Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Snow slept for an entire day after his heat, cuddled in Vor’s bed.
None of the alphas complained that he’d wasted a day.
Shen and Hwa brought him stew, bread, and ale, and after ensuring he was safe and unharmed, left him to sleep.
The next day, Snow forced himself from bed.
There was too much around the cottage that needed to be done for him to laze about.
Exhaustion left Snow barely able to think straight, let alone complete his chores, but he did as well as he could.
Near the midday meal, a knock came upon the door.
Who could it be so far in the wood? When he opened it, a wrinkled old man smiled up at him.
The elder omega hefted a basket of bright, red apples.
“Would ye buy some apples from me, love?”
There was a hamper full of never-ending apples in the root cellar, but the poor old man looked in need. Sadly, Snow had no gold to give, though. “I fear I have nothing to offer you for apples,” Snow said. “Although, I’d be happy to provide a meal and some ale. Come in, please.”
The old man ambled in, lowering his basket by the door. “Tis kind of you. I haven’t had naught but apples in days. Have you any meat?”
“I have smoked pork and cheese. Will that do?”
“Aye, love,” the old man said before sinking onto the bench of the trestle table. “I’d love some ale, too.”
Snow poured the man a mug and laid it on the table. “Here you are. Come rest. Give me just two moments and I’ll fix you a trencher.”
“So sweet of you,” the old man said before taking a gulp. “Ah, so delicious. Greer has outdone himself with this batch.”
A cold chill swept down Snow’s back at the mention of Greer. “You know Greer?”
“Aye. I know some of the men who live here. I’ve knocked on this door before. They’ve always bought my apples, they have.”
Snow carefully cut the pork, keeping one eye on the older man and the knife clenched tight. “This cottage is so far from any town that I know of. Where do you live?”
“Near the castle in Burgh,” the man said. “I got lost in the wood here a long time ago, and Vor and Greer came to my aid.”
“And you come to sell them apples now?”
“Every so often. I know they use them in their ale.” The man eyed him. “Been here long, love?”
“Just a few weeks,” Snow replied. “I, too, was lost in the woods. Greer and Vor helped me, as well.”
“And Shen… and Hwa… and of course, Owan,” the old man murmured. “Lazlo… and who could forget Klaus, though he’s likely too grumpy to have liked you being here, I’d wager.”
Snow laid the trencher in front of the old man, hoping his hand wasn’t shaking too badly. “Seems you know them all very well.”
“I do,” the old man said before popping a bit of ham between his wrinkled lips. He pulled his other hand out of his robes and laid one of his apples on the table. “For you. As thanks for this meal.”
Snow had access to many apples—so why did his mouth water at the sight of this one? Words whispered in his mind, calling him to take a bite.
The old man nudged him. “Have a bite, love.”
Snow lifted it to his mouth, voracious hunger filling him. Somehow, he fought the need and lowered it back to the table. “I can’t be selfish. I’ll save this to share with my cottage mates later. Thank you.”
“Fool boy,” the old man cried before purple smoke swallowed him whole.
When he reappeared, he was no longer quite as elderly. An older, beautiful omega in a long silk robe stood before him, his face somewhat familiar. Snow was sure he’d never met the man before, though.
“You’re too smart for your own good, Snow White.”
“You’re… the wizard. Aren’t you?”
“What a smart fool you are,” the wizard snapped before snagging Snow by the hair. “Too bad I have to kill someone with potential.”
The wizard dragged Snow out into the meadow, his strength too much for Snow to escape from. He was tossed to the ground amid a circle of wildflowers. When he looked up, Snow found his step-papa wide-eyed and aghast.
“Here,” the wizard spat. “Proof he still lives. As if I would lie to you.”
Snow stared between them, confused.
“You’ve lied before,” the Prince Consort replied to the wizard. “And I was assured he was dead.”
“I told you I’d seen the prince with my own eyes, being fucked against a tree right over there.
He might even now carry another princeling within his womb.
Another to get in your way on sitting the throne.
” The wizard scoffed. “Never leave a job that important to another. You deplore getting your hands dirty, and it’s now proven to be your biggest weakness.
That weakness might cost me all seven of my alphas.
Seven alphas you will be tasked to replace. ”
“Papa, I’m sorry,” the Prince Consort said.
“Papa?” Snow asked, eyes wide. He climbed to his feet and looked between the omegas, landing on his step-papa last. “I thought you were a prince when you married my father? Or was that a lie I can now add to the crime of attempted murder?”
“Shut up, you sniveling little driveller,” the wizard snapped. “If my son wasn’t completely worthless, it wouldn’t be attempted but fulfilled.”
The Prince Consort shoved up his long tunic sleeves. “I’ll correct that mistake now.”
“Will you now?” the wizard said. “Or will I have to intervene as I always have before? You’re useless, Aegis.”
“Useless? How do you think you’ve gone unnoticed in this wood for near two decades, Papa? I’ve kept the king on a short leash and allowed you to drain the alphas’ lifeforce all these years. Do I get a thank you? No.”
Drain the alphas’ lifeforce? All the men seemed strong and vital.
“Why should I thank you?” the wizard demanded. “After all I’ve done for you, it’s the least you could do for me.”
“You steal their strength for your own?” Snow asked the wizard.
“They have plenty to spare,” the wizard snapped. “All that chopping away has made them all stronger than oxen and as powerful as the mighty bear. They barely notice the small bits I take from them now.”
“You plan to keep them forever, don’t you?”
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head.” The wizard tugged at Snow’s hair and faced his son. “I told you to end this one when he was a wee one. Children are easier to kill.” He moaned. “And they’re so tender under the age of ten. Cooked properly, the meat falls right off the bone.”
“I couldn’t kill a child,” the Prince Consort said through clenched teeth.
“How I raised a son with such a weak will and even weaker stomach, I’ll never know,” the wizard said. “I’ve told you since the beginning that this one will take this kingdom as his own when your king dies and where will that leave you?”
“I can banish him. I have the power to sway the court, Papa.”
“You do not,” the wizard said. “You are nothing without me, Aegis. Your power only stems from mine. Without me, you couldn’t conjure a breeze on a windy day—and don’t you forget that.” He turned to eye Snow. “Prove me wrong. Kill this little fool.”
Panic gripped Snow. He screamed for Vor and the others, not knowing what else to do.
“They’re far, far away, dearie. They won’t hear you scream,” the wizard said, tugging Snow’s hair again, harder that time.
Snow hissed in pain and fell to his knees. Tears caused his vision to blur.
“Kill him, Aegis,” the wizard commanded his son. “Prove you’re not the worthless pile of shite I’ve always known you to be.”
“Please, step-papa,” Snow pleaded. “I don’t know what I did to make you hate me so much.”
“You existed,” the Prince Consort said, a lone tear running down his cheek. “And you made it harder to control your father. His love for you has made it harder for me to keep him enchanted.”
“All I ever wanted was your love,” Snow replied. “I wanted us to be a real family.”
Snow’s step-papa’s face softened for a split second, but something that looked like pain crossed it next. Snow pressed on, hoping he’d found a crack in his step-papa’s ice-cold veneer.
“I tried and tried, but you pushed me away. Over and over, you pushed me away. I tried to make you happy and be a good son, but I was never enough.”
“Just like you,” the wizard taunted the Prince Consort. “A worthless, pretty thing of no value.”
Snow ignored the wizard. “I just wanted your love. And I wanted to give you mine. Maybe it’s not too late.” It was, but he’d use any tool he could to save himself.
“Don’t listen to the brat!” the wizard screamed.
“I’m so sorry,” Snow said. “I just wanted to make you proud… and to love me. Can’t you find it in your heart? Am I so unlovable?”
“Stop dawdling, you infernal idiot! You know what you have to do, Aegis. Kill him!”
The Prince Consort nodded. “Kill him.”
Balls of ethereal light formed in the Prince Consort’s palms. Tears shone in his eyes, but it was clear he’d chosen his path.
“Please, no,” Snow begged. “Step-papa… please.”
“You’re right,” the Prince Consort said. “You did try and try to win my love and all I did was push it away—I refused your love. It wasn’t worthy of me.”
“Stop wasting time!” the wizard screamed.
Snow met his step-papa’s eyes.
“Just as my papa refused mine. Forgive me, Snow,” the Prince Consort said before unleashing the power in his hands.
Snow held his breath and closed his eyes, awaiting impact.
It never came. He opened his eyes and found the wizard on the ground, clutching his smoldering chest. Snow scrambled away, just in time to miss a bolt of power that whizzed past. It struck the Prince Consort in the chest. He fell to the ground, wheezing.
Snow raced closer and saw half his body was burned and smoking, the other half still perfect and beautiful.
The Prince Consort gasped for breath, blood pouring from his lips.
Snow took his hand. “Papa?”
“I was a fool,” the Prince Consort whispered between winded breaths. “I had the love I always wanted—real love—and I let it slip through my fingers, blinded by the love I’d been denied myself. I’m so sorry, Snow. Please forgive me.”
“I forgive you,” Snow whispered. Perhaps the Prince Consort didn’t deserve forgiveness, but Snow did. He didn’t want to hold onto that and let it twist him into something ugly. Something like the wizard.
“I love yo—” the Prince Consort said, a tear slipping down his face.
And then Snow’s step-papa was gone, the life disappearing from his eyes.
Snow lowered his head, grieving what could’ve been but never had a chance. Before he could finish a whispered prayer, he was dragged away from the Prince Consort’s body by his hair.
“Not only might you cost me my prisoners, but you killed my only son, too. You’ll pay dearly for that!”
“You killed him, not me!”
The wizard backhanded him across the face, knocking him to the ground.
Vor raced into the meadow as he landed, axe hefted in one strong hand.
Their gazes met. Vor’s eyes went wide. The others soon arrived behind him.
Terror made it hard to breathe. Why had he called for them? He’d put them all in danger.
All he could do was cause chaos and destruction. Look what had happened to his step-papa.
The wizard chuckled. “You’ll all pay dearly for this.”