PAUSED | The Red King's Wrathful Mate

Chapter 3: Midus' POV

She killed her own child...

Who does that?

How could Vanessa do that?

It all still felt like some horrible, wicked nightmare.

My son is dead.

I could still feel the searing pain I felt crushing my body when I felt his death. It was enough to send me, the king of the Eastern Inklings, tumbling to the ground in a thud. It felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest and no matter how much I roared in pain, no one could help me.

Wildegaard's rage and pain kept increasing by the second after feeling that pain.

I barely had the strength to put on my clothes when I ran out of Jolene's bedroom without saying goodbye or trying to explain what was happening. She tried to help me up, but how could an eighteen year old girl help a king who just lost his child?

Wildegaard ripped out of me the second I stepped out of her house and flew back to the palace. We kept roaring down mindlink, asking Vanessa what the hell happened, asking her whether she was okay... whether our baby was okay...but she remained silent.

"Because you're not worthy of having a child with Vanessa Lockewood."

Those words kept pounding in my head while I roared and tore her suite apart. I was angry. I was in pain. I was trying my best to keep Wildegaard from beating her until she couldn't heal anymore. He demanded blood for the death of our little inkling; he demanded her blood no matter how much he loves her.

I thought I had managed to keep his rage under control while we destroyed the suite. I kept showing him images of me and Vanessa and how wonderful she's been to us and our kingdom. She's strong, stronger than most despite not having a beast of her own. We thought her beast would reveal itself once we marked her, but nothing happened.

It baffled us that a soul as strong as Vanessa was born without a beast, but we didn't mind that because she loved us and we loved her and she loved our kingdom; that was the most important thing - Vanessa is good for the kingdom.

After showing him images of how she and her sisters pulled this kingdom out of the dust, I was able to calm him down to some extent. I showed him how Violet rebuilt our defences each time the witches attacked and how she gave hope to people who just wanted to run. I showed him how Grace found every burnt book and rebuilt our kingdom's library and I showed him how Vanessa fed our people with pride again; how she started gathering allies to make us strong enough to face the other three Inkling kingdoms without that sense of shame that's plagued our people since the war that split us all apart.

She and her sisters are strong. None of us know where they come from, but goodness these women are strong willed and can breathe life back into anything.

And Vanessa is the strongest of them all. My Vanessa. My mate who is wise beyond her years and kinder than most. She has wanted a child with me ever since I marked her. She's poured all her love and dedication into me; all of it without restraint, so why is she looking at me like she and I haven't spent years loving one another and taking care of our kingdom?

Why is she looking at me like the mere thought of me touching her is enough to make her vomit?

"Are you done? I want to go wash all this blood off me."

Every ounce of restraint and technique I used to keep Wildegaard's rage at bay, crumbled after hearing those words.

We have never hurt Vanessa, but those words were enough for all rage to blind him and for him to shift right inside her suite. There was the possibility that we'd be too big, but we no longer cared. All that mattered was getting justice for our son against his own mother.

We meant to shift quickly like we usually do, but for some reason our shift was agonisingly slow and painful. It lasted an eternity...goodness, it was so painful, but nothing compared to the pain of feeling our son's death.

We wanted to kill; we wanted to kill her. We should have killed her, but that look in her eyes...

Something had changed in her eyes. A few hours ago this woman looked at me like she hung on my every word and yet now she was looking at me like she could burn me alive and not think about it ever again.

Can a person really change this quickly? All of this over Jolene? Can what we have spent years building together really be broken by an eighteen year old girl?

No.

Vanessa loves me and I love her.

I'll fix this. I realise I was wrong now. I thought she'd understand that Jolene could never take her place. I should have told her that as much as I love her, being with someone who doesn't have a beast always leaves one wanting more. Something just feels incomplete in the union. And it's worse for Wildegaard because it means he can't ever mate his own mate in his true form. It's bearable, but after four years of being together, it's turned into an itch that demands to be scratched.

That's all Jolene is. She is a means to scratch an itch; a way to mate with someone and not feel like there is something lacking.

"Secure the borders." I ordered the warriors through mindlink while Wildegaard beat Vanessa. "Triple the patrols and under no circumstances are the Queen's sisters allowed to step foot out of this kingdom."

The Lockewood sisters aren't leaving this kingdom. I'll fix things and all will be well again.

Wildegaard and I thought if we could just hold out until she was carrying a child, then we would be able to mate with someone who could quench our thirst. Without a child, she'd be able to leave me if I betrayed her. However, if she carried a royal heir, no law would allow her to break our bond and the magical barrier surrounding our kingdom would prevent her from leaving.

We waited four years to ensure we'd be able to keep her by our side and be able to mate someone who can fully satiate us. It would hurt her, but Vanessa is strong and our bond with her is even stronger...or so I thought.

The bone in her leg snapped in three places when Wildegaard dropped her. Bones were sticking out and she was bleeding, but she still refused to beg for our forgiveness or beg for her life while Wildegaard strangled the life out of her.

Hate. Defiance. Relief. That's all that was in her grey eyes while her pale face turned blue.

Just a few hours ago this woman was decorating the baby's room. Can a person change this much in just a few hours?

I took her to her bed after Wildegaard gave control back to me. He couldn't bear it anymore. The loss of our child, our mate's unfiltered hatred towards us and everything that will follow after this crime. It was too much for him to bear and as much as we wanted to kill someone and tear them limb from limb; the only person to do that to is Vanessa.

She's the only one who deserves our wrath, but we can't hurt her like that. We love her.

He retreated to the shadows of my mind and rumbled and tumbled from the pain of losing our little inkling. If I let him out again, he will lay waste to this entire kingdom.

I questioned her about her madness. I tried to make her see that killing your own child because your mate is busy with another woman is just ludicrous. I tried to make her see that Jolene is nothing compared to her. She may be younger than Vanessa, but she's nowhere near as strong-willed, despite having a beast. She's a doe-eyed girl who is enamoured with her king; nothing else.

Vanessa is the one I love.

"Then go make a child with her." The most venomous words left her mouth.

She was breaking my heart and she didn't have a care in the world.

How can Vanessa be so cruel?

I shouldn't have slept with Jolene.

I should have taken Vanessa's complaints seriously each time she felt me betraying our bond. I knew she was strong enough to withstand the pains of betrayal even though she was pregnant. I knew she loved our child, so I was certain I could keep being with Jolene while Vanessa and I ruled the kingdom together like we always planned to do.

I realise now I should have waited.

If Wildegaard and I had waited until our child was born, then none of this would have happened. Vanessa wouldn't have killed a child she could see and hold with her own two hands and that child would have ensured that she can't escape this kingdom or break our bond.

If I had waited until the first child was born, I would have been able to be with Jolene without sacrificing my son.

I held her right against my chest despite her body tensing up in my arms instead of relaxing like it usually does. It only struck me then that she hasn't let me be intimate with her ever since she felt me being intimate with Jolene.

She was upset; understandably, but she still looked at me like I was her world. She still bought clothes for the baby and forgave me each time I came home with all her favourite things to ask for her forgiveness.

I knew it would take some getting used to on her part, but I expected us to fall into some kind of routine in time. I would let Jolene relieve her of getting intimate with me since she's pregnant. Vanessa would never even have to see the girl if she didn't want to. I would have put Jolene in a house of her own like I'm doing right now, except that house would have been much further away from the palace. And I would have killed anyone who dared to mention my relationship with Jolene. Vanessa is very prideful.

That's another thing I should have factored in.

There were a few people talking about my relationship with Jolene, but I was negligent and let those people keep their tongues. I should have punished them. Their words would have hurt Vanessa. She probably heard them talking about us and gosh, the women in this kingdom like to gossip; especially the younger ones...ones who are around Jolene's age.

If I had waited for Vanessa to give birth to our son, I would have been able to have both women. Vanessa would have ruled by my side and Jolene would have taken care of my and Wildegaard's needs.

I need to fix this. f**k, I need to fix this.

I already expected her to make mention of rejection the second she told me to go make a child with Jolene. She's in pain right now and it's all my fault. She's going to try and lash out and do yet another thing that she will regret for the rest of her life, but I won't let her.

I held my mate as tightly as I could.

"Don't worry." Wildegaard and I tried to reassure her. "We will never reject you. We will make another child with you. We promise."

That look of disgust on her face increased tenfold and she pushed me away.

"Never." She whispered. "I will never make another child with you, Midus and even if I were stupid enough to do such a thing, I will kill that child as well. I will kill every child you try to make with me. Every. single. one."

"Then I will put restraints around your arms and legs!" I roared at her. "I will treat you like the mad and wrathful queen you are and make sure warriors are stationed at your side at all hours. You won't even get to bathe alone!"

She jumped out of the bed and tried to run, but I grabbed her dress and pulled her back.

"I said I'm sorry." I pleaded and wrapped my arms around her. "I made a mistake. People make mistakes. We need to move forward, Vanessa. If the Council sees that we are a united front, they'll be lenient on you ... and your sisters."

She stopped trying to get out of my arms at the mention of her sisters.

"They were spotted near the border." I inhaled the top her head. "I think they were trying to escape, but I've tripled our patrols. They're not going anywhere and neither are you. We have to work through this. We're a family."

"Let them go!" She balled her fists and for the first time since this entire ordeal, I saw tears in her eyes.

The death of our child wasn't enough to make her shed a single tear, but the thought of her sisters remaining in my kingdom was enough to do that?

"I'll stay." She clenched her jaw. "If you let my sisters go, I'll stay."

I tilted her face upwards. Who is this woman? What the hell has happened to her?

Our people are looked down upon by everyone. No magical kingdom would give her sisters refuge once they caught a whiff of their scent. They'd be left alone to fend for themselves and might even be forced to go hide amongst the humans.

Why would she rather her beloved sisters suffer like that than stay here by her side? Why is she looking at me like I'm some heartless monster and not a man who has loved her from the day he laid his eyes on her?

"I'll protect you AND your sisters from the Council." I kissed her forehead even though she tried to slap my head away. "Don't worry. They won't need to flee."

She started hurling insult after insult at me while she punched me and dug her nails into my arms.

"Midus", my beta's mindlink came through while I tried to calm her down, "I have good news. The Council just convened and Jolene and her parents agreed to your proposal. You can take her as a second mate. Not sure what her title will be, but she's all yours."

I cut his mindlink without replying.

He doesn't know about Vanessa yet and neither does the Council.

Dammit.