Page 10 of Empire of Dark

He shook his head. “She is not. Like I said, she is untouched.”

I nodded, not saying a word.

“No matter what, Damen, I need your word. You will not rape her. You don’t touch her without her permission. I will get you another one that is more pliable, if that is what is needed. Just tell me now because coming here isn’t exactly a quick trip.”

“You think she will deny me?”

“I don’t know how she’ll react with the likes of you. That’s why I need your assurance.” He shook his head. “Forget it. I’ll find you another one. One that knows exactly what is expected of her and is willing.” He started toward the door.

Give up that beauty? That lineage? Not likely.

I threw up my hand. “No. She will do.” I met his look, my top lip raised in sarcasm. “And I will manage to control myself.”

For all Triaten was privy to, he didn’t understand the world of breeding like one who was born for it. Forcing the female into breeding was rarely a good idea. It almost always ended in her body outright rejecting the seed. Without fail, free will when it came to mating had the highest success rate.

Especially important in this case.

I needed that beauty writhing in ecstasy around my cock when I came.

Triaten’s arms relaxed to his sides and he smoothed down the front of his dark button-down shirt. Casual, but at least he had stepped up the wardrobe for this meeting, unlike the female he’d brought with him.

Maude.

My mind stumbled at the name.Maude.A name that had no right to be attached to that beauty.

Maybe she was named for her personality. Maybe that was why Triaten had brought her. Her personality was entirely a Maude.

Triaten’s right cheek twitched upward.

He was reading me. And he’d just been privy to my thoughts on her name.

Blank walls slammed down in my mind, blocking him from worming his way into my brain and poking around.

He inclined his head to me. “See that you do control yourself. If I get one word of your mistreatment of her, I’m coming for you—the truce between us is null and void.”

A bored sigh exhaled from my lips. Always so controlling, this one. “It’s always been balanced on cracking ice as it were.”

His eyebrows lifted. “A truce that keeps your daughter safe, need I remind you? I did get word of what she did to the castle. It appears as though you still cannot control her.”

Asshole. My words bit out. “I can control her just fine.”

“See to it that remains true. The girl missteps and she will be a target, you know that. You hid what she did to the castle well, but I still found out about it.” He paused, his tongue digging into the side of his cheek. “I have done what I can to give you a wide berth with her, but she takes down the wrong building, the wrong people, and any margin you had to keep her safe will be gone. What will come for her is beyond my control. It was hard enough convincing the elders of the reprieve you’ve been given with her these last years.”

“I imagine,” I lifted my glass to him in thanks. “Thank you at least for that.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Thank me once she’s under control and she hasn’t been killed.”

I hissed out a breath. “So loyal to the old ways, aren’t you, Triaten? Why is that? The old ways never did anything good for the future.”

“Nothing except keep my kind alive, healthy, strong. They did do that. Not rutting everything walking about just to keep up numbers.”

True, too many of my kind were indiscriminate about who and what they fucked. Half-breeds abounded in our ranks at themoment. That went back to the poor leadership of the malefic elders for the past several hundred years.

But half-breeds were also the future. Very specific half-breeds. That was where Triaten was failing. He didn’t have the vision. Not like I did.

He walked over to the one-way mirror, staring at Maude still sitting on the sofa.

I followed his gaze. “You do realize magic can happen when rutting about. I think that’s been proven.”