Veronica's Fallacy

38.

-HIM-

I was on the verge of claiming Veronica to show her how real the bond was when this annoying Dhampir showed up to ruin every fucking thing. Everything in me, including my wolf, was urging me to lunge at him, tear him to pieces and hang his decapitated head at my first door to ward off anyone who walked through it.

However, the Night Court was the only thing stopping me from doing so. The last headache I needed right now was being convicted of a Godwick lordling's murder.

I was tempted to kill Karrson and permanently end his nuisance, and I was sure many people would've thanked me for doing god's work, but the trouble that'd follow from the Godwick house wasn't worth the effort.

Besides, he was the only one among the whole Night Court willing to work with me on the missing souls. I was merely putting up with him for the sake of work, but having Veronica involved changed everything.

I didn't trust Karrson around Veronica at all. Karrson knew how to charm people and say what people wanted to hear. He was very good at manipulation and trickery, and I was afraid he was slowly starting to work his magic on Veronica. This made it harder for me to tolerate him. I needed to keep an eye on Veronica, not that I wasn't already doing that.

"You'll stay by my side no matter what," I told her, but I knew she would do anything but that. The flash of defiance in her eyes proved so. I knew she was going to run. It was on her mind. I could feel it, and as much as it pricked my heart, I wanted her to run. I wanted her to run so that I could catch her and claim her like my prize.

I wanted her to run so I could know where her loyalty was. I'd then make her turn away from there, betray the people she was loyal to. I wanted to make her like me— a traitor. If she was my mate, then she was meant to be one.

A traitor was never born but made. I became a traitor because I betrayed my father along with my siblings. My father was a traitor because he betrayed his brothers. I wanted Veronica to become a traitor by betraying the Council she seemed to trust so much. It was only a natural process to become part of who we were, to join this cursed lineage. Her fate had been sealed the moment she was paired with me, and even if she decided to fight against it, there was no way she'd be able to go against what was already decided— that she was to be mine and become a traitor—a Traditore. The Lady of Darkmount, an Underlady.

I could see those traits in her already, but it disappointed me to see that she chose to apply herself for the Council instead of opening up her mind and seeing the possibilities beyond, of all the things she could be if she joined me— of how she wouldn't be a mere cog in a corrupt council but a woman of her own. My woman, she would be.

I needed to show this to her... but before that, I needed her to run. I needed to catch her and drag her back and break her loyalty to those who'd toss her away the moment she became useless to them. That was the only way she'd be able to see the reality of what she was meant to be. Until then, she'd try to defy me and run away. I'd allow that, but only for a certain time.

I led her out of my house, placing my hand on the small of her back, but she stepped away. I clenched my jaw and stared ahead. I was too afraid to look at her because it'd make me snap.

When we reached the bottom of the front stairs of my house, Karrson was in his car, waiting for us to follow. I opened the garage and opened the door of my car for her. For a second, she was hesitant. We were going to be close and alone with each other again— something she seemed to hate.

"You'll come with me," I said firmly because I could see her contemplating jumping into Karrson's car. I wouldn't allow that ever. She gave me a wary look, knowing well if she did that, she'd cross an invisible line, and besides, I could tell that even though she was trying to seem easygoing with Karrson, she didn't trust him fully.