Page 14 of Ruthless Kings of Vengeance
This voice sends an unexpected jolt through me.
Warren.
Aries.
The Ruthless King who walked away.
The one I told never to kiss me again after discovering his lingering attachment to Iris.
He shouldn’t be here…right? After I sent him away… I released him from whatever obligation kept him hovering on the fringes of our ruthless dynamic. There's no reason for him to stand vigil at my bedside.
Yet I feel no regret for my decision that day in the classroom.
His divided loyalties made our situation untenable. If he couldn't commit to me beyond his role as protector, couldn't see me as more than a replacement for his lost Maiden...
Still, his presence now, when I'm at my most vulnerable, warms something in my chest that I thought had gone cold.
"I'm being realistic," Theo responds to Warren's rebuke, voice dripping with disdain. "Unlike some people who can't decide which Queen they want to serve. Dead or alive it seems."
"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about," Warren growls, frustration evident in each clipped word.
"Don't I?" Theo's voice carries a dangerous edge now. "You need to make up your fucking mind. You can’t be loyal to her in the present when your past is still haunting you like a fucking plague.”
“Well, you’re a part of that haunting past that’s a thorn in my fucking side at the moment.”
“Oh you wish I was but a thorn in your side, wouldn’t you? That would be nice so I wouldn’t be spending my valuable time aiding you while you have an identity fucking crisis!”
Truthfully, despite the circumstances, I don’t like the idea of Aries and Theo fighting. Sure, they have a messy history, but I feel if it’s enough to still raddle Aries now, after all these years, it proves he still has rooted feelings.
May always have…but that’s something that can be worked with…as long as loyalty is involved.
The monitors beside me register a slight acceleration in my heart rate, though I remain otherwise still. Their argument brushes against wounds still raw, still bleeding beneath the surface.
"Enough." Zander's voice silences the room instantly, the single word carrying the quiet authority that makes even the most rebellious fall in line. "This isn't productive."
"If you two just wanna go outside and fuck your anger out so we can focus, you can do that now before our Ruthless Queen wakes and has to deal with your tense misery."
Ares – his voice carrying that perfect blend of boredom and irritation that's become his trademark. A snort of laughter follows his suggestion, likely from Ren, while someone else mutters something unintelligible but clearly amused.
"Are your brother and Theo a thing?" Ren asks, genuine curiosity coloring his tone.
The question hangs in the air for a moment before Ares responds with a dismissive huff.
"They have history. Shared a Ruthless Queen when he attended Leighton years ago. Basically hasn't gotten over all that shit, which is why I told him to fuck off and not go near our Queen until he sorts himself out."
"You didn't say that last part, liar," Warren interjects, tension vibrating through each word.
“But you can ask him yourself since he’s right there,” Ares offers, clearly not giving a damn regarding Warren’s counter comment.
My consciousness drifts momentarily, their voices fading into a muffled cacophony before sharpening once more. The fragmented pieces of Warren's history with Theo and thismysterious former Queen – Iris – slot together like puzzle pieces, forming a clearer picture of the man I thought I knew.
I don’t necessarily feel bitter like when I first discovered the truth, but I’m not sure how the idea settles for him being present. The idea of him potentially even coming back as a Ruthless King is…odd, but that also has me wondering what happens with Theo.
Or even his loyalty to his Savage Queen…
"Well, of course, he wouldn't," Marcus chimes in, his clinical detachment replaced with rare sarcasm. "If you aren't swearing your loyalty and acknowledging the throne Gemini belongs to sit on, you can go fuck yourself."
"Protective much?" Theo mutters, clearly unimpressed. "You're probably a golden retriever."
