28. HEARTS LAID BARE
Chapter twenty-eight
HEARTS LAID BARE
You know you want to. Go to her.
Grand Lord Vladya squeezed his eyes shut, but the insistent voice refused to be silenced.
Spread her out on the bed, and fuck her with your cock. Hard, rough, make it hurt. Make her scream. Make her bleed.
Was it his soullessness, the feral madness, or simply the darkness festering inside him? Vladya couldn't say. The thoughts in his head grew more twisted each day. He fought them tooth and nail, knowing he could never do that to Aekeira again.
He wouldn't take her by force. Not anymore. She didn't deserve the dark desires he harbored.
Fine, forget her. Go hunting. Kill some humans. Ten? Fifty? What difference does it make?
His fingers dug into his arms, leaving crescent-shaped marks on his skin.
Tie her up here, in your territory. She can never get away. She’ll will look good wearing the mark of your whip. Red strips marring such perfect skin. Your marks, all of them. Because she's yours. No one else’s.
What he needed was a good run. Rising abruptly, he donned his robes and headed for the door. "Do not follow me," he barked over his shoulder.
Leaving the royal residence, he forced himself not to glance at the narrow hallway beckoning him. All you need to do is walk through there, and you'll find her sleeping, spread out like a sacrifice on the bed... all for you.
Growling, he made his way out of Blackstone, past the fortress gates. Then he took off, running into the night.
Time lost meaning as he navigated the familiar woods. The forest breathed around him, a living, rustling entity under the midnight moon. His feet pounded the earth, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Branches intertwined overhead, their leaves like shifting shadows. The air was thick with the familiar scents of the woods, and the fragrance of flowers. It was liberating.
The sexlust that had plagued him all day receded as he soared through the woods, racing past gnarled oaks with ancient roots reaching out like skeletal hands, past shimmering birches. His legs burned, his lungs ached, but he couldn’t stop.
By the time he returned to Blackstone, the first rays of dawn were breaking through the darkness. He felt cleansed. Rejuvenated.
It lasted until he had bathed and settled into his bed.
His thoughts returned with a vengeance, as sleep eluded him.
You should have sated your thirst out there. Enter the nearest village and drain them all. Take as many females as you desire. They may be a poor substitute, but they'll do. Make them hurt. No one will know.
Vladya pressed his palms against his temples.
Grand King Daemonikai entered Blackstone, bypassing the main entrance, taking the narrow passageway that led directly to Vladya's bedchamber. Yaz’s eyes widened in surprise, and he offered a hasty greeting.
"He is inside, is he not?" Daemonikai asked, his voice clipped.
"Yes, your Grace, but—"
"Step aside, Yaz."
The soldier obeyed. Daemonikai raised a hand to silence the courtier who had appeared to announce his presence. Instead, he pushed open the door and walked inside.
The room was dark, the only light coming from a single flickering candle on a distant table. The air was thick with the scent of incense and something metallic. Daemonikai's eyes adjusted quickly, and there, in a corner, Vladya sat on the floor, his head buried in his hands. But as Daemonikai entered, Vladya’s head snapped up.
Two things happened at the same time.
Vladya moved with lightning speed, shoving Daemonikai. His back crashed into the wall, the impact reverberating through the stone. Then, Vladya was in his personal space, pinning him to the wall. He had a wild look in his yellow and gray eyes.
Why the hell would he let his beast this close to the surface when he's alone?
"Vladya, snap out of it!" Daemonikai hissed.
Vladya growled. Pain suddenly exploded through Daemonikai’s senses, so blinding it would have brought a lesser man to his knees.
Pheromones.
Vladya had blasted him with pheromones, demanding submission . The scent rose in the air, musky and thick, it was choking.
"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Daemonikai spat, his voice tight with pain.
Claws dug into Daemonikai’s side, causing another scorching jolt of agony. Blood stained his robe, warm and sticky. Vladya unleashing yet another burst of pheromones.
Daemonikai's own beast snarled in response, offended by the attack and the blatant disrespect. It began to shove itself up, clawing at the edges of his control, trying to force a shift. Daemonikai grunted, struggling to maintain his human form.
"V.D.?" Something was deeply wrong. Vladya's eyes... they held no recognition. "Vladya?"
With a supreme effort of will, Daemonikai forced himself to expose his throat. To submit.
His beast roared in protest, so outraged it banged its head hard against the walls of Daemonikai’s chest. WE SUBMIT TO NO ONE!
It took everything in him to keep his head tilted.
Finally, the claws in his side withdrew. Vladya took a step back, snarling. “Who in Tartarus are you?”
He didn't know?
Daemonikai’s insides turned cold, like a dash of ice water had been forced down his throat. Dread filled his gut. "It's me, V.D."
"How dare you invade my space? I should rip your throat out." Vladya was looking at him but not seeing him. His eyes were wild with an intent to kill.
“Scent my neck.” The words tasted like acid on his tongue, but it was necessary. Alphas do not bare their necks. He, a grand king, should not be in such a humiliating position, with another alpha breathing at his throat. “You know you want to, big guy. Come on, do it.”
Vladya lunged, burying his face in the crook of Daemonikai's neck, breathing deeply. His beast whined in betrayal, feeling so let down by their male side, its head hung low.
But this was Vladya. His V.D.
The grand king closed his eyes and held still, Vladya’s breath hot against his skin. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here," he said, keeping his voice calm, his stance non-threatening.
Vladya released another burst of pheromones, meant to provoke. To assault.
"I mean no harm," Daemonikai grunted, raising his hands in surrender, his muscles tense with the effort to remain passive.
Vladya took another deep breath… and stiffened. He shoved away, taking three steps back, eyes widening. "Daemon?"
"Vlad, are you there?" Daemonikai’s voice was gentle, coaxing.
The yellow in Vladya's eyes receded, the wild look vanished. "When did you get here? What's going on? Why did you bare your throat?"
Daemonikai closed the distance between them in one step and punched him hard on the nose.
Vladya hissed, clutching his face, and shot Daemonikai a shocked glare. "What the hell?"
Daemonikai landed another punch. On the third attempt, Vladya moved with lightning speed, dodging the blow. "Wait, let's talk about this."
The grand king advanced again, his fury mounting, and this time, a flicker of wariness crossed Vladya's face only fueling Daemonikai's rage .
A guilt-free Vladya would be throwing punches by now. Instead of trying to restrain his beast, his friend would be all over him, engaging him in a fight that would leave this chamber in ruins.
"You bastard. You selfish little—" Daemonikai grabbed his shoulders and squeezed hard, the fabric of Vladya’s tunic crumpling under his iron grip. “You selfish bastard.”
Vladya slumped against him, as if all energy had been drained from him, his breaths coming out in white puffs against the chill. “You know.”
"I know!? I know? " Daemonikai punched him again, watching with grim satisfaction as Vladya's nose broke and his cheek turned purple. But still, Vladya did not fight back, his eyes hollow.
"You dare ask if I know!?" Daemonikai's roared.
"Fine,” Vladya sighed. “More. Hit me some more."
"Don't. You. Dare." Daemonikai's hand clamped around Vladya's throat, his knuckles white. "You utter fool."
Daemonikai had dreaded it would be a failed bonding. But this was not about a failed bonding, it was worse. Unimaginably worse.
"Daemon..."
"You were going to leave me? Just like that!? " Daemonikai thundered, the betrayal burning hotter than the blacksmith’s forge. “You dragged me back here, to this god’s forsaken place, to watch you go mad?”
Vladya stepped back, resignation written across his face. That look—one of weary acceptance—only made Daemonikai's vision go red with fury. It took every ounce of self-control not to take another swing at Vladya. “Selfish piece of work. You were never going to tell me, were you?”
Dead silence hung heavy in the air.
"Say something, you bastard, or I swear to Ukrae, I will tear you apart with my bare hands and hang your remains at the entrance gate—"
"I am sorry." Vladya's whisper was barely audible, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I am just so tired, Daemon."
Daemonikai tried to see past his own anger, he did. But it was a difficult feat. Vladya was going feral.
And he wasn’t fighting it.
The resolve, the surrender in his slumped shoulders. Vladya had given up. It was all there, plain as day.
Daemonikai was too appalled to speak. Vladya would allow himself to go feral.
"You're right," Vladya's voice cracked. "I was selfish. I needed you here, even knowing... even knowing I was losing myself. Because though I’m leaving you behind, I can’t stand the thought of you being killed. I needed you alive, Daemon."
"You were truly going to leave me in the dark? You were truly going to leave me here all alone?" It had been a damn long time since Daemonikai felt this level of betrayal.
"And if I had to do it all over again, I’d make the same choice." Vladya shrugged, letting out a bitter laugh. "You know me—I’ve always been selfish, especially when it comes to you.”
"You will fight this. You hear me?" Daemonikai stepped closer, invading Vladya’s personal space. “You will fight with every drop of blood in you. You will fight with every ounce of strength you have left, and when that's gone, you will find more. You know why?” He leaned in, their foreheads nearly touching. “Because you have no right to give in, Vladya. Absolutely no right to go feral. Not while I still draw breath.”
His rage began to fade, leaving a gaping wound of pain. Daemonikai felt raw. “Everyone’s gone. You’re the only one left… and you were going to leave too? How could you?”
The betrayal in his voice made Daemonikai's waver, made him hurt. But it was the pain in those eyes that was his undoing.
Closing the gap between them, Vladya embraced Daemonikai, arms wrapping around his broad frame without heed to the slight flinch at the unexpected contact. He held on tight, feeling Daemonikai’s body tremble beneath his grip.
"I'm so sorry," Vladya croaked. “Those are the only words I have. I am so, so sorry.”
"You stupid, selfish piece of shit." Daemonikai struggled to break free, but Vladya's grip only tightened. "Let go of me, now. I'll knock some sense into you if I have to."
“I’m just so exhausted,” Vladya whispered, his voice quivering as he laid his dead heart bare. “Look at me, Daemon. I’ve walked this earth for four millennia, yet I've never truly known what a bond feels like. The joy of having my own mate, of watching her swell with our child, of sharing the agony and ecstasy of childbirth. I am ancient, yet without lineage. I’ve never heard the innocent cry of my own blood, never been called ‘papa,’ never watched my offspring grow. That joy… I can never have that."
Daemonikai's body remained stiff like a board.
"Some nights, I lay awake, and I can barely breathe from the pain," Vladya’s voice broke. “I envy Zaiper at times. He never craved any of this, and thus, he lives his best life. He’s older, yet his mind is as clear as day, his life fulfilling.”
"Zaiper is a vile, twisted little asshat—"
“The longing within me… it has existed for over three thousand years,” Vladya said, tears cascading down his cheeks, dampening Daemonikai’s shoulder. “I live an empty life, Daemon. My beast and I are separated. It's like losing a limb. It's gone rogue, filling my mind with darkness, lashing out when ignored. I’ve lost myself, Daemonikai. I lost who I was long ago. Now, I just want to rest."
"What about me ?" Daemonikai’s voice was ragged. "You have me. I'm here. Broken and all, I'm still here. Why would you rest when I'm still fighting? And who told you mating is impossible? So what if millennia have passed? It can still happen."
"It cannot."
"What the hell does that even mean?" Daemonikai demanded, frustrated.
“My soul… it’s gone.”
The silence that followed was a living entity, thick and oppressive.
Daemonikai went so rigid Vladya feared he might snap. "If this is a joke, it’s not a very funny one."
Vladya took a deep, steadying breath.
When Daemonikai made another move to pull away, he finally released him. His friend stepped back, green eyes ablaze with the fires of dread, and a flicker of panic.
"Attempt another joke, V.D.," Daemonikai said, in a desperate plea. “This one really lost its humor.”
"When Tiara was dying, I tried to make an exchange." He paused. " Hav'zie de Baah ."
A series of emotions flitted across Daemonikai's face—shock, pity, disbelief. He grappled for words, his mouth agape, then snapped shut without a sound.
"But you know how unreliable, dangerous, and dark those spells are!" his friend exploded. "We outlawed them for a reason, you and I. We made that decision, remember? What the hell were you thinking, Vladya Theriozydovkar Skyvakto?"
"Not the full name," Vladya grumbled, almost amused. He might have smiled if he wasn't certain Daemonikai would throttle him for it. His friend was beyond furious.
"How could you!?" Daemonikai roared, the veins in his neck pulsing. "How could you do something like that, dammit! You should have turned a blind eye! You should have resisted! No matter how tempting it was, you should have held it in!"
"I wanted to save her!" A primal roar of his own filled the room. "I was prepared to save her by any means necessary, soul be damned! I never even gave it a second thought. So what if I lost the most important part of my being? So what if I am severed from my beast? So what if I start to lose my sanity? Tiara would be here, my bondmate would be with me, and I would still be bonded. The loneliness, the darkness, would disappear. So what if I lost my soul if I could get my greatest desire!?"
“I was willing to do it, I was ready to do it, I did it!" Vladya was shouting now, the pent-up bitterness and anger of centuries spilling out uncontrollably. "The gods fucked me over. It's not enough they've been messing me up my whole life, they chose the moments I needed them the most and fucked me over. I should have known. Their favor has never been mine. Nothing, not a single desire, has come to fruition. I should have known they would forsake me. Curse the seven gods! To the abyss with the fates! And may Ukrae be damned for all eternity! I am done.”
"Vladya..." His best friend looked utterly devastated.
Chest heaving, Vladya took a moment to regain his shattered control.
"I am done," Vladya repeated, his voice now calmer. "I will give them what they want of me. I am done fighting. I am tired, Daemon."
For a moment, no sound was heard. The weight of his words filled the room.
"Only you can tell me to put up a fight, and I will.” He glanced at Daemonikai, and the unshed tears brimming in his eyes. “Only you can tell me to resist the pull of the madness, and I will. But please, Daemon, if you have any love for me at all… if you’ve ever cared for me, please… I beg of you, just let me go."