Lord King (The King)

This rebirth—as impossible as it was—would be her chance, and I welcomed it. Even if I loathed the Seers, I still loved my children. I would do my best to free her fate from the grasp of those vengeful witches.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Jeni

“How long are they planning to stay?” Dad asked as we cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast. I’d been back for three days—mostly sleeping, eating, and resting—but Dad just got home last night from hauling lumber a few states over, only to find two very dangerous men in his house who wouldn’t stop arguing. Dad already knew about King, but Ansin was a new addition to a very uneasy situation.

“Fuck you, King. I’m not leaving her alone with you,” Ansin yelled in the living room, which was just on the other side of the kitchen wall.

“You think you’re any match for those Seers? Who the hell knows what they’re planning,” King responded.

“I can handle anything,” Ansin threw back. “And if you don’t believe me, allow me to demonstrate with my knife.”

I sighed, and Dad gave me a worried look with his light brown eyes. “I’m glad they are both hell-bent on protecting you, because we both know I can’t. But I worry about leaving you with them, Jeni.”

Dad said he’d signed up for another haul tonight. It would only be a few days driving, but it meant I’d be alone with King and Ansin again.

I sighed. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but they’re the only chance I have. You staying around to watch over me isn’t going to change anything. Plus, didn’t you say you had plans with that…” I’d forgotten her name already. “The lady from the flower shop?”

“Yes, but I don’t like this situation.”

“I know, but what are you going to do? Fight the Seers yourself?”

“I don’t actually understand how you became one. Your mother was, well, normal. I mean, she was wonderful, but no powers or anything like that. And from what I knew of your grandmothers, they weren’t anything special, unless criticizing is a superpower.”

“Funny.” He’d loved his mother and mother-in-law, rest in peace. They’d spoiled him. As for their lack of gifts, it wasn’t unusual for the Seer gene to skip multiple generations. “I’m sure if we searched hard enough, we’d discover some woman in our family was burned as a heretic or something.” Hell, maybe even I was burned once. Now that we knew Seers could be reincarnated…

“You going to do something about them?” Dad jerked his head toward the living room as the argument between King and Ansin raged on. “This isn’t healthy, Jeni. Maybe I need to take you out of here.”

“There’s nowhere to hide. Not from the Seers.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “I’ll take care of it.”

I threw the dish towel over my shoulder and marched to the living room. “Guys, the fighting needs to stop. Okay? And I don’t get what you’re both so worried about. I highly doubt the Seers would go through all this trouble just to have me murdered here in my dad’s living room while I’m still pregnant.”

“I am not worried about them. Not yet,” said King, eyeing Ansin.

I groaned with frustration. “If Ansin wanted me dead, he would have done it by now. He could have killed you, too, King.”

The two men continued to stare each other down.

Nothing I said was going to change this, would it? This house wasn’t big enough for two ancient alpha males who wanted to tear each other’s throats out.

“Why don’t you take turns?” I suggested. “Ansin can stay until my dad returns. Next week, King, you can stay when my dad goes away.”

“And when your father is here?” King asked.

“You both go.”

“He can’t protect you,” Ansin pointed out.

“No. But you guys make him feel uneasy, and I’m not about to subject him to that. He’s been through enough.”

“So what are we supposed to do, sleep on your front lawn?” King asked. “I’m not about to leave my daughter exposed.”

“Figure it out,” I said. “I’m going to shower now. I have to get ready.”

“Where are you going?” King questioned.

“Doctor’s appointment. And no. You can’t come.” I wasn’t about to play happy domesticated coparents with him.

I headed toward the bathroom and immediately knew I was in hot water. King stood blocking the doorway. Ansin was beside him. Both towered over me with lean menacing muscles. One in a dress shirt, one in a T-shirt, neither of them fucking around.

If this were a rom-com movie, I’d be laughing. But this wasn’t. King was deadly and evil as fuck. Ansin wasn’t any better. Both only saw me for what I could give them, and it was starting to wear on my heart.

And this is just day three. But if I ran, if I tried to do this on my own, Ariadna might end up in the wrong hands. I couldn’t have that.