DUSK BWWM

Chapter Twelve

"You've gone against me, Leviathan."

Xavier coolly met the cold gaze of Matias. The eldest of the elders and the personal pick of his father. He gladly would curse his father to Hades, if he wasn't already there. Matias was another living example of his father's cruel nature and inhuman ways.

Matias's claw-like fingers curled on the staff he rested his hands atop of, as he sat in a high back chair across from him. "I'd advised you that it would be prudent to mate yourself with one of the females from the houses of the six Elders, but it seems," he said slowly, "You've done something foolish and chosen a human as your concubine."

Xavier raised a brow, and asked, "Foolish? Are you implying that I, your king, am too foolish to pick my own Concubine?"

Jakub demanded stepping forward, "You dare insult the Leviathan implying such?"

Xavier lifted a hand, "Enough, I'm sure that elder Matias didn't mean such a thing, after all...He is more aware than us of his role, which is to advise." He drawled, his eyes losing the iron color as scarlet took over. "Elder Matias, my choice of concubine seems to be of great concern, despite having nothing to do with the Elders. May I inquire as to where you learned my concubine's identity?"

Matias waved his question away, "It does not matter, you are willfully ignoring tradition."

"It matters if I say it does." Xavier cut him off.

"The concerns of the royal family will no longer be the concern of the council," Xavier declared, his voice hard, "It seems there are those who wish to insert themselves into issues that do not concern them."

Matias smiled, a twisting of the lips that had sent lesser men to their knees, "I merely wish to avoid repeating the tragedy, that resulted due to your father picking a human jezebel as his mate."

The hand that had been stroking the armrest, now clasped it tight enough to crack the stone.

Matias steepled his fingers, as he leaned back, the staff melting into shadow, "It seemed only a few years ago when I received correspondence that your mother had managed to finally achieve her greatest wish...your father's death."

Xavier gritted his teeth and felt his men tense. Matias dared to mention the shame of the Leviathan Clan. The man must have finally become demented. All knew in the five kingdoms, to never mention his mother's crime, nor his father's death. He had only been in his mid-years of maturing when his mother had finally acted on the dark look that had haunted her eyes since his birth.

His mother had been a beautiful woman, and his father, like him, hadn't hesitated in bonding with her. Even when she'd pleaded with him to send her back, even when she'd told him over and over she was already wed, and happily so, his father hadn't listened to her, had taken her, raped her, and forced him, Xavier, on her.

The sick look of knowing that Matias wore, made Xavier wish to snap the evil bastards neck, but he refrained. Instead, he released a heavy sigh and dawned an expression of mild boredom. He took joy in the man's disappointed look, "I feel the same way, only...my mother was a special case, as was my father. We can both agree he was not the best of kings."

He nonchalantly brushed a piece of invisible lint from his pant leg. "My father is why we currently must depend fully on the trade of flesh, simply to ensure survival; a good king would have joined the League when offered the chance. Instead, he provoked a war." He clicked his tongue. The hot scarlet in his eyes was cooling, "I intend to be...better and different."

Now Matias appeared ready to snap his neck. Xavier didn't bother to hide his humor at the situation.

"You—!"