Chapter 111

*“TEAM SOMA!,” the vision Slonsky cried.*
*The hundred people in the small dining hall repeated his cry, before he nodded at them.*
*“Go get changed and hurry back. You have half an hour.”*
*He sat back down beside Anastasia who was glaring daggers at Sasha and her team as they ran out of the hall. He took her hand under the table, stroking the back of hers with his thumb.* *She started shaking and he looked at her.*
*“Anastasia?”*
*She looked through him and he groaned when he realized she was having a vision. He waited patiently for it to end. She laughed out loud and leaned back in her chair.*
*“What did you see?,” he asked her.*
*“I am so glad that Sasha won. I am glad she will be staying here and not going to be a breeder.”*
*He raised an eyebrow. “Why?”*
*She leaned close to him. “I just saw that that new asshole king is her mate. She will never become the mother of dragons without him and that other little whore of mine, is also mated to a man there.” She shivered. “I’m doubly glad that Kalani won’t be going. She’d probably fuck that black fucker with no hesitation. I don’t want any mixed grandchildren.” She gagged a little. “After the ceremony, I will kill them. We will take them out to the woods and slit their throats. We will blame the rogues,” she giggled happily. “I can’t wait to be done.”*
*He just stared at her. “They’re your daughters, Stasia.”*
*She narrowed her eyes on him. “Who gives a fuck? I sure don’t.”*
*“Please reconsider. This isn’t their fault. This is all my fault and-”*
*“You have been punished by the Goddess. They will be punished by me.”*
*“Just send them to their father. You will never have to see them again and they won’t have to die.”*
*She laughed coldly. “You almost sound like you care.”*
*“I do. You know I do.”*
*She rolled her eyes. “Well, she’s not going to choose herself, so she will die. I am going to string them up and slit their throats and then I will sit there and watch them bleed out.”*
*“Anastasia-”*
*He was cut off by the doors being opened. He turned his attention back to the front where Montananez entered. He looked around the room.*
*“Presenting the winning team of the 4th Breeding Race, Team Soma, led by Sasha Soma, daughter to Anastasia Soma, father unknown, full human. Kalani Soma, daughter to Anastasia Soma, father unknown, full human. Raven Montgomery, daughter to Rosa and Ronald Montgomery, full human. Melissa Romanoff, daughter to Melinda and Kenneth Romanoff, fully human. And lastly, Sherri Coda, daughter to Lima, deceased, and Preston Coda, fully human.” He paused to breathe. “Welcome to the victoria caerimonia.”*
*He lowered himself to the floor, bowing to Sasha and her team, as did everyone else as they walked by. They stopped in front of the table and Sasha lowered her head to Anastasia who stood up to put a hand on her shoulder.*
*“Sasha, well done.”*
*“Thank you, Madame Anastasia. It was my duty to bring honor to the House of Soma. I will always strive to uphold our name with the utmost grace and humility.”*
*“It would be our honor for you to sit with us at the head table. Your team is dismissed.”*
*She curtsied low to her mother. “With all due respect, ma’am, I am no better than my team and I wish to honor them as much as they have honored me today by sitting with them during dinner.”*
*“Sasha,” she hissed. “You dare to disrespect me like this and in public, too?”*
*Slonsky stood up behind her. “Of course, we will welcome your whole team to dine with us.”*
*“We will accept your invitation with much gratitude, Councilman Slonsky.”*
*Chairs were brought for her team and they all took their seats nervously. Sasha waited for them to sit, before sitting on her mother’s right side. Councilman Slonsky remained standing. He spread his arms out and smiled at everyone.*
*“Welcome. Please, join me in showing our approval of Team Soma’s hardwork in achieving victory. Tomorrow we will gather again in the hall when Sasha has decided on the 12 other girls who will be sent as tributes to the nearby shifter clan.”*
*Sasha stood up. The entire hall erupted into hushed whispers.*
*“I am ready to give my list,” she announced, clearly.*
*The councilman eyed her. “Are you sure, my dear?”*
*“Yes.”*
*He clapped his hands together. “Ladies, if you are in the pool to be picked, please, come to the front and line up.”*
*All of the girls scrambled to line up. Slonsky moved around the table to stand beside Sasha. He glanced at Anastasia who grinned. He sighed and before he could change his mind, grabbed Sasha’s wrist and raised it into the air. He glanced at the meeting minute keeper.*
*“Tribute 1, Sasha Soma.”*
*Her head jerked around to stare at him. He felt her heartbeat speed up in her wrist and he knew she was confused and angry. Anastasia growled slightly behind him and his body trembled.*
*“It will be my honor to uphold the reputation of Tursum.”*
*He smiled at her as he released her wrist. “You may commence with your selections.”*
*He zoned out while she gave her list to send up a begging prayer to the Goddess to protect her and Kalani and that their mates would accept them and guide them. The scene froze, before changing. Anastasia was yelling at him in her office while he waited for her to finish.*
*“Why the hell did you do the exact opposite of what I said to do? You just ruined everything. How could you do this to me? I thought you loved me. I thought you were on my side!,” she yelled and her spit hit him in the face.*
*He wiped it off, before calmly standing up. “You are wrong, Anastasia. They don’t deserve to be punished, because of something I did. If you want to punish me that’s one thing, but not them. They are innocent. I do love you, but I also love them. And I’m on nobody’s side. I’m on the side that remains right and this is wrong. So very wrong.”*
*She slapped him. “You’re a fucking idiot.”*
*He nodded. “That may be so, but at least when I ask them to kill me, I will die knowing that one of the last things I did was protect them from you.”*
*She hit him again, before going to the door and snatching it open. She smiled at the guard that stood there.*
*“Go get Sasha. I would like to see her.”*
*Slonsky eyed her. “What are you up to?”*
*She sat at the desk, smirking. “Well, since she’s going, she can handle the assignment.”*
*He moved to her. “Anastasia, don’t ask that of her. He’s her mate.”*
*She laughed heartily. “I know and that’s what makes this great. She won’t know why her heart breaks when she ends his life. Oh, Goddess. How I wish I could be there to see it happen. I want to see her break.”*
*Aiden wrapped his arms around Sasha’s waist when she whimpered. She turned to bury her face into his chest as he watched her agree to kill him.*
*“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know.”*
*He rubbed her back. “It’s okay. We made it through, baby,” he murmured softly to her.*
*Suddenly, she was being thrown from Slonsky’s subconscious.* She opened her eyes to find tears rolling down her face. Aiden picked her up and put her on his lap. He rocked her and she could see everyone staring at her. Kalani shook her head sadly when Gregory tried to hold her. She came over to kneel beside the couch where Sasha clung to her mate, sobbing. She rubbed her sister’s back.
“Aja, it’s okay. You didn’t know.”
Aiden stood up and said goodnight to everyone. He took her up to their room and took her clothes off as she stood still. He put her in a pair of shorts and a tank top, before changing himself into basketball shorts and a wife beater. He picked her up again and carried her out onto the balcony. Mikhail’s wings came out and lifted them up into the sky. He took her up into the clouds before laying flat with her cradled on his chest. He kissed her forehead.
“Baby, I love you more than anything. I have forgiven you for the reason you came here. You have to forgive yourself. There is nothing that I hold against you. You are so amazing and you embraced our bond very quickly, considering everything. Let me show you what I do when I feel bad.”
She sniffled and nodded. He shifted her so that she was laying on her back on him. He slowly took her hair out and hooked her crown in his shorts. He pointed up above them to where a cloud hung in the sky above them.
“Do you see that cloud?” She nodded. “Shoot fire at it.”
Her body heated and she opened her mouth. Fire shot out and exploded in the cloud, causing a shower of multi- colored sparks that hit them both causing electricity to ignite inside of them. She relaxed back against them as he started to expel short bursts of his fire. She smiled softly and linked their fingers together.
“What would I do without you, handsome?”
He nuzzled into her neck. “Be miserable and horny all the time, ‘cuz I’m the only one that can satisfy you,” he teased.
She shook her head. “You’re impossible, but I love you.”
His hand slid into her shorts to stroke over her lips once, before slipping inside of her. “Go to sleep, baby, and when we wake up, I will make love to you before we go home.” He kissed her neck. “You had me before, my queen, let me repay the favor. Sleep and I will watch over you this time.”
She closed her eyes, taking enjoyment in the fact that she trusted him. They had come a long way from the first time they met and she couldn’t wait to see what the next few weeks held for them. If it was anything like this, it would be worth it to have gone through what they had.