33. infraction

33

infraction

Rivian

I watch as her last breath escapes her; my cock still buried inside.

I now have the power of a soul-tied marriage, fully implementing the anima vinculum which means that the blood of our Society is now unmatched in strength and power. Soul bonds are rare these days, leaving the rarity and uniqueness of my marriage a highly respected one. Or so it should. But more so, it will allow me to do what I have to do and have the strength to do it, ending everything that created the very evil that I am.

I lean down to press yet another kiss against her temple, loving how soft her cold flesh feels against my warm lips. I can't help the way my mouth craves her body, every square inch of it.

I remove myself from inside her, watching how our cum slowly falls from her pussy not more than a few seconds afterward. She's going to feel so sore in the morning. Everywhere.

I get up from the bed, looking back down at my dead wife and admiring her beauty even as her skin pales and her veins start to run cold. She's a vixen and I am ruined by her.

I needed her to get rid of that memory for a multitude of reasons. The main one being that I needed her to have an unfailing trust for me. I needed her to remember the pain she'd been a victim to so that anger would hopefully edge its way back into her mind because I am so close to exposing my truth and I need her focus elsewhere. But the other reason is because she was never going to give up this unreasonable idea that she needed to be loved in light of feeling so utterly alone. If she lets go of the pivotal point in her life that caused her to feel that way, she might move forward without feeling so drawn to the perception that our hearts have to be undeniably rooted to the core of a frivolous four-letter word in order for her to feel accomplished in life. This way, she'll allow me to give what I can, and she'll know she's worthy, because my god is she worthy.

I pull on my clothes before turning to the basket that Natasha had dropped for us earlier, but my attention is stolen by a soft knock at the door.

"Not now!" I shout, not even trying to keep my voice low for my sleeping beauty, for obvious reasons. But despite my demand for privacy, the lock on the door switches and it creaks open.

"I'm so sorry, Rivian, but I fear there's a bit of urgency required." Natasha's sweet old voice fills the air and I lose the impatience I was feeling the moment she peeks her gray head of hair behind the door.

"What kind of urgency?" I question as I look between her and my corpse, noting that I am also dealing with an important matter.

"It's Viktrum, he's here and-"

"Tell the guards not to let him in." I let my voice raise in sternness toward this sweet old lady as I attempt to wave her away.

"The guards are keeping him contained for now but I'm afraid we do need you. He's insisting." She tries to smile but her tired eyes won't let her.

I look back down to my naked bride lying lifeless on the bed.

"I take that it's done?" Natasha's query filters through the air.

"Yes, she'll be feeling the effects by morning and fully transitioned by tomorrow night," I state.

I want to stay with her through it all, but I know I won't. I can't. The promises I made to myself and to the one I love most won't allow me to form attachments, though I already know I'm in too fucking deep with the girl who lies still on my bed.

"Very well. I’ll let the Faction know that-"

"Natasha. The Faction? You merely mentioned Viktrum." Anger boils in my veins knowing that they're here to investigate.

"My apologies. The Faction and Viktrum. I'll give you enough time to finish up here, sir." She nods her head before seeing herself out, relocking the door behind her.

I unfold the pile of clothes that lay on the nightstand and lean on the bed to dress Lucynda. I know she'll be dazed and confused when she wakes up from her gravely slumber so I want to make sure she's comfortable. I start by cleaning up our aroused mess with a rag before dressing her with her undergarments, then I work her night shorts over her thighs before slipping her tank top over her head. Even in deadweight, she's light as a feather.

I reach into the basket and grab the heating pad. I know she'll be sore from where I took her, but she'll feel the most pain where I broke her neck, so I opt to lift her head and slide the blue heating pad under her neck. I make sure the setting is on medium, enough to heat the pain away but not enough to hurt her.

I reach back into the basket and set out the water bottle and a couple more Aspirin for her to take in a couple of hours-she'll be dead until sunrise. I also take out the notepad and pen I asked Natasha to include.

Dearest Cyn,

You were so good last night. I'm sorry I had to leave you like this. Duty calls. Please take the medicine and eat the chocolate, it will make you feel better. Madly, your shadowed admirer.

I decide to close the note with the closure I'd provided her once before. Those days seem long ago though we're only a few weeks into October.

I leave the notepad open to my letter for her and place the chocolate bar on top of it. I pull the blanket over her body to ensure she stays warm while she rests. I give her another kiss, needing to satisfy my need to feel her skin against mine again before picking up the remainder of our night together—the used rag and her discarded dress. I stuff them in the basket and leave it for Natasha to grab later on.

I look at Cyn, my sweet fucking sin. I feel a war coming on, between my own inner turmoil and with the societies who might decide they are finally going to break peace. Even though I'm not quite sure what that means for us, I do know that I won't let this get in the way of my plans.

"Sorry I'm late. It is my wedding night after all." I don't hide my snarl as I turn the corner to a room full of people gathered in the great hall.

Viktrum sits at one end like he owns the fucking place, Zharus is near by making sure he doesn't pull anything stupid. About seven more people gather around the table, while my guards stand near the door.

I turn to look at Kacian. "She's alone up there," I tell him and that's all he needs to know that his exit is required so that he can guard our queen.

"We were under the impression that you knew we were coming, Prince Duquesne." One of the human Faction members speak up.

" King Duquesne," I correct them as I pull on the sleeve of my jacket.

The Faction is made up of hundreds of advisory members. If specific societies are involved, then they bring one member of each Nocturne Society as well as one Outside from each of their towns. So in this case there are Outsiders from Shadow Creek and Fallen Meadows. As well as a few other members outside of those townlines to act as mediators.

The Faction is designed to keep and restore peace. They help navigate accusations, which I'm sure is what they're doing now. They make sure that the societies are mingling well with the humans of their town and attempt to mitigate blood overconsumption. They justify the deaths if needed and act on unnecessary violence with disciplines and punishments that they see fit. The Faction is what keeps the treaties between societies intact as well as many other things needed to make sure vampires and humans can coexist.

The Outsiders in the Faction only have a modicum of compulsion running through their little brains. But the awareness they have of our kind is still there. They agreed to help make sure that their entire race doesn't end up as a pile of flesh and bone at the hands of Nocturnes, and they can speak for the humans' rights during meetings like this.

"What can I help you all with tonight? I'd love to get back to my wife." I look between the faces that sit before me. I recognize one of my own men sitting amongst them and despite the fact that I want to feel betrayal by his seat in the Faction, I know that it's a must in order to make sure no biased opinions are formed.

"Ah, so you did go through with the wedding. Finally ." Viktrum's smug face makes my blood tick with an incredible need to end his life once and for all. Take that for treason. But in all honesty, if it were my kingdom being imposed upon the way he claims, I'd likely be tempting the same fate. Only I'd take matters into my own hands instead of snitching to the Faction like a little bitch.

"You were invited," I remind him, pinning my eyes on him to see if I can get a better read on him. "Saved you front seats and everything. You and Ameliana, if I do recall." I see the slight twitch in his lips. He lied to me before. But now he knows that I know. Hollows Trace's former queen is alive and well in the care of his own, thanks to the confession of my antagonizing brother.

He winces and looks over at Zharus which doesn't really catch my attention at first, but then I notice the way Zharus holds his eyes for more than a second.

"I was busy," he mocks as he leans back in my chair with his arms folded over his chest.

"I can see." I wave my hand around the room to indicate the nonsense he brought to my castle.

Irritation grows deeper inside of me when I think of all the other things I'd rather be doing with my night.

"We can tell that there is some animosity between the two societies." One of the Nocturne council members speaks up. "We've already been made aware of murders within the Valor Cover Society. Murders of innocents both Outsider and Nocturne." This news is not new to me, but vexation still rings through my eyes because I do start to feel vacuous for not being able to focus on this problem as much as I'd like, if only to clear the name of Hollows Trace.

Instead, my mind has been somewhere else entirely, now realizing just how fucking mesmeric Lucynda is and just how lethal my tether to her is.

"Within the last three weeks, four Outsiders of no threat and having no victims have been nearly torn to shreds, and one Nocturne of royalty has been murdered. His heart was torn from his body and then burned." One of the other members stands and speaks the notes from a clipboard he brought before another makes his statement.

"Rivian, your highness, we understand that accusations aren't taken lightly, but you have to understand as well that we need to act on these broken laws."

I turn to look at Zharus again who seems to be a bit withdrawn from this whole situation. Probably because he's nervous someone recognized him in all of his sneaking around. Nightly booty-calls are never the way to go when there's a rogue on the loose.

I run my hand against my jaw, still feeling the way Lucynda's orgasm broke apart against my lips. I shake my thought to try to focus on this meeting once more.

"And because I am from the same Society that initiated the cause for the treaty in the first place, I assume that I am the only line of sight for your subject to act?" I refer back to the time my father nearly unleashed a massacre on Valor Cove to find his wife all those years ago. The same wife who seemed to have a better idea for her life here even though she took from someone else's right to be here just the same.

"We have a video of two of your members forcing their way into Valor Cove's compound. We don't have a choice."

My eyes dart to Zharus but fear does not reflect on his face. Instead, he bows his head and I wonder if he's already confessed in my absence or if he simply feels shame for what he's done. But if he is who they plan to blame, then they've got it all wrong. And it isn’t lost on me that the member of the Faction noted two of my Society members. Who could the other one be?

"I can assure you that there has been a misunderstanding-" I plan fully to raise a defense, though I wouldn't be entirely sure what my defense would be other than what I know about why Zharus was sneaking out.

But the interruption of another member has me questioning everything I thought I might have known, which actually isn't much at all. I've been severely distracted.

"Bring them in."

My head snaps toward the door in confusion. I try my best to stay calm, but frustration strikes a chord at the thought that they've already captured who they think is responsible. That's when I realize that Zharus isn't even in their line of sight when I see who the Faction guards carry through my doors.

"Rivian!" Troian's voice echoes off the walls of the great hall as her face is contorted with confusion and anger. She kicks at the guards who have her shackled up but her fight is meaningless as one of them smacks her in the face.

"This is a misunderstanding." My composure is on its last thread of control as I feel the binds start to unravel its containment.

Troian kicks the giant in his shin which causes him to content another smack against her cheek.

"Enough!" I demand of him, hating that they have my little sister bound by their constraints. I know she barely felt the hand across her face because she's a tough bitch, but I wince at the idea that someone I love is in danger, despite my need to hide those feelings from the rest of the world.

No one dares speak or move as we hear the drag of more chains coming in from behind Troy. Two more guards hold Travois by his elbows as they take their place next to Troy.

I give Trav a look of frustration, wondering what the fuck he did to get them in this position. He, unlike Troian, doesn't fight or squirm or grunt. Instead, he stands up straight, head held high as chains fall from his hand and ankles.

I look to the Faction for answers knowing that my face is reflecting my need for war right now. "Somebody better start fucking explaining."

"These two forced their way into my kingdom this morning after being denied entry." Viktrum stands from his chair with his palms placed confidently on the top of the table, a smirk dripping in satisfaction on his face. "Of course, you know why I had to deny entry."

"I just wanted to see my mom, Rivian. I'm such a fucking idiot." Troy's fiery light seems to dissipate as she hangs her head. "She didn't want to see me." Desolation bleeds from her words and I hate that their mother caused this pain in her. That she did this to me .

"They fought my guards, who then alerted the Faction but the force of which they insisted entry led me to believe they were dangerous. And well, you know what happened from there."

I have to fix this. This is my fault for being so naive to the obsession that Lucynda caused in me.

"These are members of my royal family. They were acting on my word. They sought out to extend a wedding invitation to…" I trail off, knowing that my words don't mean a damn thing to them at a time like this.

They expect results and their reputation must remain intact so they have to provide the societies with reassurance that they take accusations seriously, or else everyone would feel enabled to try and get away with their own destructive activities. But they can't be seriously considering that my siblings are the cause for chaos between societies. At least not Troy.

That's when a sense of foreboding crosses my mind. Something isn't right.

I look to Travois who does nothing but stare into the ceiling.

"There has to be a mistake. They wouldn't betray my law." I let concern lace my tone enough to allow them to see that I won't stand for the false accusation, when really I want to rip all of their throats out just to unchain my siblings.

"The matter is, murders have been committed that register the reason for punishment against treason. We have a job to do and the other societies will believe that they are capable of getting away with chaos if we do not enforce some kind of disciplinary action while we allow time for innocence to be proven, your highness." The member who speaks to me bows his head on his last words which doesn't do anything more than light me up with anger.

"What's the solution?" Zharus speaks up in an almost unrecognizable voice. Maybe he's trying to not give too much away so as not to give the Faction a reason to believe that he might be involved as well. Viktrum looks between him and my siblings, then back to me with enjoyment displayed in his expression.

"They are to be held in contempt until a confession is made or until we have proven who the real culprit is. Innocent until proven guilty." I'm told and a laugh nearly barrels through me in hysteria, but I let my rage shine through instead.

"This is ridiculous!"

"It's the word of law, sir."

"Rivian, it's fine," Troy says from behind me. "Lucynda needs you right now, don't make this worse than it needs to be."

I know she's right, but I hate that she's right. If I had never allowed Lucynda to infiltrate my head or had forced her to succumb to the past I plan to avenge, this wouldn't have happened. But my mind is made up, what's done is done. I won't go back on my word. And fortunately for her, I need her. In more ways than one.

Fear clouds Troian's eyes, I can tell her fight is fading as she struggles against the shackles she's trapped in. It isn't like her to lose herself to war or to surrender so easily. Her mother's denial broke her further than I anticipated which only fuels my need to win this battle.

But before I have a chance to jump for any one of the men before me, a confession comes free.

"I did it."

Everyone looks to Travois. His head still high and his eyes unreadable as he stands confidently in front of everyone in the room.

"It was me." His assurance should be satisfactory to me, but I know better.

Blood boils in my veins as I think of all the times I might have questioned his loyalty knowing now that this isn't one of his secrets. I watch his false confession pull a smirk across Viktrum's face.

"Well, well. So, it was one of you all along." Viktrum's words sound unconvincing yet it's as if he knew all along and without doubt that this is exactly what would happen and it infuriates me. Something doesn't feel right.

"I killed your useless brother. Let her go." He spits at Viktrum as he nods over to his sister who seems just as shocked as everyone else.

Trav has been quiet, unmoving, and compliant this whole interaction. Almost too compliant.

Kind of like he was compelled. I see a flash of understanding flicker in his eyes as he shakes his head so subtly at me, no one else notices it.

What the fuck is he doing?

"I'm guilty," he reiterates, and I have no choice but to fall in line with the actions that must take place next.

"Rivian," Troy's defeated gasp reaches my ears and I feel the pain laced in her tone.

"Let her go," I demand to the guards that keep my sister captive.

They look over me to the Faction members, waiting for approval. Their hesitation vexes me.

"I said let her go!" My eyes grow dark as I show them my bloodlust, letting my voice carry in vibrations throughout the room.

Troian drops to her knees at the release from the guards, chains hitting the cemented ground below her and her spirit dropping with it. She looks up at her brother and a tear nearly escapes her eye.

"How could you?" she asks him and I turn to look at Trav who is still motionless.

"It's settled then. Travois will be convicted of treason, and you can go along your merry way with your new bride." Viktrum goes to take a few steps further toward me as his taunting tone does nothing to settle the events that he's about to subject himself to; his common sense evading him. "How was she tonight? Did she perform her wifely duties like a good girl?"

I snap.

I jump the table to grab Viktrum by his shirt. He bares his sharp teeth at me and attempts to push me back but what he fails to remember is that my wife did perform her duties and I am a hell of a lot stronger than he ever will be. I throw him back against the wall, his head smacks against the cement but he doesn’t show evidence of the pain. Everyone scrambles to their feet but even the guards are smart enough to know that they would be insane to interfere with the wrath of a new king.

I lower my tone so only he can hear as I grip him by his neck, his feet tiptoe against the floor as I press him further into the wall allowing him not even a sliver of air to grace his lungs.

"I know you're up to something. I know that you know more than you're letting on and I will fucking find out what it is. You'd do best to stay clear of me from here on out. Or it'll be your life that ends next." I push my hand into the boundaries of his heart, invading his chest once again.

"Is that a threat?” He gets out in a scratchy breath, his voice barely audible as he fights for air. “Maybe if you had a tighter leash on your beloved family, this wouldn't be happening." His argument back at me is untenable, I know this is a setup. It has to be. This is what he wants, to show everyone just how unhinged the new king of Hollows Trace really is. It would make sense to everyone why my brother would be the one who went rogue, because I have also lost control. But despite this revelation, I feel the need to prove to everyone just who not to fuck with.

I look back at those watching. I know I need to let this play out until I find the real reason for the string of attacks. I had my doubts about my own brother; he's always shown jealousy for what I have and what I was handed. I never wanted this life, but it was given to me and I have duties to fulfill. I know Trav craved the life I was given, but I now believe that Travois would not risk his place in Society to go off the wall like a madman. I can see it in his eyes.

So in order to show my stance in this vapid world of Nocturnes, a world I hope to escape one day, I grab Viktrum by his neck with both hands and twist, turning it a full one-eighty.

The cracking of his bones resound beautifully and satisfaction bubbles inside me. I've wanted to do that for a while now.

No one makes a sound as his body drops to the floor.

He's not really dead. He'll recover from it in about an hour or so. So they can't do anything about my violent outburst, but they now know that I will not let this war end lightly, even if they have a suspect and expect me to just accept it.

"Come clean up your garbage," I spit at the guards. "And get the fuck out of my castle!"

The Faction members that remained seated now push in their chairs, the guards that hold Trav turn him around and exit. He doesn't even put up a fight.

"You can't let them take him," Troy cries even though she knows I can't fight that battle. Part of me knows that Trav is aware of that too; his compliance may be forced but I know he's stronger than I care to admit and small pieces of his conscience are holding on, urging me to let it happen for the sake of his sister at least.

"We know this is tough." A member turns to my sister in an unavailing attempt to console her which is clear as she rolls her eyes at him.

Turning to me he says, "Please let us know if you find anything else out. In the meantime, Travois will be held in contempt until a ruling for his punishment is decided." Then they all evacuate the room.

Troy looks at me in fear. We all know that the punishment for treason is death.

The other guards come to peel their slimy king up off the ground, Zharus looks between him and me in horror before he attempts to scurry off behind them.

"Where are you going?" My question unnerves him and rightfully so. I didn't fail to notice that he has been a bit quiet in all of this when he was the one who brought it up to me in the first place, his passion for the matter has seemed to disintegrate but I can't worry about my flighty Factotum too much. Though I will admit, his nerves seem a bit rattled.

"I was just gonna go make sure that they find their way out." He hooks his thumb toward the door as he looks between Troian and me. He recognizes my concern and tries to defend his behavior, dropping his eyes to the ground.

"I almost got us caught, Riv." Troy's face lights up with intrigue at his words. I'm the only one who knows what he's talking about and I intend to keep his secrets like he's done mine. "That could have been me being dragged out and I would have never forgiven myself for that."

But he wasn't caught. His rendezvous wasn't mistaken for the string of deaths accused onto us and instead, my half-brother will be subjected to death if I don't figure out what the fuck is going on.

I ignore his statements entirely as I try to navigate how I'm going to fix this. "I need you to make sure no one leaves the compound tonight. Curfew has been revoked and no one leaves these grounds. No one. If one person steps out of line, they’ll be stripped.”

Stripping is a torture tactic used mainly by some of the more viscous Faction members who desire certain information. Stripping is the act of draining someone of their vampire blood, causing them to decay due to the age they’ve successfully avoided or possibly even weaken their bodies as the strength bleeds from their veins. It’s painful. I’ve experienced it.

He nods in understanding before leaving without another word.

"You're a coward." Troy stands to her feet; she's still dressed in her bridesmaids dress which denotes the truth that the twins were taken sometime following the ceremony. "How could you let them take him?"

I want to ask her what happened, who snatched them up and what they asked? There were hours between my wife fainting and Natasha coming to ask for my presence. I hate that during all that time I spent trying to make Lucynda feel better about the situation, my sister was subjected to torture of any kind.

"They didn't hurt me, Riv." She must read the expression on my face. "The Faction only made sure we didn't try to flee. They asked us about the video and then we waited for you." She calms my racing thoughts, but the fact of the matter lies.

"He confessed," I tell her.

"You know he's innocent!"

"Troy, stop! I promise, I will fix this. But we have to let him go." Her disappointment in me is clear as day on her face but I've wasted too much time feeding into the emotions of others. "Go to bed, you need some sleep."

She doesn't try to argue this time as she snaps the cuffed chains from her limbs, then makes her exit.

Whoever is in alliance with Viktrum, whatever his plans may be, just made themselves the main target on my list of retribution. I will seek the end of this war, and I will have my revenge. And then, I will seek the end of me.