Begrudgingly Yours

ASH

Standing before my father was terrifying. I had expected anger or outrage. Accusations, yelling. I'd braced myself for all of it, for his fury. I was ready to fight, to defend my decision. Victor was my mate, my fated mate. I had willingly accepted his mark and allowed him to claim me. That alone should have sent my father over the edge. Of the only two omega sons he had, both had chosen to mate with lion shifters, turning our backs on our Vampire heritage and choosing to abandon the coven we had been born to and grown up in.

I waited, breath held and shoulders tense. I waited for his wrath to come down on me. I imagined him rising to his feet, glaring at me and announcing to all that I was no longer his son. I expected him to order me out of his sight or even call for my arrest. I even half expected him to strike me dead in front of everyone, but he didn't. For a long moment, he just stared at me. His lips were pressed into a straight line. His eyes unreadable. I thought, here it comes. The anger. The rejection. The shame. But, none of that happened. There was no anger. No disappointment. Not even a hint of disapproval. Just...quiet.

I was met with a kind of stillness that startled me more than any shouting could ever have. If he'd yelled, cursed, or refused to accept that Victor was my mate...that I would have at least understood. I wouldn't need to guess at what he was thinking. But this, this I didn't understand. This was not what I had expected, at all.

Maybe because I was still angry with him I had expected the same reaction. Maybe I wanted him to be pissed at me. If he was pissed at me, it would be easier for me to hate him. I wanted to hate him. I wanted to hate him for what he did, or rather what he didn't do. Mostly though, I wanted to hate him for what he'd said.

When Liam called him out and asked him why he was pushing for a mating that I didn't agree to and didn't want, father hadn't answered him honestly. He hadn't lied exactly, but he hadn't been entirely truthful either. He said I never gave him a reason why I didn't want Niklas. That was a lie. He said I refused to explain why I had refused the mating and that was a lie too.

I tried to tell him. I really did.

I went to my father, nervous, scared and practically begging him to help me. To release me from the contract. Niklas had changed. He looked at me like I belonged to him, like he owned me. His jealousy had become unreasonable and frightening. I was forbidden from talking to anyone, especially men. He accused me of cheating--of fucking any man who so much as looked my way. Which was ridiculous. I was a virgin. Not totally innocent. I did know how to pleasure myself but no other man had ever touched me. I told him as much but he didn't believe me. He called me a whore and then he said something that made my blood run cold. He told me that if he ever caught me with another man, he'd kill me.

That was the last straw, I was done with him and I told my father so. I told him what Niklas had said, how he treated me, and the things he had accused me of. I told my father that I was scared of him. Terrified. I told him everything and I really needed him to hear me. For once in his life, really hear me.

But he didn't.

He said I was overreacting. I was young, impulsive. He told me that jealousy was normal in alphas and he would settle down once he had claimed me. Once I wore his mark, things would be better. As if being owned by Niklas could fix things. As if becoming less of myself would fix me!

Niklas wanted an omega who would sit quietly, smile prettily, and never raise their voice or have an opinion of their own. He wanted an omega that would obey him. One that he could show off like his own private little song bird, ready to sing on command. The problem was, I was not built to live in a cage. I could never be the kind of omega he wanted and so I refused him.

I tore the mating contract right down the middle and then threw it in Niklas's face. "You will never own me!" I told him.

My father was furious. I still remember the look on his face--like I had just spat on centuries of tradition. Like I had humiliated him.

Maybe I had.

But he wasn't angry with what Niklas had said or done. He was angry with me. With how I had behaved in front of a noble house. My actions reflected poorly on him. I'd disgraced my house and family. "Princes don't throw tantrums like spoiled children," he told me. "your behavior is completely out of line."

That's what broke me.

Not Niklas.

Not the contract.

My father's disappointment and his failure to see me, and what I wanted.

I didn't want to show my weakness by crying in front of them so I stormed off, back to my rooms.

And then Niklas followed.

And everything fell apart...

So now, standing here--declaring my bond with Victor in front of my father--I expected to see that same disappointment. That same anger and cold denial of my feelings. But instead, there was something else.

Not approval exactly, but understanding. Maybe even sadness. There was something old and heavy in his eyes as if the years had finally caught up to him and settled on his shoulders. He wasn't angry. He wasn't even surprised. And I found myself wondering, what had changed?

Was it me?

Was it Victor?

Or maybe, just maybe...he actually had cared about me all along. Maybe he just didn't know how to show it.

When he'd told Liam that all he's ever wanted for his children was to be safe and happy, maybe he'd actually meant it. Maybe, he really did love me after all.

***

Evander stepped forward, placing a hand on my father's shoulder as he leaned over and whispered in his ear. My father sat back in his chair, his chin resting on his knuckles, then he pursed his lips. His eyes, which had remained on me this entire time, now drifted up to Evander and father gave him one, solitary nod.

"A declaration of fated mates has been made and witnessed by all present." Evander stated, measured and neutral. "But, given the circumstances under which the claim was made, I find that the timing is somewhat suspicious. It certainly raises a few red flags and the high council will want proof before they accept the claim as fact."

"Proof?" Victor snarled. "How are we supposed to prove something like that?" He tensed suddenly, his eyes narrowed. "If you're planning a forced separation just to see Ash's reaction, I swear to you..."

Father raised a hand to stop Victor from saying anything more. "I would never allow something that puts my child's life at risk."

"Then what are you proposing?" Liam asked.

"A blood concordance test." Father answered quickly. "It's safe and the results are instant. More importantly, its incontestable. Whatever the results, the high council will have no choice but to accept them."

"And, as council representative, I will personally oversee the test and report the results to the council myself." Evander added.

"How is it done?" Liam asked.

"It's relatively simple," Seraphine told him. "Both Ash and Victor will give a drop of their blood, usually in a ceremonial chalice. If the claim is true, the blood will merge and pool together as one. If the bond is false, the blood will repel or separate, disproving the claim."

I looked to Victor and nodded my approval. It was the simplest way to prove that our bond was real. Besides, we'd have to give a drop of blood each to preform the blood ceremony anyway so what was the harm?

"You don't have to do this." Liam said, looking at Victor. "The Pride has no such laws demanding proof of a fated bond."

"But the coven does." Victor told him. "This isn't about proving to Gerard, or Evander, or anyone else that Ash is my mate. We have nothing to fear because I know, in my heart and in my soul, that this bond is real. But, if establishing our bond shields Ash from Niklas or the council then that's what I'll do. My main concern here is protecting my mate."

"Victor's right." Carter turned to look at Liam, his voice steady. "If they do the test now, the council can't dispute the claim at trial. It's the best protection Ash has right now."

Liam frowned, his jaw tight, but he didn't argue. Instead, he crossed his arms and sighed. "Victor, I don't doubt your bond. I want you to know that. Personally, I find it insulting that anyone would. But, I understand the need to protect Ash. If you feel that this is the best way to do that, I won't stop you. The choice is yours and Ash's to make."

"Thank you, Liam." Victor took my hand and held it tight. "This may be the only way to save him. When this test proves that my claim is real, and it will, the council will have to accept it, and so will Niklas. There's no way they could force a blood-bond when it's proven that Ash and I are a fated pair."

I swallowed hard, my throat going dry. Even hearing the bastards name made my stomach turn, but they were right. This wasn't about honor or tradition anymore. It was about survival. Victor looked at me then and smiled warmly. "You sure you want to do this?" He asked. Just the fact that he took my feelings into consideration touched me deeply. All my life people had made decisions for me, decided what was best on my behalf and never once asked or cared what I thought or what I wanted. My choices had always been taken from me but Victor didn't do that. He included me in the decision, asked my opinion, and treated me as his equal. He cared what I thought.

I nodded again, then kissed his hand and that was all he needed. He knew what I wanted. He knew what I felt and, in a way, could almost tell what I was thinking. We were that in tune with each other. We could communicate without words. That alone should have been enough to prove our bond but how do you coney a feeling to someone else when Victor and I alone had experienced it? They needed something concrete. Something they could all witness with their own eyes. Then and only then would it be real for them and I was ready to show the world just what Victor was to me. So yes, I was sure I wanted to do this. I couldn't have been more sure. Victor was mine and I wanted everyone to know it.

***

Antoine, the servant from earlier had appeared at Gerard's side instantly. So fast that I was a little surprised to see him. In all the commotion earlier I had completely forgotten that he was even there. He still looked nervous and scared, but at least he wasn't cowering under the table anymore. Evander had written down instructions on a slip of paper and handed it to Antoine. He read over it quickly, bowed, then disappeared out the main doors. Five minutes later and he returned with a crystal wine glass as well as a decanter of red wine on a silver tray. I knew it was real silver and not just silver colored because he wore gloves to handle it.

He placed the tray on the table in front of my father then stepped back behind my father's chair and waited.

Evander stepped up to the table and addressed the room. "Normally, this would be done with a ceremonial chalice in the Holy Temple but given the circumstances, we have to do make do with what's currently available to us."

"That won't invalidate the test will it?" Liam asked.

"Not at all." Evander told him. "The chalice is symbolic. The magic is in the blood."

He turned to my father who then handed him a knife that he'd removed from the inside of his jacket. It was small. A four inch black velvet hilt and a four inch silver blade. I knew this knife. It was as old as my father himself maybe older, and had been a gift from his father, Grigore. He carried it with him at all times though why I couldn't say. It wouldn't do much if used to defend himself. His claws and fangs would be of more use. The silver would burn but it wouldn't do enough damage to kill unless the blade broke off and was lodged in the heart for too long. I suspected he carried it more for nostalgic reasons. It was a piece of his history and a family heirloom, passed onto him when he took the throne. It's possible he would someday pass it onto my brother, Dimitri, when it was his time to rule.

"Ashlynn, Victor. Would you please step forward." Evander held the knife in his hands as he waited for us to approach him. Victor stepped up first and Evander handed him the knife. "Slice your thumb and place a single drop into the glass." Victor did as he was told, slicing the blade across his thumb until a small amount of blood pooled over the cut. He hissed as the silver touched his skin. The cut would take longer to heal but no real damage would be done. He held his thumb over the wine glass and let a drop slide over his flesh and into the glass, settling at the bottom. He handed the knife back to Evander who then wiped the blade clean on a napkin and handed it to me.

He instructed me the same as he had Victor though there was no need. I knew how the test worked. I had seen the blood ceremony preformed many times though not for the same reason as it was now. It was usually done solely as a marriage rite and not a test of a fated bond. Still, I took the knife and sliced my thumb. The silver blade burned as it cut into my flesh and the pain was worse than I had expected but it was still tolerable. I heard a slight sizzle and then a sliver of smoke as though I'd just burned myself with a candle rather than a knife. Victor seemed surprised at the reaction of the blade on my skin but I wasn't. The effect it had on Niklas had been much worse as it ripped through his flesh and pierced internal organs. Of course the blade of my dagger had been much longer and the force behind the thrust more deliberate. I had tried to kill him. Was even disappointed when I learned he was still alive.

I laid the knife down and held my thumb over the glass. My blood was already starting to thicken, the cut trying to heal itself despite being cauterized and I had to squeeze to get the drop to fall into the make-shift chalice. The room held its breath as my blood fell next to Victor's. His blood called out to mine. I could feel it through our bond. The blood swirled around the glass then settled like a garnet in the moonlight.

For a moment, nothing happened. We all held our breath, waiting, watching. I had never seen this ritual preformed with a fated pair before so I really had no idea what to expect. Ordinarily the blood pooled in the bottom of the chalice, overlapping, forming a kind of bubble. Then the wine was poured. But this was different.

We weren't two strangers joining as one, we already were one and only just now finding that part of our soul that had been missing. When our blood touched it was like coming home after a long absence. Natural, yearning, like a magnetic pull too strong to withstand.

It began as a pulse, faint and barely perceptible and then, it bloomed, like a rose bud unfurling in the dark. The two drops of blood shimmered, glowing faintly where they touched. Slowly, they began to move toward each other, hesitant at first, careful, like two lovers brushing fingertips. Then, the drops began to merge, melding into each other in a soft, liquid embrace. The air around the crystal glass thickened. A whisper of a hum vibrated through the room almost as if the glass itself were singing. The merged blood began to swirl, slowly at first, then faster, as though caught in a tidal wave. It glowed with an otherworldly sheen. Colors flickering as they danced, swirling like dark, crimson pearls.

Victor stepped closer, his arm brushing mine. I smiled. Looking into the glass together we saw what we had always felt inside become a reality that could be witnessed by all. I never doubted what the results would be and neither did Victor but now, there wasn't a person present who could deny it. Seeing the blood speak the truth that had, a moment ago, only existed in our hearts alone, was liberating. Now, they all knew what Victor and I had known all along. What we felt each time we looked at each other or touched one another. We were a fated pair, destined to be together since birth. Our love had been written in the stars long ago and there was no one who could dispute it now. Our bond was sacred.

Seraphine let out a soft breath. Alaric beside her looked stunned but also relieved. Evander's expression was unreadable but his gaze locked on the wine glass, watching intently as the blood settled at last into a single, unified pool at the bottom.

No separation. No rejection. One.

He picked up the glass, studying it carefully. The blood inside shone like rubies beneath the overhead light. My pulse raced. Victor squeezed my hand gently to steady me. I knew what the test revealed but would Evander be honest in his assessment? I had known the man my entire life but honestly, I could never tell if he was a friend to me or not. He was loyal to my father, loyal to a fault, but how he felt about me had always been a mystery. All eyes were on him now, waiting for him to speak. Slowly, he returned the wine glass to the table. His gaze lifted, head turned and his eyes found Victor and I standing to my father's right.

His voice was calm, steady and heavy with the weight of authority. "By my own observation, the blood did not waver or divide. It merged. The bond is undeniable, bound by the threads of fate that no mortal nor immortal hands can sever. Let it be known to all gathered here tonight that Victor Kerrisk of the Belle Village Pride and Prince Ashlynn Dargan of the Highblood coven, son of King Gerard Dargan are recognized in the eyes of the high council, as fated mates. The blood has spoken, their claim is true and their bond is sacred."

I heard breath release all around me. Relief, and the steady calm of silence. The tension in the room evaporated and the air felt lighter, more breathable. Evander looked to my father then. "If you agree with my findings, your Majesty, the blood ceremony may commence."

Father nodded. "I agree." He stated simply. "If the couple wish, we can proceed with the rite, here and now. With your blessing of course, Chief Kerrisk."

"I ask permission first to confer with my mate."

"Permission granted."

"Thank you, your Majesty." Liam turned to Jai. "I'm not familiar with this rite. Do you have any concerns or objections?"

Jai smiled and shook his head. "None at all. It's perfectly safe."

"Even for Victor?"

"Yes. Victor will be fine. It takes more than a single drop of blood to turn someone and, as far as I know, only humans can be turned. I've never heard of a case where another supernatural was changed."

"I've tasted his blood before." Victor added, making me blush. "When I gave him the claiming bite. As you can see, I'm still alive and I haven't sprouted bat wings." I frowned, elbowing him in the ribs. He smirked.

"And the purpose of the ceremony?" Liam asked, ignoring Victor's quip.

"A traditional Vampire wedding ceremony." Jai told him. "Nothing less and nothing more. Just a way to seal the bond before family and friends. In a normal mating the drinking of the blood wine is symbolic in the sense that the couple are sharing a part of themselves with each other, essentially becoming one. For a fated pair, it only strengthens the bond that's already there."

Liam kissed Jai's knuckles as he thanked him for his advice, he then turned to Victor and I. "Members of my Pride have always been free to do as they want in regards to personal matters. Any concerns I had regarding the safety of this rite have been laid to rest. You don't need my blessing but if you want it, you have it."

"Thank you, Liam." Victor pulled me against him then looked at my father. "We would be honored, your Majesty, to have you officiate the ceremony."

My father nodded, then rose to his feet. "The honor is mine."

***

Chairs had been moved aside, clearing the space at the head of the long, marble table. A hush had fallen over the room like a spell cast in moonlight. Antoine had lit two candles and placed them on the table that, for tonight, served as an alter. The flames flickered and danced, their golden glow reflecting off the polished crystal of the wine glass, our chalice for the evening.