Broken Road (Fate's Intent Book 7) (3 page)

Chapter 6

Darius

Zayden and Rift were thankfully asleep when we walked back in. The weather was getting messy being on the sea and we couldn’t stand out there anymore. We spent most of the day inside and were finally almost at our destination.

“Ah, hey.”

Zayden woke and was walking slowly towards us.

“Haven’t seen anything else if that’s what you want to know.” Aleksander said.

“What? No. It’s okay. You don’t need to anymore and I’m sorry for getting all stressed about it.”

I looked over at Izin and he looked most impressed. “Well, what’s the cause for this sudden change?”

“I got what I need from another source that I’m satisfied with.”

“Another source?” I wondered. “From where?”

Then I heard a laugh.

“Think you mean to say from whom?”

“Is that—?”

Ryon appeared next to Zayden. “Who else?”

“Ryon?” Izin wondered. “You’re dead?!”

“Surprise.”

“Does Kathryn know?”

He laughed to his worry. “Of course she knows. It didn’t just happen.”

“She didn’t tell me.”

“Why would she? She knows you wouldn’t care.”

Izin looked over at Zayden and saw his eyes on him. “You know him?”

“My brother, you mean?”

“Yeah, he knows everything.”

“Zayden—”

“Don’t worry about the wolf thing, father. I’m okay.”

“What wolf thing?” Aleksander asked like he truly didn’t know and I guess if Trever recently found out then they haven’t found a way to plot and scheme about it yet.

“I’m a wolf too.” Zayden said. “From my mother.”

“Kathryn’s a—but I’ve known her for—I’ve never seen her—”

He was clearly in shock about it and Ryon laughed. “How could you not know sooner? You grew up with her. You had to know what her last name was.”

“Well, yeah but no one thought it was from her. I thought it was just a coincidence that her last name was Wolfe because I’ve never seen her as one and she’s never mentioned it.”

“She never does it.” Izin said. “Just because it’s in her blood doesn’t mean she’s ever had to use it. She takes something for that.”

“You’ve been blocking Zayden too?”

“We used to but he’s old enough to understand and decide for himself what he wants.”

“And I’ll be there to help.” Ryon said.

Izin didn’t seem to like that and narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“And please tell me you’re the only one in this world.” Troy said.

Ryon laughed. “Don’t worry. They’re not here. Jay’s sanity is safe. They don’t even know I’m here.”

“You’re not supposed to be.” Zayden said.

“Finally showing some gratitude, Zayden? I’m glad sleep helped.”

“I’m still tired.”

“And moody.”

“So—how did you die?” Izin asked.

“Father!”

“It’s all right.” Ryon said. “He’s been waiting for this to happen to me since he met me. It shouldn’t surprise you that he wants to know every detail.”

“Still. I’m not that happy to hear it again.”

“It was an assisted suicide.”

“Assisted?” I asked.

Ryon paused for a moment with a smile and looked around. “They didn’t tell you how I died?”

“Ryon, don’t.” Aleksander said.

He held out his hand and an empty syringe appeared in it. “I’m sure you’re familiar with it.” He tossed it to Zayden and he caught it as it gained its full color.

“My venom.”

“Trever made it all too easy. Locked it up tight in his house, miscalculating that I can get in anywhere I wanted. An impossible thing to try and keep from the greatest thief who ever lived.”

“Your weapon of choice?” Zayden asked, tossing it back only to see it disappear.

“It was just something I had to do and I know you can’t understand that but this makes it so much easier to break daddy’s rules.”

He glanced humorously at Izin but he met him with a cold stare. “Don’t ever call me that again and I don’t care what has been said about it. My rules were entirely justified. Zayden was to never know that you existed.”

“I know and believe me, I put it off for as long as I could due to the situation.”

“You didn’t actually tell me.” Zayden said. “I ended up having to get it out of Kole because you always evaded me.”

“It was only because I never thought you would need me so telling you just seemed pointless but now you do need me and I can be here whenever you ask me to.”

Zayden sighed loudly. “I’m not looking forward to that.”

Ryon laughed. “You’ll be fine. It’s really not that bad.”

“Will it hurt?”

Ryon paused for a really long time and I think it was really only making Zayden worry more. “You know, I don’t really remember my first time that well. Just that it was sudden.”

“I really don’t want it to be sudden.”

“It’s not going to happen now, is it?” Izin asked. “Can you sense that?”

“It won’t be yet.” Ryon said. “For it to be sudden, something traumatizing has to happen to you. That’s why I seemed so worried when I saw you in Nindor because something traumatizing did happen to you but I guess it wasn’t traumatizing enough.”

“We’re not going to have to induce that, will we?”

“Of course not. Not many of us wolves know in advanced what we are so it will be different for you. It will be by choice but when you’re ready.”

Zayden nearly sighed in relief and then Ryon quickly turned his head away from us like someone else was speaking to him.

“What is it?” Aleksander asked.

Ryon kind of tightened where he stood. “Someone wishes to speak with you.”

“Boys, leave right now!” Aleksander’s voice was loud but I never planned to move and neither did anyone else.

“It’s too late.” Ryon said.

This weird breeze filled the room and with it the sound of wind until someone began to appear in the chair next to Aleksander. It looked like—Trever but I didn’t get my hopes up to see him dead. I knew who it was.

“Bryce.” Aleksander muttered.

“Hello Aleks.” He even sounded like Trever like I remembered but I didn’t know how long I could be here.

“H—how have you been?” He stuttered in asking like he was afraid of the reason for this visit.

“How have I been? I’m forced to come here and see you wearing my son’s crown and you’re asking me how I’ve been?”

Aleksander tensed. He really was afraid but I knew something was wrong about this. Ryon was standing almost behind the chair Bryce was in and he was trying not to laugh.

Bryce kept his face the same for only a second after then laughed himself. “I’m just kidding, Aleks. Relax. I’m doing well actually.”

“Oh, good.”

Bryce then turned his head and took notice to Izin. “Izin, nice to see you.”

“Bryce, you look exactly the same.”

“Yes, time does funny things.”

“What is it you wanted to speak about?” Aleksander asked.

“You. My son’s friend.” He turned around to Ryon. “Go to him and reminded him for me.”

“Why can’t you do it?”

“Because whenever I try to talk to him, the kid strikes up an attitude and I don’t have time to deal with his stubborn self-centered ways.”

I laughed and clapped my hands together. “Now you I like.”

Bryce turned and looked at me for the first time. “And I see you’re the one who has the distaste for my son?”

Ryon nodded to answer. “Yup and Zayden’s Izin and Kathryn’s son and Troy is the one screwing your daughter and married her without your permission.”

Troy’s eyes widened but I wasn’t worried. Bryce didn’t seem mad.

“I’m well aware of the conditions. If I disapproved he would already have joined us. Leave. Now.”

Ryon sighed with an eye roll and was gone.

“I’m sorry about that. He’s been quite hard to tame.”

Zayden laughed. “You probably never will.”

“He is more for Trever. That’s why I sent him there.”

“Then you must be excited Kole died.” Izin said.

Troy immediately looked away like he didn’t want to be in the conversation but Bryce didn’t seem to mind other than he sighed while answering. “I only am because he can no longer pollute my daughter but he still a nuisance. He’s proven to be quite a bad influence on everyone. Isn’t that right, Troy?”

I looked over and Troy looked up. He’s never directly spoken to Bryce before but he did so like they’ve talked about this before. “He was dying all along and you knew. I couldn’t let him go out with her hating him like that so I fixed it.”

“You brought her more pain.”

“She’s over it.”

They stared at each other and I wondered if something was going to happen or maybe someone should say something.

“So, Bryce that exactly are you here for?” Aleksander decided to ask his previous question with a little more pressure to get it answered.

Bryce took his gaze off Troy like he wasn’t sitting there at all to get away from talking about how Troy got Jaylyn to stop hating Kole. “He’s going to be sending something rather large your way and I wanted to make sure you knew what had to be done.”

“Of course I do. You know you can count on me.”

“Be sure you’re back for it. It’s important. No one else must see it.”

“I understand. I will be.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry this had to be so short. Being here for long periods of time is unsafe.”

“We fully understand but appreciate the visit. It has been some time. It’s good to know you’re well.”

“Ruling a world can test you but I’ve survived so to speak. Just make sure this stays quiet. I wouldn’t want my baby to think that she missed something and get—distant.”

Aleksander looked at us. “I’m sure they won’t say a thing, not wanting that to happen either.”

“Thank you. I do appreciate it. I still feel it every time she cries.”

“That must be awful.”

“It is but speaking of awful, someone else wanted to come when she found out I was but I told her, no. I hope that’s okay? I know it’s what you would have wanted me to say.”

Aleksander was still for a moment. That’s when I knew he had to be talking about Adele’s mother. Why wouldn’t he have not wanted to see her? I didn’t ask. “Thank you. I’ll never be ready for that.”

“I know. I used my leader voice.”

“Excuse me.” Aleksander got up from his chair and walked out on to the deck. He clearly didn’t want to talk about it and no one here seemed like they would follow.

“Has Cynthia ever come here?” Izin asked.

“Of course not.” Bryce replied rather harshly.

“It seemed someone never wanted her to.” Zayden said.

“So it did.”

Yawn.  So, Aleksander has issues. No surprise but they’re completely justified. The dead are dead for a reason and should never be coming here. Ryon has his own reasons though and I admit that Zayden will probably need him to learn about the wolf thing. He’s easy to deal with. It only seems to be others that would cause problems if they were seen again.

“She completely understands, don’t worry.” Bryce went on. “She just misses him and is sad to see him so―”

“Young-hearted?” Izin suggested.

“Something like that. He hasn’t been with a women his own age since she died.”

“I’ve guessed as much.”

“Shh!” Bryce suddenly became alert, flickering his eyes around the cabin. “Don’t move. Don’t say a word.”

I looked around. Should we have been worried? None of us knew exactly what was happening but I had a feeling it wasn’t good.

“I’ve stayed too long. They found me.”

Bryce rose from his chair and it all happened so suddenly. A stranger appeared and didn’t look happy. He went for Bryce but Bryce was quick to move himself like Zayden could and the stranger turned but something changed. He froze and his body began to tremble and shake. A pair of thumbs came out his eyes from behind him and he was tore in half in a bloodless rage, disappearing from sight.

That’s when I saw her. That beautiful red hair and those golden eyes. Her expression was fierce but she quickly shook off the moment to the sound of her name.

“Gwenyth!”

Her face changed with a smile. “Thought you could use some help.”

“What did I say about coming here?!” Bryce was clearly full of rage but I didn’t so much mind this meeting. She was Ruby’s mother and she reminded me much of her. “You know it’s forbidden!”