Veronica's Fallacy

46.

-HIM-

I clenched my jaws, angrily storming out of Arkadius's study.

He'd done what I had been anticipating—entrusting me with the position of Commander of the Night Corps. It was a position I had loathed from the beginning, and Arkadius knew this very well.

I know it was another of his control tactics to put me in my place and remind me that he was still in charge of the things around here, whether I liked it or not.

Last time, we fought on this issue. He wanted me to be the Commander, but I walked out on him then because I was tired of being his right-hand man— the one who always did all his dirty work.

I was sure Arkadius was laughing at me back in his study because I went crawling to him this time. This time, I had no choice but to accept the position.

Imaging the smug look on his face made me clench my fists. I wanted to blow a hole in the wall and tear everything down until nothing was left. The old anger I had suppressed for so fucking long was threatening to surface.

I halted on my steps as myriad ancient memories flashed in front of my eyes, ungrounding me. The images of blood, piles of dead bodies, armour, wounds, a pyramid of skulls, a path lined with broken bones and an army closing up on me. I pushed them all at the back of my head and headed towards the reception area to find Veronica. But I didn't see her there.

However, I soon found her with Karrson in the grand hallway where all the important paintings of previous Arch Lords hung. As I neared them, I noticed the grand painting of the traitors and froze.

It was the painting that Arkadius owned. He had it painted by one of the Italian Renaissance artists, a contemporary of Michelangelo but not as famous. I didn't remember his name, but I remembered being annoyed for holding that pose in my heavy armour for hours. I always hated the painting and hoped it'd get lost somewhere. It seemed like Arkadius had brought it here when he became the Arch Lord. Not that I was surprised.

Veronica was intently looking at the painting. I searched her face for a reaction. I wanted to know what she thought of it. I hadn't told her about my ancestry yet, unsure how she'd perceive me given that she was already doubtful of the bond. And then, of course, her being from the council wasn't already helping me anyway.

I wondered if she'd outright reject me after learning I was one of the traitors. She'd seen the paintings at my house once, and I'd wondered the same then. I wanted to come clean to her that day, but I couldn't because she was so antsy around me. Not that she was any better now, but either way, it wasn't something I could hide from her long.

She had to figure it out one day, and that day happened to be today. But I frowned at Karrson. I wondered what he told her about me and my family. I'd have his head on a silver platter if he fed her any nonsense.

"Ah, Grim, there you are!" Karrson acknowledged me. I noticed how Veronica straightened up and looked at me with wide eyes. There was an initial shock on her face, but she soon schooled her features.

My eyes lingered on her, searching for more, but she didn't give me much. She looked at Karrson instead, slightly baffled.

As I stared at her, Arkadius' warning rang in my ears, fuelling my anger. Not only did he take advantage of me in this situation, but he also questioned my mating bond. This was another thing that was itching me.

He didn't believe that I found a mate. Even though the reason he'd given was legit, I was sure that the mating bond was real. I felt it, yet I couldn't convince him. He'd talked to me with that annoying, matter-of-fact tone that made me want to drive my fist to his face, but I couldn't do that.

Nonetheless, I was now more determined to prove him wrong about Vittoria. I'd show him this bond was real... but how? This was a tricky thing.

"Did you get to meet the Arch Lord?" Veronica asked.

"I met my brother," I replied to see her reaction, but she kept her face unreadable. I wanted to know what she thought of me now that she knew I came from one of the cursed lineages.

"What did he say?" She asked me instead.

"He agreed to extend his support," I replied, and Karrson gasped.

"Really? That easily? I expected him to ask you to do something crazy before he'd even answer... wait, how did you pay?" Karrson asked.

"We cannot waste any more time. We need to get there before they hurt the humans," I steered the topic away because I didn't feel like saying it out loud— I sold myself to him.

I'm now the Commander of the Night Corps.

Not that it'd be a secret for long. Arkadius would declare it soon because he wasn't done rubbing it in my face yet. He wanted to let everyone know he had me under control again.

"Alright then, let's get going," Karrson said.

"Can I come too?" Veronica asked. I knew seeing her would piss off Arkadius.

"Of course," I said, holding my hand for her. She eyed it hesitantly for a second and took it. The sparks from the bond sprang alive from the touch, making my wolf stir inside me. I fought the urge to pull her in my arms. I could use a hug in that moment, especially after such a long evening... but this was just the beginning.

"Are you sure about that?" Karrson asked. "Stella's going to give you hell after this, and your brother would be pissed."

"I don't care. We're losing time," I dismissed. For a second it looked like Karrson was going to make a comment but then he shut his mouth and started walking. I followed him with Veronica, fighting the dark emotions that Arkadius had stirred in me. This was the reason why I never wanted to become a Commander again.

"Thanks," Veronica whispered beside me but said nothing more. For the moment, I focused on her touch and her voice to ease myself. It helped me a bit, but the tense silence that stretched between us irked me. I wanted her to talk to me, ask me questions, say whatever was on her mind, yet all she asked was, "Where are we going?"

"We're going to meet the Night Corps," I told her, keeping the strain away from my voice. She'd learn about it soon enough.

However, I wasn't expecting Archander to be at the giant training hall when we reached there. He was there before anyone else, already half in gear. He stopped midway from wearing the jacket that was part of the fighting gear and looked at Veronica. I felt her freeze beside me. I could feel the tension in her through her touch.

I could tell that she recognized Arkander immediately. She had been staring at a painting of my family a few moments ago.

"Is she who I think she is?" He asked darkly.

~

Read the next 20 chapters on Patreon. The link is in my bio.

Thanks for reading <3