Page 118 of In Darkness We Claim

“So she’s nothing more?” he presses, his eyes boring into me, searching for the truth.

I shrug my shoulders. “She’s mine, that is all,” I reply, keeping it vague.

His gaze narrows, as if he’s not buying my answer, and a chill ripples down my spine as I wonder where the fuck this is going. “You were supposed to be using her, breaking her, and humiliating her as a punishment for her father.”

“That is exactly what I have done. Everyone knows she’s my whore, who does as she’s told.”

He shakes his head as his lips tip into a sneer. “And yet I’ve heard no stories of her being passed around, of her being humiliated in public. In fact, what I’ve heard is quite the opposite. You have been standing up for the dirty little tramp.”

Hearing him call Harper names has fury burning through my veins, and it takes every ounce of my self-control not to snap at him, or reach over and slam his head into the desk for insulting my girl.

Instead, I take a deep breath before saying, “Wow, you really have been gossiping like a little old woman, haven’t you, Father?”

“Don’t take that tone with me, boy,” he snaps, but I wave him off.

“While it may look like I’m defending my Prize, in reality, I am asserting my authority. If people think they can mistreat what is mine, that is a direct reflection on me. They are only allowed to do the things they’ve gained my permission for beforehand, showing me the respect I deserve by asking me. If I let them get away with not doing that, it makes me look weak. It has nothing to do with Harper, and everything to do with me making sure my name, status, and position are respected at all times.”

I have no idea where that little speech came from, but it stuns my father into silence, and I let out a brief sigh of relief, though I don’t relax too soon, knowing this is far from over.

He leans over the desk, his piercing gaze fixed on me. “Be that as it may, having our family name linked to that traitor is not a good look. Now is the time to strengthen our position, ready for when you graduate as High Crow.”

For the first time since entering the stifling office, I let my lips turn up into a smirk as I remind my father of who I am. “I will graduate as High Crow, and the Obsidian Order will induct me at the highest level a Pledge has ever been granted. I will then become the youngest ever Obsidian Council member. My plans have not changed, Father, as you well know.”

My father does nothing but scowl at me, as if he doesn’t actually believe I can achieve the goals I’ve been working towards my whole life. Or maybe he’s just jealous, as it will show I’m more powerful than him.

“In order for you to succeed at your goals, your future needs to be secured through a powerful match,” he tells me, a cold dread washing over me.

Anger and nausea rise within me when I realise why I’m here, now he’s finally getting to the point. I’ve been expecting this conversation for a while, but once Harper came into my life, I started dreading it.

“I know this, Father. I’ve agreed to enter whatever marriage contract you choose…after I graduate. Not before,” I say through gritted teeth.

The thought of marrying someone makes me feel physically sick, but it’s the realisation that I’m getting closer to having to give up Harper that really fractures my chest, making my heart bleed out where I sit.

It’s not until this very moment, when faced with the possibility of marrying some random woman, that I realise just how much I like Harper. She’s the only girl I can see walking down the aisle to meet me in a white dress.

Fuck, I knew I was obsessed with her, that I wanted to own her, but I hadn’t realised how far I’d fallen until just now. The idea of marrying her doesn’t scare me the way it should; it actually feels more right than anything else ever has, and that kills me.

My heart cracks further as I acknowledge that this is the worst fucking thing that could ever happen to me. I was never supposed to fall for Harper, because we can never have a future together.

When I took her virginity, I ruined any future we might have had, long before I even realised I wanted one with her. Hindsight is a bitch, and now all I can do is lose myself in the grief, knowing I fucked everything up for us by wanting her when I shouldn’t have.

My father is oblivious to the crisis that is currently crushing me, and continues talking, each new word slicing into me until I bleed out where I sit. “I know we agreed to wait until after graduation, but things have changed. Your…thing…with the traitor is tainting your reputation, and we need to repair it before it’s too late. Luckily, I’ve had a very lucrative offer, one we’d be crazy to turn down.”

That catches my attention, drawing my thoughts away from Harper. “What are you talking about?”

He rolls his eyes at me, annoyed that I’m making him explain himself, when I should just accept whatever he says, no questions asked. “Whilst you don’t have to get married until after you graduate, we will sign the contract now, and you’ll use the next few months, between now and graduation, to get to know your Betrothed. You’ll show off your engagement, and use her to help fix your failing image.”

I push to my feet, unable to stay sitting any longer as my nerves prickle beneath my skin, making me antsy. Although I try to keep my emotions in check, my words come out much harsher than I intend, as I struggle to keep hold of myself. “I’m not signing a fucking marriage contract.”

My father’s face turns an unhealthy shade of purple as he rushes to his feet and storms around his desk, heading straight for me. I stand my ground, letting him see I won’t cower to him, no matter how much he threatens me.

He grabs hold of my throat and slams my back against the wall behind me, a snarl ripping from him as he pulls a knife from his pocket with his other hand, lifting it until it’s resting against my neck. I freeze, holding my breath as I try to remain calm, biding my time until I show him I’m long past letting him push me around.

“You are my only heir, and you will do as you are told. You can keep your whore in private, but in public, you will promote this new union. You will use her family name to strengthen your position, do I make myself clear?” he snarls, his wide eyes fixed on me as he waits for a response.

Rage slides through my veins like poison, and my palms twitch with a desperate urge to reach for my own blade concealed in my pocket, but I keep my anger hidden, refusing to let him see the effect he’s having on me.

Every nerve ending is screaming at me to fight back, to show him I’m no longer an impressionable kid that can be intimidated through threats and violence, but I know it’s the wrong move. Fighting back will only show him how I feel, and I can’t have that.