Chapter 71

Nathaniel’s POV

Opening my eyes, I was on the floor and my mouth throbbed, my body hurt. Picking myself up off the floor, I crawled over to the sink to rinse out my mouth, I was bleeding still so I’d have to burn the wound.

As soon as the hot iron hit my severed tongue, I cried out in pain. My Lycan took over, shifting and crashing through one of the doors. I let him take over, it was one way I would be able to heal, sadly I’ll never be able to speak but I’ll figure out another way.

“I need a doctor.” I mind linked King Gideon.

“Oh I know, there is one coming. I had one of my men stand outside your room to let me know when you woke up.” he mused. “Get some rest, I’d suggest you not do anything to piss me off again I don’t know if I’ll control myself this time.” he cut off the link.

A knock at the door, and then two doctors came in.

“So you made him mad?” the doctor asked as he flashed a light into my mouth.

He knew the answer, I think he was just being an ass when asking me that. I rolled my eyes and tried not to flinch with the pain but it was hard.

“Looks like painkillers are going to be your friend for a while,” he said turning off the light. “I’d suggest you eat cold stuff for a while, it will help with the swelling and the pain. I will send pain medicine to your room,” he said before leaving me sitting there.

I didn’t want to be drugged up, but I knew the pain in my mouth until it was fully healed was going to hurt for a while. I wanted to see my daughter again, I wanted to show her who I was. King Gideon went too far when he did this. We were supposed to be best friends and now we’re nothing but enemies. I knew I had to get my daughter out of here as soon as possible. I didn’t know how much King Gideon has figured out when it comes to having all of us close together. Maybe he will make that mistake and we can kill him.

I wandered around the castle, and when I smelled her I knew she was close. I looked around for her but found her scent in a darker area of the castle, a place where thugs and others lived. This was worrying me a little.

And then I heard her voice, she was with Derek, the one person I told Gideon not to leave with her as he doesn’t have control and he does have secrets that he has failed to figure out. She was struggling with him when I heard what he said and then her answer to it set my Lycan off. I only had to growl at him for him to realize I was there.

When he called me King I felt pride. I knew I was, and I knew getting Gideon away from the crown was something we needed to do quick, I didn’t want to wait around and see him hurt my daughter and turn her into whatever he wanted. I knew she was strong, but since she didn’t have her Lycan I wasn't sure she could survive things.

When King Gideon stopped me from getting closer to her, I wanted to run up to him and take his throat out, but I could feel the fear from Soma, and that held me down. I knew King Gideon had plans, and I knew he was having the vampires come, so we had to prepare for that. But with him not watching over Soma more carefully, I knew my job was now.

“I need to see you in my office.” King Gideon Mind linked me.

I rolled his eyes, he wanted to gloat about what happened earlier, I didn’t want to deal with this crap. I wanted to go and lay down, I felt like I was bleeding again and I was getting weaker.

I walked into his office and stood rather than sit.

“You are one stupid Lycan,” he growled. “I could have killed you, you are lucky I wasn't willing to let you die just yet.”

I shrugged my shoulders, I didn’t care what he thought. I wasn't going to listen to him, I needed to plan stuff with Soma so she knew the plans ahead of time. I didn’t want her in the middle of this, but we were already past that.

“Vampire King has been spotted coming this way, I need you to clean yourself up and be ready when I call. I don’t know what kind of mood he is in as he is early, but you better make sure Soma is safe, if something happens to her I will kill you,” he warned.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head, I left his office after that. Did he truly think I would just let the vampires take Soma? Maybe this would be the time to kill him, or at least take his throne away from him without using Soma to do it.

“Go ahead, I don’t know how long we have, but we don’t have lots of time,” he said sounding worried, it was kind of good to see him stressing a little. I knew he would give up in the end, but I didn’t like having the vampires involved. I didn’t know what they would do. They haven't seen me in years so I might not be a welcoming party for them.

Pushing the thoughts out of my head, I to take a run, I needed to clear my head. I knew my Lycan was pissed off Gideon took my tongue, but it was too late to do anything about it, at least I could mind linking if I wanted to, too bad Soma didn’t have that ability yet.

After my run, I felt something strange in the air, someone that wasn't Lycan in the area.

“Vampires,” I said in my mind. “Vampires!” I mind linked the nearby warriors, everyone was on high alert.

“Come to my office Nathaniel, it’s that time.” King Gideon's mind linked me.

I wasn't sure I wanted to help Gideon out of the mess he was already creating, I wanted to know what the vampire King wanted from the Lycans to keep our treaty going. Gideon wants it the other way around where the vampires are paying for the Lycans' suffering and bondage all those centuries ago.

I had to be careful going back to the castle, I wasn't sure where the vampires were. But I knew if I was caught out here alone they would kill me and make it look like I was never here. I didn’t like the vampires, they were mostly vile but there were colonies of nice vampires, but they didn’t deal with the outside world, it was a pity. I know the vampires in America had become feral and out to ensure they got what they wanted and they’ve killed a lot of humans. I know the vampire council did something about that too

Walking into the castle, I let out the breath I was holding.

“Where are you?” King Gideon growled.

“I was outside, we have a vampire army outside.” I mused. “This doesn’t sound like a true meeting.” I continued. “I would suggest you send my daughter away from them, or I will let them rip us all apart.”

“I will give Soma over to him, I am sure that is why he is here.” he laughed. “Get in here now.”

I rolled my eyes, I was going to make him sweat a little. Now that he wants to put Soma on the line, I am going to let him sit there. I wandered to my room for a few minutes. I quickly changed clothes and then headed towards the office.

I opened the door, Soma and King Gideon were standing behind the desk, the Vampire King was sitting across from them, he had two others standing guard behind him.

“Ah, finally my Beta!” King Gideon mused.

“I am not,” I said looking at the vampire.

“Either way it doesn’t matter, we’re here to talk treaty yes?” he said sitting back in his chair. Something about him was off, I knew him from before but yet the man sitting in that chair was different, a dark different.

“Ah yeah, we need to ensure we can manage together, you need our resources and we need yours.” King Gideon spoke nervously. “I want to ensure you are happy with everything.”

“So if I want the Princess?” the Vampire King asked.

“Oh no she isn't on the table, she is to be married to me soon,” he said clearing his throat. “She will rule here as the Queen.”

“But there is something about her not quite fitting for your setting, and something about how she detests you tells me she doesn’t want to be here. So why don’t we leave it up to the girl?” he said looking at Soma.

“I am not allowing her to leave.” King Gideon growled. “We just got her back, she isn't going anywhere!”