Cruel War (The Gilded Sovereign 1)

Our crest looks good with the shield, which has GS in the center and the year the society was formed, 1854. Beneath the Gilded Sovereign crest is the society’s motto, ‘Protect the weak, avenge the broken,’ and it’s perfectly centered to the icon of my legacy.

“This is new,” I remark, noting the ink healing on his tanned skin.

“Just over an hour ago,” he affirms, pulling in a deep drag from the cigarette. The white plume of smoke that tumbles from his mouth envelops us both, and for a moment, I relax in the smell. “I waited three years longer than I should have.”

His voice is filled with contempt. I know why, his inking had to happen years ago, but with our mother being murdered, Philipe only stepped into his rightful place two months ago.

“I want this, bro,” I tell him, stepping back to regard my brother. “I want this more than anything.”

“More than the girl?” He quirks a brow as he sucks on the cigarette. There’s a knowing glint in his eye.

“You seem to forget what her family did to ours. I’m not one to dip my dick in liars,” I tell him, shrugging off his inquisitive glare. He clucks his tongue at me, and I know he can read through the bullshit.

Philipe chuckles as he regards me. “Brother, you’ve had a few bitches in your bed, Kelli come to mind?” His brow arches and I have to give him that. My choices haven’t always been good, I’ll be the first to admit it. “Besides, there aren’t any rules against getting pleasure out of a job.” His voice is cold, reminding me more of our father than ever before.

Philipe was Dad’s favorite. The eldest son, the one who would take over the society from him. We grew up knowing I was a mistake, and that made me try to prove myself to them more times than I can count.

Living in the shadow of a sibling is shitty.

But it also makes you work harder, it makes you focus on your goals.

And that’s what I’m doing right now.

I meet familiar green eyes and nod. “Perhaps I should play this differently. But I want more information about her before I start.”

He nods with a smile. “I have a folder for you. Once you’re inked, you’ll have access to everything else in the vault. The other elders will be there, don’t fuck this up.” There’s a warning in his tone, one that makes me antsy.

“I have to go, but… tomorrow night, when I get that tattoo on my chest, the only way anyone is taking it from me is to cut it off.” I turn to leave, stopping at his door, and I glance over my shoulder at my brother. His light brown hair shimmers under the lamps that hang low from the ceiling. His room is dark with the old furniture that is better suited to an old castle. His four-poster bed is made of old mahogany wood, and the desk matches it, with shadows that play over the space.

A painting hangs above a fireplace, the image of our great grandfather slaughtering men on a battlefield stares down at the room. I wonder how my brother ever brought girls back here; surely, they’d be frightened out of their minds. But then again, my brother is a lady’s man. He can get any chick to drop her panties in five seconds flat.

I step out into the hallway and head to my bedroom. The moment I’m in the sanctuary, I shut the door, taking note of how different the room is compared to Philipe’s.

My bed is made of a metal frame, with an almost cage-like structure beneath it. I like to play with my pets when I have them here. Women like to be manhandled, they enjoy giving up power, and I enjoy taking it.

Perhaps Philipe is right, I can get some pleasure from the little flower before I snip her stem for good. Flopping on my bed, I stare up at the ceiling as I smile, thinking about how good it will feel to hold a life in my hands.

I’m coming for you, Dahlia.

10

Dahlia

Every interaction I’ve had with Ares has been on a loop in my mind, and I hate the asshole. He’s everything I don’t like—overconfident, snarky, and pompous. But I can’t deny he’s hot. There’s a magnetism to him that pulls me in, and each time I recall our interaction, my stomach is in knots.

Pushing open the car door, I step out of the vehicle, taking in the campus. Yesterday, I didn’t fully take in how stunning it is. Mainly because Rukaiya couldn’t stop talking as we walked up to the main entrance. Only a few days have passed, but it’s starting to feel like home.

Everything is so different from the city. It feels as if this town is haunted by its ancestors, the founders of this small piece of the country still watching over those who’ve come after. The main building is a looming structure of red brick with church-like steeples made of what looks like onyx metal.