER! I LOST MY KIDS! I FUCKING DIED TWICE! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU CALL ME BY MY NAME?!”
Slonsky met his eyes. “I tried to fix it. I tried to save Odanya. Anastasia switched the spell. I couldn’t undo it. I even considered killing her to save Odanya. I knew I would never have her, but I still tried.”
He was jerked forward, before being slammed against the stone wall behind him. Their father reared back and punched him repeatedly in the face.
“SHE! WAS! FUCKING! MINE!,” he howled.
Slonsky didn’t move, taking every blow. Kalani made a move in their direction and Sasha held her hand up, stopping her. She watched her father shake him vigorously, before dropping him on the floor.
“You’re not even worth my energy. Now, your little daughter.. She is worth my killing.”
“Dad.. listen to me. He doesn’t deserve your forgiveness, but please don’t make his daughter, our sister, suffer like we did without her father. He is all she has.”
He bared his teeth at the man still laying on the ground. “He didn’t care about you guys when he did what he did. So, tell me why I should care about his daughter.”
“Because before Odanya died, I went to see her. She forgave me,” Slonsky said quietly from the floor.
Their father spun on him furiously. “YOU ARE A FUCKING LIAR! SHE WOULD HAVE TOLD ME.”
Slonsky slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position. “I’m not.”
Their father turned to Kalani. “Can you show me?”
“I can, yes, but it has to be with his permission,” she answered slowly.
Slonsky sighed and nodded. He looked at Sasha.
“Promise me that after this when he kills me, you will look after Casey. Protect her and make sure she is happy.”
Sasha agreed, before looking at her little sister. “Take me with you.”
Aiden picked her up as Kalani and their father settled on the floor. Sasha felt her body grow light again and she was pulled back into Slonsky’s mind.
*They were standing outside of a door where a man stood hovering concealed under a black hooded cloak. He knocked once and a weak voice called out to enter. The figure entered with them close behind. They moved over to the bed where a frail, sick Odanya lay, almost swallowed by her bedding. She eyed the figure and they slowly lowered their hood to reveal a slightly less gray Slonsky. Her eyes widened before closing. She held out a shaking hand to him and he hurried to her side to take it. He sank to his knees beside the bed, bowing his head over her hand.*
*“I am so sorry,” he whispered.*
*She tried to turn to him, but ended up in a coughing fit that turned her blue. She reached for the mask beside her on the table and she almost tumbled out of the bed. He caught her and grabbed the mask, putting it over her face. He followed her hand wave to the oxygen canister beside the bed and turned it on. She held the mask to her face as she tried to take deep breaths.*
*“It’s… you..,” she panted.*
*He lowered his head. “Yes. I am so sorry.”*
*“Why?”*
*He looked up at her, miserable. “I loved you the minute I saw you. I wanted you to be mine. I thought I could make you be mine by giving him his fated mate. I failed and I was wrong.” He reached for her again and tangled their fingers together. “I tried to make this right. I tried to undo the spell she put on you, but I couldn’t.”*
*She touched his cheek, her eyes softening. “Everytime I knew you were around, I wondered what I would do if we were face to face.”*
*He pressed her hand into his cheek. “Odanya, I wish I could take everything back. I wish I could take your place.”*
*She smiled sadly. “We both know that wouldn’t change anything. You made your mistakes, but I also made mine. I should have trusted Sterling. I should have trusted our bond.” She closed her eyes. “I should have met you before. I should have explained everything to you.”*
*“No! This was all my fault. She didn’t want him. I interfered. Everything you did was because of me.”*
*She opened her eyes to study his face. “I never knew you, but I loved you and I hated myself. Sterling was always good to me. He was the perfect mate, king, father and husband. I didn’t deserve him.”*
*He kissed her hand. “But you did. Everything was fine until I came into the picture.”*
*She weakly tugged on his hand. He moved onto the bed beside her. She took her mask off and kissed him. Sasha’s eyes filled with tears as she watched the embrace between the two. She turned to her father who had tears coursing down his face unchecked. She turned to Slonsky who was watching the scene unfold in front of him with regret on his face. Odanya deepened the kiss and he followed her when she moved back against the pillows. She pushed the blankets down and he raised himself up.*
*“Odanya?”*
*She touched his cheek. “We never had our moment. This is probably your last chance to make one with me.”*
*He stared down at her. “Don’t talk like that. There’s still time.”*
*“Make love to me,” she whispered.*
*The scene froze and their father moved closer to the bed. He looked back at Kalani.*
*“I want to see,” he said.*
*“That’s not me.”*
*Slonsky moved forward. “Sterling, you don’t need to see me make love to her.”*
*He closed his eyes. “I do. I need to know it wasn’t real for her with me.”*
*Slonsky sighed. “She loved you.”*
*“Please.”*
*Sasha moved over to her father and put her arms around him, before nodding to Slonsky. The scene started up again and her father trembled when Slonsky leaned down to kiss her again as he moved between her legs. He entered her and she moaned. He took her hand in his, linking their fingers together as they rocked their bodies together. Odanya shifted her hand and clawed down his chest, before releasing fire to finish her mark. He thrust into her deeply and released deep inside of her. She touched his cheek again as he rolled off of her.*
*“Promise me something.”*
*He kissed her hand. “Anything.”*
*“Tell my husband, tell my mate.. Tell him.. That to me he was everything. Thank him for loving me and tell Anastasia that I apologize. Tell Lukas I should have been a better mother. Tell Sasha and Kalani that even though they weren’t mine, I never wished anything like what they got on them. Tell them that I am sorry I was jealous. Tell them that I hope they are happy.” She paused as a tear rolled slowly down her face. “Tell Sterling that I love him.”*
*He touched her face as she drew in a shaky shallow breath. “I promise.”*
*She kissed him softly and by the time her head hit the pillows her heart had stopped. He pressed another kiss to her lips, before softly kissing her forehead.*
*“I will always love you, Odanya.”*
The vision faded and Sasha felt herself grow heavy. She blinked and she opened her eyes to see Aiden looking down at her with concern on his face.
“Are you okay?”
She numbly shook her head. She looked at her father who was shaking with quiet sobs. Kalani reached for Gregory who immediately picked her up to cradle her in his arms.
“Is it true?,” their father whimpered.
Slonsky took his shirt off and the mark etched into his skin was unmistakable. Her father looked at them.
“Leave us.”