Untouchable by Marii Solaria

Chapter 78 – Father Dearest

“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.“–C.S. Lewis

Neron

Soft crackling from the torches nicked the tense air of my father’s prison. I ogled at the weapon at my knees, faint smudges of blood staining both the handle and the blade with miscellanies of its past victims. Lady Sanguine’s bleeding eyes scald at the top of my skull as she stands by, patiently, for me to act. Behind me, my father became silent, minus his ragged exhales through his broken nose.

Sounds of many echoed around me, but I have yet to breathe.

Rigid as a statue, the fatal promise the woman made to me replayed like a video–cassette in my mind, rewinding and replaying again and again. Exchange the life of my father for my freedom. Death for a life. Tearing my eyes from the blade, I encountered Lady Sanguine’s expectant grin as her arms squeezed the cotton from the fragile seams of her worn–out teddy bear.

Flames of darkness and destruction licked behind her glittering rubies with untamed desire for death. Each flame flared to a hushed, internal tune as they scorch what was once Kiya’s purity. The dominant heat of her hatred wrapped its tendrils around my throat and made work to tighten the airways vital for my life. Her mouth promised release, but her eyes promised death.

She has no intention of letting either of us survive.

Isn’t that why she has us here? Lady Sanguine could’ve easily finished my father off, but she went through the trouble of towing me along for the ride, toying with me like a puppet. I recalled her proclamation shortly before she brought here me.

This is all but a game. But the stakes were too high to ignore.

Lady Sanguine is torturing me.

“Why the sudden change in plans?” Dad questioned, annihilating the stifling silence between us three. “Too afraid to take me out yourself?”

“On the contrary, Jonathan.” She purred, running her hand through the bear’s pelt. “Your fate is sealed, whether or not I kill you. But it is up to your son to determine if he should be the one to take you out. Think of it as your parting gift before you die.”

“You’re beyond help.”

“I did ask you if I was crazy when I killed Tristan. Now, you have your answer.

I was confident when I had planned to take my father away from Lady Sanguine, but now, I’m entombed between two impossibles. If I kill Dad, Kiya, when she comes back, won’t live with his death on her hands. However, will letting Lady Sanguine watch have the same effect? I picked up a chipper sigh as she started. tapping her foot.

“Neron.” Onyx mind–linked. “Do it. There is no other alternative. He’s lucky enough to die by your

hands.”

Is it? Dying by Gane or Lady Sanguine’s hand is a fare worse than the death bell. The male Dad suffer until he expels his last boeart, Lady Sanguine especially Dying by my hands is an act of men, bene din

this, he doeon = defame I. TeLO

Semifer of

ended of waling dinner the

But after what Dad has put us through, including the car cash them

strided to take the blade. A deep part of me didnt want world without a family. That part engized the man my

Mom’s needs, loving with Noria and me and queall a man I looked up to and warnet

The man D

hurt and pain he put me through. His declarations that was nothing but a failure u tim genuinity of his smiles at park–related thing. He used is smile whenever I drew permits of tim……

wouldn’t stop

cures underest my cum pulling my rest un Lats Sanguine peened into my sout, but the fated sensations of

digits. Her touch,

the left my

father is not the type

hurt you

benestar 1–he frm

She murmured, he treats creating

“I remember a day when

pelling. He was screaming

out from the doon, holding your face est my head down, but anyone could see the red blossoming De your skin like

reprimanded me

pace DECIDE WE inlewing cough with lessons. I skipped lessons for a full week, and he was in one of it trunken cages. Smiled me a mile and a

the third anniversary of their dears. I don’t care about a fucking thing because I missed them too much. I couldn’t even sitter gates because Dad nk so much starvard that I was petrified that he’d stopped breaming in his office & sumeen–year–old boy szuggling to stake his father awake as bottles upon bottles laid around him he discarded toys became a vesich event ill Steven

had yet to

notice. Brimson dans spark with delight as her hand dried from my chin to cup my

were the only one he said those things 1, shamefully, leaned into her touch as her thumb caressed the underside of my eve is preposteroGS DO defend a lousy excuse

son in front of me Dad maried, tugging at his chains. My eyes floated to his face to see pale bices dilating with fury.

Chapter 70–Father Dearest

to take that sordid belief to

was nothing more than a deranged home–wrecker, I would’ve snapped your neck at the first opportunity!” Dail thrashed against his chains like a ferocious

had many opportunities to execute me, although you let them pass you by. Why is that? Is it

“I should’ve killed you.”

Lady Sanguine guffawed.

wrong decision, and you’ll live to regret it! If

tactics of manipulation hooked themselves into my psyche. The nerve of him mentioning Mom and Nuria! I snarled, snatching my face away from Lady Sanguine’s dark touch. “Quiet! You always do this! I can’t make my damn choices without you guilt–tripping me to siding with you! Are

truth is, your mate is a

is, you’re a pompous man who can’t see that you’re the reason she and I suffered because I couldn’t do every fucking thing you

a strong Alpha! You needed discipline, and I taught you that! I taught you the family, and the pack come first! You can’t turn your back on your

father died a long time

gawked at me, aghast with his jaw hanging open. Bronzed arms snaked themselves around my torso, pressing my back to a cushioned front. The dark energy emanating from the touch made me lightheaded and dizzy, sinking into my skin like a lethal poison. A head rests on my back with soft lips pressed over the fabric right where my pack mark is, waiting and demanding. I involuntarily shivered under Lady Sanguine’s touch, but the

around my chest. “Isn’t that what mates do? You failed me before, so it

Dad growled in front of me, eyes focused on my every move. I have yet to pick up the blade resting underneath my knees, but my fingers ached to

end this once and

that nastiness inside your father is love.” She

Chapter

me because he loved Celeste and Nuria. He loved you. He hurt you because he “loved you. However, he ruined you just

to sink into the same darkness

Karma came back to kick ass, or in

If Dad was still the loving man, I faintly

my fault as it is my Dad’s. He started the fire,

“I’m so sorry…”

nails into my skin. A soft, anguished groan escaped my lips. underestimating how sharp her nails were. “Rid the world of the man who ruined us. Unless you were

lied. Ever.” I shot back. “I regret everything I’ve done to

“Lady Sanguine.”

difference. You’re

“Maybe, maybe

kept waiting. Alpha.

emotions between Dad and Lady Sanguine had pissed me off. Neither trust me to follow through with my intentions, Lady Sanguine was expected. But from Dad? I’ve been too afraid to admit this to myself with full conviction,