“So why did you cut up my brother?” There it was, the final piece I could not reconcile him doing.
“I wish I did not have to go that route, but it is a tactic my father would have used to get his way. I couldn’t just go to your parents and tell them that I’d killed the reigning Horde King as I asked for you, not without them trying to attack us outright to test my strength, so I sent the emissaries in my father’s name. When that did not work, I used Liam. Up until that point, I had nothing to do with him and I had been trying to figure out how to let him go, as I had with many of the other prisoners that my father had collected. The tactic worked and your parents accepted my offer and Liam was released,” he said as he took another breath and continued on.
“Everything was going according to plan. We were on the trail of who was harming Faery, we had two of four Heirs identified, and then your parents did the unexpected and reneged on the deal by stealing you away and hiding you. Ristan’s vision’s never changed, so we knew through him that the Blood Heir was still out there, alive. I knew that if I had been your father, I’d have sent you to where no other Fae would. To the humans. The Guild was unexpected, though, and smart.”
“I had to pressure them to keep the contract. By sending small groups of the Horde to the borders, and attacking, I managed it with little to no bloodshed. I could have asked for Liam back, I was within my rights, but I figured enough damage had been done to him already.”
“Wait a minute. You planned on adding me to your harem?”
“If you mean the Women’s Pavilion, then yes,” he replied smoothly.
“You still have a harem…?”
“Yes, and I won’t be getting rid of it either, Synthia.”
I felt my stomach hit the floor like a ton of bricks.
“Now you know how and why I let everyone assume I was the Dark Heir. It allowed me to move around with the backing of the Dark King and find the relics, as well as you and the other Heirs that had disappeared by that time, without revealing who and what I am,” he smiled as his eyes sparkled with mischief, as if he hadn’t just said he was keeping a harem of women. “Strange how destiny works; you left Faery to escape me, and you landed in my lap, anyway.”
“You planned on keeping me, knowing you had to find the Blood Heir and get her pregnant?” I said slowly. At this, he looked mildly confused. “You asshole!”
“Doesn’t matter, Synthia. I found you, and it’s you I had to create an Heir through.”
“And you don’t see a problem with this?” I asked, sitting up to move away from him. I needed distance.
“No, I don’t. It’s worked out perfectly and so much makes sense now.”
“My ass, Fairy! I’m not having your baby just because you want me to, or because some stupid, funky brownie eating deity saw something. Obviously she has no freaking idea of what the hell she sees either, because less than forty-eight hours ago, I was supposed to be having Adam’s baby to save your world! You have a harem of women, go fuck them and leave me out of it!” I was fighting tears. He had a harem of women somewhere in this place, he was the flipping Horde King, and he’d said nothing about loving me, only the damn need to save his fucking Fairy lands!
“You’re having my child,” he growled, as he moved off of the bed and glamoured on silky blank pants. His wings seemed to expand with his slightest movement.
“No. I’m. Not!”
“Yes you are, you’re already pregnant, Synthia.”
“No I’m not!”
“The reason you became sick when you were living in your guardians home is because you were pregnant with my child. A Horde Heir, the wards sensed it. They were trying to protect you from the child we made.”
“You’re lying,” I screamed.
This wasn’t happening!
“It’s happening, whether either of us wants a child now or not. I would have preferred children later, but this seems to be how Danu wanted it all to work. I am sorry, but you will have to adjust to this quickly.”
“Me!? Me!? Take me home, Ryder. Is that even your name?” I didn’t know what to think anymore, or what to believe. He’d played with words so much that I wasn’t sure I could trust him anymore.
He laughed regretfully and shook his head as he lifted it to face me. His wings expanded, and the room sizzled with his immense power. He strode forward with purpose, but I held my ground.
“I have a few things to attend to and will be back shortly. I suggest you get prepared for an exam from Eliran while I am gone.”
I watched as he sifted out, and left me sitting in the huge elegant bedroom of the Horde King, alone. I brought my shaking hands to my stomach and felt the flat line of my abdomen. A baby? I wasn’t ready for a baby, and I wasn’t ready to be set aside in a flipping harem and forgotten about as all the other females had been. I had to get the fuck out of this place, soon.
Chapter Five