General Sterling

Thirteen

    He's sitting on Alex's throne covered in blood. There are several heads on the floor around his feet. He's staring at nothing. His expression is completely blank. The first time I saw my dad with that same expression on his face, I had to hide my sisters as he claimed my mother over and over again. I sealed the room with a spell I had stolen from the witches to keep my sisters from hearing him take her like that. I remember screaming. I remember her begging him to calm down. It won't be like that with him. He's not mine and I'm not his. 

    Once his teeth pierce my skin while he's in this state, he'll be placing a mark on my neck. One I can't ever get rid of. Even if he takes his mate, even if he dies, my skin will permanently be marked by the teeth of a man who doesn't belong to me. A man I will never belong to. It's the punishment those of us who break the vow to our fate face. 

    The Queen's survival is essential for the survival of our race. Without her, everyone falls out of line. Everyone panics. They all start killing one another because there is no one stronger than them to stop what it would mean for us not to have order. Chaos would break out in the streets of Darkness all over the world and it can lead to our exposure to humanity. 

    Armad was chosen to ensure the survival of our next Queen and the generation that will come after them. Whether it be another Queen or a King. Fate has chosen their champions and the rest of us have to see it through. I give this as someone who means very little to the survival of our race. 

    She was a great Major General. She did well and followed orders as given. That's probably what my eulogy is going to say. I will go down in history as the first female to climb the ranks the way I did. To stand for the right of our females and it's likely that no one will ever talk about that. It's not for glory. I can't think of that when all I'm thinking about is a little girl who has no idea what she will have to face when this monster she believes is going to love her finally stands in front of her as her mate and soul. The princess doesn't deserve to live a life where she is defiled by the person she's fated to be with. 

    "Walk away, Ada," the General growled as I approached him. "I-" he paused without looking at me. "I can't fight this," 

    "I know," I knelt down in front of him. "But I can't let you go for her either. I promised you I'd help," 

    "You don't know what you're saying. You can't be that dense," he roared.

    I stood up and sat on his lap. His hand wrapped around my neck without tightening. He's fighting it but it's not a battle he's going to win not with what's happening to the princess. A succubus is taken into the cold of the Arctic to keep her powers from affecting the males of their own kind from going after her. Those who share the same blood aren't affected but their mates or rather, their souls can feel it from anywhere in Darkness and the General's aggression is coming from her. 

    "She's a baby," I whispered offering my neck to him. "She's going to be the one to save us," 

    "I will never forgive myself for this," he growled. 

    "You don't have to, I'm never going to hold it against you," I laughed. 

    It's the truth. I can't hold it against him, this is my choice even if it was the Queen who suggested it. I was never going to let him go after her like this. We'd lose one of them. Losing just one is not a loss we can afford to have right now. We're barely piecing together the mess the loss of the our last King and Queen. 

    He grabbed me around my waist and picked me up to straddle him. His eyes are still glowing. His hair is a dark shade of gray. It's not a difficult decision. If I had the choice he'd probably be it. The General is a beautiful man. Powerful. At least, strong enough to deal with all the s**t that goes on in my head. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't give a s**t about him. That everything we've accomplished up until now is meaningless. I didn't have a place when we first met and now, I'm the Major General for the Queen's private cadre. 

    "I'm sorry," he whispered in my ear. 

    I groaned trying to keep myself from screaming out in pain. When it's from a mate, the venom of our bite is supposed to feel better than feeding after being parched for weeks. The feel of it is supposed to feel better than c****x. This feels like he's ripping a part of me out. Before I could properly gather my thoughts, he pinned me to the chair and tore my dress off. I am completely exposed to him as he takes his bloodied clothes off. His eyes are buzzing with rage but he's starting to take control of the power inside of him now that he has something solid to claim as his and it's all resonating. He's realizing what he's doing and it's going to hurt him inside knowing that he hurt me in the worst possible way.

    "If you apologize to me again, I'm going to hurt you, General. I'm right here with you," 

    He pulled me up to him, this time a little gentler. My bare chest is against his. The fury in his eyes is gone now. He knows exactly what he did and that there's no going back from this. Not for me and definitely not for him. He tilted my chin up and pressed his lips against mine. 

    "Why would you do something so careless? Does your life have this little meaning to you?" he scolded. I laughed. 

    "My life has little meaning but it's everything to me," I looked up at him. He has tears in his eyes telling me how sorry he really is. i***t. "Things are never going to end well for me. I was supposed to be a male. I was supposed to inherit my father's legacy and push forward with it and I did, but not as a woman. I didn't know what she meant when she said it was a gift but I see it now," I pushed myself up to press my lips against his and he responded. I pulled away and smiled. I may not be his and he may not be mine but it's not going to stop me from enjoying how good this feels. This pain is surreal. "I'll never betray you or anything that comes from you," 

    "I know," he growled. 

    I cried out when he pushed inside of me. My body is trembling. Unlike the other times we've done this, there's a certain pain and disrespect to my body. It's like the hate I feel for it for making me what I am is finally something physical and with each thrust, he's fixing it. Showing me that this isn't something I need to be ashamed of. I am a woman and I should be proud of it. Those who make me feel ashamed for being a woman should all burn hell for it. 

    "Armad," I called out his name as I dug my nails into his back. 

    He growled at me but didn't stop as if he too were feeling the pain I feel. It only encouraged him to move more. To push harder to tighten his hold on me. This went for hours. Hours well into the afternoon. I don't know if anyone saw but I honestly don't care right now. I laughed as the two of laid in a pool of blood. Blood of the councilmen he slaughtered. He probably killed their families and servants before he took their heads as souvenirs. 

    "Why are you laughing?" he asked looking over at me. 

    "How f****d we are. Children of our fallen fathers," I shook my head. "Bred and to lead the next generations no matter the costs," 

    "f*****g ass holes," he smirked. "I'd never let her kill you. You know that right?" 

    "She's not going to kill me. It's going to be a long time before I die. One day, I'm going to be her right hand. Once you become King I intend to take your place," 

    "I'm glad to hear that. What about when fate knocks on your door? How are you going to explain that f*****g mark on your neck?" 

    "I'll get to that when I get to it. I'm kind of hoping she's a girl or someone who can slap me around a lot better than you," we both laughed. 

    "I hold back a lot for your sake. I don't need you to fall in love with me you sadist," 

    "We may not be soulmates, Armad but I've never had a friend before and you're definitely it. So, in light of it. I promise to be whatever you need me to be. In life and if you die before I do, in death," 

    "I'm not always going to act like it, but I make you the same promise. Everything I do will be to protect you. Even if it hurts you the most. You're my best friend, Ada. I'm never going to love anyone the way I love you. This is my fault. I'm sure I did something in a different life to deserve this fate," 

    "You and me both, General," I stood up feeling extra sore. More than I was from the stretches Helbourne had me do. "Maybe in another life, but I honestly feel like you're a pain to be mated to," 

    "You're no walk in the park. I should have been a male," he mocked. 

    "I should have and then I'd be the one f*****g you," I shot back. 

    "I probably would have killed you by now," 

    "You'd probably be on your knees by now with my c**k in your mouth," I laughed. 

    "I hate you," he shook his head. "I agree you should have been a male. A lady doesn't act the way you do," 

    "Only 'cause you know I'm right," I laughed. 

    He reached for me as I tried to get away. We both stopped when his mom walked into the room. A squeak came out of my mouth when he stepped in front of me to cover my naked body. Not that it makes much of a difference. He's naked too. She tossed us both robes. I instantly put it on and straightened up as best as I could. f**k my life. 

    "Not the worst thing I've seen you two do," she smirked. 

    "What is it?" he asked annoyed with her. 

    "You went on a killing spree which tells me you know," she looked over the severed heads on the floor. 

    "Why didn't you tell me they hurt you?" he asked. His tone is soft now. A part of him hates her but unlike me, he still sees her as his mother. Not someone holding him back. 

    "Look at what you did to this poor girl," she came over to me and showed him the mark on my neck. "Your father was brute. One of the worst and there were nights when he came home lost in the grief of the s**t he saw on the battlefield. Telling you when it happened would have ended badly for the princess, for you, for all of us. I couldn't do it," she sighed without taking her eyes off of me. "You poor kid," 

    "Shits out the bag. I'm sorry for what they made you endure," I finally snapped out of it. 

    "How did you two ass holes find out?" she asked looking away. "He didn't tell you. None of them. They're too scared of both of you to have let something like that slip. Who told you?" 

    "I saw it," I answered lowering my head. "All of it. How Amiri lured you into the courtroom and everything after that," 

    "Andromeda," she sighed. "You are a woman of many talents, Adaleigh Darius," 

    "Too many," the General chuckled. 

    "You two are literally the same f*****g person, she pointed between us. "Your fathers were close. Not this close but they might as well have been," she rolled her eyes. I laughed because of what I had said earlier. He glared at me. "It's like watching them all over again,"

    "Shut the f**k up," he shook his head. 

    "I'll take these with me. I think they'll look great in the grand hall," she picked up one of the heads. She's smiling. He didn't put any marks on the faces. The heads came off clean. 

    "I thought you might like them," the General smiled like this is completely normal for them. I used to gift my mom pink roses on my parent's anniversary every year and then listen to her cry from outside her bedroom door. "Do whatever you want," 

    "Is there anything else you two want to tell me before I walk in on one of your orgies again?" 

    "Orgies require a lot more bodies. Most we've done three," he smirked. I covered my mouth trying to stop my laughter and ended up snorting out of my nose. They both looked at me amused. 

    "I don't need to know that, Armadian. Keep it to yourself," she laughed. "You may not have the bodies but you do have the headcount," 

    "You two are the strangest people I have ever encountered and I used to hang out in witch brothels," I laughed. 

    "It's probably where you picked up your appetite for sweet doe-eyed girls," she rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry about your little friend," 

    "My little friend?" I asked. 

    "On her way out, Milly killed a few of the servants. Your little human was one of them. The other was male. They were-" 

    "s**t," I stopped her. "That sucks," 

    "You know that's what they're for right?" she asked me. 

    "Yeah, doesn't mean I can't have favorites," I shrugged. "I am going to get cleaned up and we'll meet up after to see how we're going to fix what happened with the council," 

    "Ada, a moment?" Lady Sterling asked. The General walked out without looking back at us. She has the heads of the men he killed by their hair in her hands and a smile on her face. She's just as insane as he is. 

    "Are you going to have those stuffed?" I asked. 

    "Yes," she smiled. 

    "Nice," I nodded sarcastically. 

    "I'm sorry," she set them down and came over to me. "I know right, you've accepted what happened and you're at peace with it. I can see it in your eyes," she pushed her auburn curls back and exposed her neck to me. There are two marks on her neck. "I too was a stupid kid once, myself," 

    "You continue to surprise me, Lady Sterling," I lowered my eyes with respect. 

    "It's painful and just as memorable as this one," she tapped the fading mark on her neck. "I know your feelings for my son aren't romantic. As an empath, I feel your rage and your need for violence. It's a lot stronger than your father's ever was," she placed her hand on my shoulder. "But under that, your emotions are beautiful. Pure even. What you feel for him, for your former, for you sisters that's your compassion. Your love. Thank you for trusting him. He hasn't had an ally since his father died," 

    "I haven't either. It feels good to have support, I guess. Had I tried this alone, I probably would be dead by now," 

    "I'm glad you're not. When her time comes, if she sends you away. Know that this is your home and you and your family are more than welcome here. Always," 

    "Thank you, but I'm sure the princess will appreciate everything we're doing for her. Even if she doesn't know the complete extent of it," 

    "You overestimate the crown. If she is anything like her mother, you're f****d," she laughed. I grinned. 

    "Maybe," I nodded. 

    "Go get cleaned up. Stop favoring the help. You are insane but it's not enough for Aleksander. These vampires are something else," she kissed me on the lips before walking away with her heads. 

    Tears slid down my face at the gesture. What she did is usually reserved for daughters. A gesture of unconditional love. My mother never even looked at me with sentiment. It was order after order. Demand after demand. I thought none of it mattered. I was okay with her giving that love to my sisters. I had been trained as a soldier and I never really considered anything else. Not until now that she's bringing something out in me. Something annoying. 

    After a bath, I put on my training attire and joined the General for council. He informed everyone of what he had done and why. No one dared question his motives or reasoning. He and the prince continued their work and I watched. I gave them paperwork and played my part as if none of this had happened. 

    The mark on my neck is nothing but a scar. It won't give off his scent. His power and mine will never be shared. It just serves as a reminder to my mate that I never waited for him. That I let someone take what should have been rightfully his. Not that I waited to give anything that was his up. It happened long before the General came along. Pleasure is something I never strayed from. Not physical at least. I have my vices. Blood and s*x were always a need for me. Something I could never have enough of until I met the General. 

    "How are you feeling?" Alexander stopped me from walking out. I looked up at him and struggled. 

    "Fine. You?" why did I ask him that? 

    "Fine," he laughed. 

    "Good," I nodded. I am the awkwardest Major General in all of history. 

    "We're going to be moving out tomorrow," the General interjected. "The Queen is sending in coven leaders to take care of the council for now. She wants us out there. It's time for instruction. Get everyone to the throne room, Alex. Ada and I will prepare for debriefing," 

    "General," he bowed before looking at me. "Generals," 

     "Alright," I looked at the General. 

    "Alright, we will be splitting up into two groups. You are leading your cadre through the center. I will take my formers and surround the areas around you," he handed me a list of names. Big names. Men highly decorated in our armadas. "Use your... charm to punish these men as you sit fit. The number next to their names are the number of females they ended. Those with an M mean they killed their mates. The MCs mean Mate and children,"

    "Most of these have an MC," I whispered. 

    "Yeah," he nodded. "The men in our cadre have all been cleared and compelled to follow orders," 

    "Before we tell them what we're going to do. Do you feel bad for compelling them? We were compelled and sometimes it feels like I'm who I'm meant to be but other times it feels like-" I stopped. 

    "I know that feeling all too well. No, it doesn't make me feel bad. The compulsion removes our fear. We are vampires but everything we see and do creates fear and if it wasn't for the compulsion my dad set, I'd be scared of all the things I can do. It grounds me. It grounds them," 

    "Okay," I nodded. "I feel better about this now," 

    "Yeah?" he smiled. 

    "Yes, I know why she chose me. I hate the power my mom gave me because it was so hard to fight off when she used it on me. I guess after all these years. I can learn to appreciate her a little more," 

    "Your mom was a good soldier. Not a fighter but she did what she had to in order to survive. You should respect her a little more. Even in death, she's teaching you,"