Heir Of Violence (#1 Betrayed Destinies) - ONC2024

Chapter 8 - Not That Way

This entire situation was fucked, no matter which way Zaen looked at it. Feet up on the curved console with its holographic displays muted, he lounged in the bridge's command chair and stared at the viewscreen as the Nemesis launched, leaving the bright skies of Oenone behind.

What in the starless void was he going to do with a soulmate? With her?

Was he supposed to drag an assassin's daughter around with him as he dealt with elitist politicians from numerous star systems, and worse, dragons? The Ascendancy's senate was a treacherous asteroid field of backstabbing assholes—not a fate he'd wish on his enemies, let alone a soulmate. Even more concerning, she had serious motivation to see those fucking politicians get the better of him. His little hellion was perfectly placed to slip a knife between his ribs, figuratively, if not literally.

Zaen ran a hand through his hair, shoving it away from his face. For fuck's sake, he had all the headaches of inheriting his mother's role in the Sigma Draconis as well as being Crown Prince of Penates. Hiding under the guise of a carefree, playboy prince had allowed him to be underestimated time and again—convenient as he searched for clues of exactly who had hired Karzen to kill his mother and sister. A feat that had proved more difficult than he'd anticipated, given all the rumours pointing fingers at this baron or that earl. It wasn't like his father's enemies were all that quiet, after all. But despite the extensive list of suspects, actual evidence had been elusive.

Fucking Karzen was his only real lead and once he captured that shitstain, he'd find the answers he sought, one way or another.

Jaw clenched, he crossed his arms and fought the urge to growl at Emmed and Dhevun's quiet conversation between their coms and weapons stations. Letting the ship's AI pilot their trajectory toward the Ophiuchi system, home to Penates, he ignored them and focused on the newest wrinkle in his plans. What the fuck was he going to do?

"Confirm hyperspace entry?" the silky feminine voice of his AI inquired.

"Punch it, Mira," he ordered. A sudden shiver caught him by surprise and gooseflesh rose on his bare arms. As if he wasn't already pissed, why in the fucking void was it so fucking cold in here?

With a fingertip flick, he woke the holographic displays and checked the environmental controls. He frowned, staring at the reading. It was twenty degrees Celsius, not cold at all. Another shiver rippled over his skin. What—

He eyed his wrist and scowled at the black vines, tracing a fingertip over the leaves. What sharding soulbond shit was this?

As the black starfield turned to streaks of colour, Emmed cleared his throat.

"Spit it out, fuckwit." Was she drawing energy from him? Why? He shifted in his seat—an uncomfortable realization dawning. He had been a little rough with her earlier. Had he injured her?

"I'm sorry, Zaen. It's... shards, it's a bloody tragedy, but you aren't going to let her being your soulmate influence our vengeance, are you?"

And that was the question, wasn't it?

Never mind what he was going to do with her later. He couldn't—no, wouldn't—give up his quest to get justice for his mother's and sister's murders. And the first step had to be capturing Caeryssa's fucking father. But other than inconveniencing and scaring the little pixie locked in the disused pilot's cabin, he hadn't anticipated stooping to Karzen's level. He rubbed the gooseflesh on his arms.

Okay, maybe he should have controlled his temper better.

A lock of ebony hair fell over his face and he shoved it behind his ear. Damned elastic broke when his little hellion fought his search for her soulmate tattoo, but he'd had no choice. He'd had to confirm it was her, given the permanence and limits of soulbonds. Boosting from Oenone without his soulmate would have killed both of them.