Love & Loss

Chapter 68

Nico's POV:

A hand on my chest stopped me just four feet from my destination, nearly knocking the wind from my lungs.

The touch itself was hard and stern, much like the eyes of my father as I looked up to meet his gaze.

Not even a second later, The guards on either side of me crossed their spears in front of my neck, sending a loud clang through the room followed by deafening silence.

Fuck.

The sound of my heavy breaths filled my ears as my panic built with every second, taking a step back to regain my composure.

The guards took a step forward as I did, acting as extra protection that my father definitely didn't need.

They were pawns. Distractions.

He had this all planned out and now I had so little time to try and outsmart him.

The corner of his mouth lifted, brows raising in an undeniable show to mock me.

Then as if I was no threat whatsoever, he turned his head towards the human boy currently carrying my lover.

"Explain yourself," He demanded, his tone calm but threatening nonetheless.

"My apologies my Lord," Carlo's heaved, wiping the blood from his nose the best he could with his shoulder, "Things didn't exactly go as planned."

"I can see that. Shes still conscious." He replied plainly.

I allowed myself a glance at her, spotting her eyes trained on me, wide in an almost hopeless plea for help.

I needed to get her out of here, but every single plan I was coming up with wasn't going to be good enough.

Absolutely nothing could lead to me winning a fight with him, I knew that as a fact.

I needed to run. I needed to take her and run.

But I needed to do so in a way my father couldn't predict.

"I know," He cleared his throat, "I didn't account for her to be as strong as she is."

My father simply hummed

"Nothing I cant take care of myself. And the slave?"

Contrition flashed in his eyes for just a second, "Marcus is taken care of," he eventually muttered.

"Excellent," My father extended a single hand towards him, "Now I suggest you run."

Carlo's eyes flickered to me before handing off Khloe.

Which in of itself caused my body to jolt as I restrained myself from not acting yet.

The thought of her in his grasp at all sent me into a rage.

Especially the small panicked gasp she could muster in her barely-conscious state as he lifted her by fisting the back of her collar and a decent amount of her hair.

A feral growl lifted from deep within my chest, my shoulders lifting as the part of me I was trying to keep contained grew with each second he had his hands on her.

Carlo bolted without another word.

My claws twitched anxiously at my side, the adrenalin building with each second I stood still.

"Put her down," I ordered slowly.

All hell nearly broke loose when he laughed.

The laugh wasn't a devious one, it was genuine which somehow made it worse.