Chapter 70: Accidents Happen
Rhydian;
My heart drops when I hear the words. I look out the window, and staring at the night sky, it dawns on me that I spent hours sleeping here by Elian.
Mom must know that, and that is what she wants to talk to me about. She is most likely upset that I didn’t touch the man she sent to me.
But how could I? I find him repulsive, and can’t just bed someone because she asked me to.
"I’ll be with her shortly," I reply, and the guard’s voice follows immediately.
"I’m sorry, Alpha, but she demands your presence now." He replies, and now I’m certain of it.
She’s pissed.
I take a deep breath and look at Elián, whose hands are still in mine.
"I’ll be back," I whisper to him, and she awkwardly pulls his hands out of mine.
"Please... take your time." He replies, and I can see that he finds the whole situation weird.
I also didn’t plan to apologise to him, but I meant every word I said. He didn’t deserve the things I did, and I would sincerely like to be his friend.
He seems to have a fascinating mind. I want to understand it.
"Think about what I said," I add as I get out of the bed, and he clears his throat and nods.
"... I will." He replies, and I smile at him.
I look up at Alana, who’s silently watching us, and she bows to me.
"Make sure he has dinner and is in perfect health," I order, and she bows again.
"I will, Alpha Rhydian." She replies, and I smile at her diligence.
Koda made the right choice picking her to be Elián’s aide. I’m pretty sure if he got someone else, things wouldn’t be this smooth between them.
I walk out of the room and find a dark-haired Beta with his gaze to the ground.
"Where is she?" I demand, and he doesn’t miss a beat before replying.
"She’s in your chambers, Alpha." He replies, and I sigh.
I turn on my heels and begin to walk in the direction of my room, with this guard walking closely behind.
Surely, Mother ordered him to ensure that I go to the room.
Once I’m in front of my door, he speaks.
"I’ll take my leave now, Alpha." He says, and I roll my eyes as I listen to his footsteps retreat.
I take my hand to the doorknob, but pause when I hear Mom talking to someone.
Who’s in there with her?
I push the door open and scan the room with my eyes. My sight settles on the table and chair beside the window, and I pause.
Mom is eating from a bowl of grapes, and right beside her, on his knees, is the boy from earlier. He’s still wearing the same scanty robe he had on earlier, but this time he is on his knees and has a chain wrapped around his neck.
A chain Mother is casually holding on to as she eats her grapes.
"What is this!?" I demand as I walk in.
This is a disgusting sight. Beast men are not to be chained, held down or treated like feral animals at the mercy of others. Those are the rules Father taught me... and I’ve stuck by that belief.
But here, in Mother’s kingdom... anyone is a slave if she wants them to be. She has no regard for will, right, or freedom.
She, however, only reserved most of her unjust treatments for omegas. If this boy is an Alpha, why is she...
"Why is he in chains?" I demand, and she sighs.
"Shut the door behind you, Rhydian." She replies, and I stare at her in silence as a bubble of emotions I can’t understand floods my system.
She finally looks up at me, and that dark, no-nonsense look fills her eyes.
"Shut. The door." She demands, and I sigh before finally obeying her.
"How is he?" She questions as I walk further into the room, and my heart skips a beat.
"Who?" I reply, deciding to play innocent, and she scoffs.
"The omega. The one you seem so fascinated by." She replies, and my heart starts pounding.
"I... I don’t understand." I reply in building panic.
This is bad. I was careless. If she thinks I fancy Elián, his life would be in danger.
She... she wouldn’t dare hurt him, right?
He belongs to the Ashfangs.
She wouldn’t dare cross Father like that.
But then again... she is who she is... A monster.
"I do. You’ve stayed long with your Father and his bastards. They’re pathetic beliefs have started rubbing off on you. The concept that omegas are worth something is beginning to take root in your mind." She speaks, and I gulp.
"I... You... Mom, why are you here?" I reply in a desperate attempt to change the topic, and she smirks at me.
"Since you’re currently in a phase... where you find miserable things... attractive..." She begins, and I raise a brow as she begins to wrap the chain around the boy’s neck tighter around her hand.
"Bram, dear. My feet are sore. I need them elevated." She suddenly says to him, and he smiles like a fool.
To my horror, he gets on all fours and crawls to her front. I watch in dazed silence as my mother raises her legs and places them on his back as she tosses another grape into her mouth.
"Bram here can be whatever you want." She says with a smirk, and I hold my breath as I watch the offensive sight before me.
"If you want him to be an Alpha who has some dignity, he can be that. If you want him to be a pitiful, shameful omega, he can be that. He knows just how to take orders." She continues, and I swallow.
"Don’t you, Bram!?" She demands as she suddenly kicks him in the side, and my eyes widen as he stumbles away.
I rush to him and help him up as I glare at her.
"Mom! You shouldn’t treat people like this! He’s not an object!" I scold, and she scoffs.
"Do you have a problem, Bram?" She questions, and his grip tightens around my arm as he slightly hides himself behind me.
"N...no, Alpha Liandria. I... I have no problem with how I’m treated. I... I’m honoured to serve you." He replies, and my brows crease at his words.
I stare at him with wide eyes, and he spares me a glance before shanefully looking away.
My gaze shifts back to my mother as she stands u,p and I watch as she sets her bowl of grapes down on the chair and walks up to me.
"I told you I wasn’t going to report threats, so I’m not going to do that. But I will warn you, Rhydian. If that omega is going to be the reason you do not do what you need to do..." She begins, as she steps so close to me, there’s just an inch of space between us.
"If you do not get Bram pregnant, or at least start attempting to... Accidents happen." She says, and my heart skips a beat.
"What do you mean!?" I demand, and she smiles before getting on her toes and bringing her lips to my ear.
"Your omega might just meet his end in some... unfortunate accident." She whispers, and my heart dies.
She pulls away from me and gently pats my chest.
"Bram mustn’t leave this room tonight. And he must be put to use. If I find out that no attempt at giving me grandkids was made tonight... I don’t want to be forced to remind you how far I can go to get what I want." She says, and I swallow as she turns away from me.
I watch in silence as she walks over to the door. She stops and looks over her shoulder at me.
"All you have to do is have a good time. If you’re shy, Bram will show you how." She says with a poisonously sweet smile, and with that, she opens the door and walks out.
She shuts the door behind her, and I remain frozen as her words replay in my mind.
"Alpha..." Bram’s voice calls softly, and I feel something tight and ugly flood my chest.