A Cruel Kindness

Chapter 14

Soren

I was having a wonderful evening, watching Bellamy’s brown eyes widen as she rapidly tried to take in her surroundings, then getting the chance to watch her laugh, before someone decided to piss all over it.

A Muli soldier who looked far too well pressed for this setting and was standing like his dick was too big for his pants was hovering in the entry way, arms crossed as he surveyed the space.

Four others stood behind him, either looking pissed they were dragged here or disgusted by the fact that people might dare to have fun.

He was clearly someone important, because every Muli soldier in the room looked like a child who had just been caught sneaking candy. The leader of the group surveyed the room, before his eyes landed on our table, snagging like he’d found exactly what he was looking for.

Actually, not our table. Bellamy.

My hand fell from the back of her chair to her spine, flattening against her skin and our Mark. There was no chance in hell that proud asshole was getting a word in with her without knowing that she was a paranima .

It wasn’t immediately obvious, since our Marks were on our back. The murderous stare I was giving him should have been his first clue, but his attention stayed firmly on Bellamy.

She sat up straighter, but didn’t so much as squirm as he marched through the pub. People moved out of his way so fast, a few chairs went down in their wake.

Realizing where he was headed, the Vir soldiers who had joined our table snapped up and made themselves scarce, flying to the edges of the room to avoid a confrontation.

I snuck a glance to Esme, then Ford, looking for any signs of recognition. Not that either of their faces would give anything away, but they didn’t look surprised or concerned. If anything, Esme was restraining a smile, ever one to enjoy the drama.

Ford was leaning back casually, arm slung over the back of Esme’s chair. Esme clearly hadn’t noticed or she would have swatted it off.

I forced myself to relax back into my chair, keeping my hand on Bellamy’s back to feel her heartbeat, rather than give into my instincts and kill the solider approaching before he got anywhere near her.

Especially when I realized that with every step towards us, he got taller and broader, more than anyone I’d ever met. Despite the predilection for the Muli to be slightly bigger than us, I eclipsed most of them.

Even then, he still had a good head on most of his men. Ford and I made eye contact for a second, silently acknowledging that this newcomer had threat written all over him in big shining letters.

I don’t like him. He’s looking at Bellamy too long, Mine, Mine, MINE, MI— , the Bond shrieked into my head, its voice sounding feral at the edges, like a dog barking through a mouth full of angry slobber.

Yeah, you and me both, I returned silently.

As the newcomer approached, I decided to be the first to speak. Especially when I realized that he didn’t have a Mark of his own to show off. “Who the fuck are you?” I bit out.

The stranger, to his credit, didn’t so much as flinch at the fire in my tone. He’d walked through this place like he owned it and was standing by it. It took him a second to drag his eyes away from Bellamy, a second where I heavily considered listening to the Bond and gouging his eyes out.

“Elijah,” he answered slowly, making sure to perfectly enunciate every syllable. His voice carried the same, slightly lyrical accent that everyone on Muli did. It made him sound pretentious.

“No title?” He clearly thought he was worth something if he didn’t bother to hold to formalities.

Elijah’s mouth quirked ever so slightly at the corners, before returning to a hard line. It almost looked like he was annoyed I’d managed to get a reaction from him. Interesting. “I’m a General. Though I’ve never been fond of that designation. I’d prefer if you used my name.”

I scoffed, uncaring if it darkened the already murderous look in his eyes. “What did you do to get stuck on the front lines?” Generals normally basked in their titles and power far away from any action, content to reap the benefits without any of the investment. Let alone the fact that this fucker had to be the youngest General I’d ever seen, in his late twenties at most.

Elijah considered me for a moment, taking his time looking at me, then Bellamy, then back to me. I slid my hand up Bellamy’s spine, from her lower back all the way to the base of her neck to make sure Elijah saw it. He did, eyes tracking the movement, before he finally answered, “I work for the Prince.”

Ford and Esme let out twin laughs under their breaths. Oh, the infamous Prince of Muli. Depending on who you ask, you’d get a wildly different story. The first I’d heard of him, he’d been described as too pretty for his own good, content to roll around in gold and wine for the rest of his life.

The next time, it was that he lived a life of solitude, refusing to attend any formal engagements, even when the Muli Royal family didn’t change like Vir’s did. The future of Muli was dependent on him, and yet stories would claim he didn’t give a damn about court antics, preferring to live his life out in the forest hunting.

I was curious which version Elijah would spin. “He’s comfortable sending one of his men into the fold?” I asked, curious as to what level of involvement the so-called reclusive Prince had in sending this towering soldier into our midst, one who was obviously feared.

Elijah smirked, as if he saw right through the phrasing of my question. The only thing worse than someone as cocky as he clearly was, was someone who thought they were the smartest person in the room. “He’s willing to do what it takes to protect his people from yours.”

“What an interesting way to view the matter,” Ford said, his voice hard. He hated this war with every bone in his body and we’d get nowhere acting like Muli didn’t start it, like that Prince’s family wasn’t the reason we were all here.

Elijah cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowing slightly, his mouth widening the same inch. He flicked his tongue over his teeth. If I didn’t know any better, it looked like he’d wanted to snap something back but restrained himself at the last minute. Instead, he said, “I did come for a reason, though.”

“And what would that be?” My question sounded more like the Bond’s than my own, knowing deep down what the answer was. His intentions were clear from the moment he walked in.

Elijah slid his disturbingly dark gaze toward Bellamy and said, “I came for her.”

Bellamy’s hand was on my thigh before I could jump out of my seat to strangle him. If this fucker was so smart, he should know not to say that shit in front of a Match. He may not know that we were paranimas , but the sentiment remained. Even with Matches in the seventies, you didn't say something that could threaten the primal possessiveness that lived inside all of us.

Her hand squeezed, her fingertips pressing into my leg like five hot pokers scorching my skin right off. A silent request to let her handle it. Fine, but I would be keeping my hand right where it was on her neck, no matter how possessive the hold.

“You know who I am,” Bellamy said, her voice contorted into the perfectly presentable princess tone I’d heard her use countless times when some reporter shoved a microphone in her face and she ended up on the news.

“I do,” Elijah said, his mouth widening into a smile so big it made me want to break his teeth in. “Pleasure to meet you, Princess.”

Oh, fuck no. I was the only one allowed to call her that.

“Just Bellamy, if you would,” she said, asserting a boundary she’d never once set with me. Good, that calmed the Bond a little bit, though my skin still felt hot with the urge to draw blood from this asshole.

“Like minds, I see,” Elijah responded, calling back to his own distaste for titles. He pulled a chair out of the way, before leaning over the table and placing his hands flat on the wood. At least he wasn’t completely full of shit. There were callouses and scars on his hands that could only be earned through combat or training. I would respect those battle scars more if they were several hundred feet away from my Soul Mate.

While my jaw hardened to the point of pain, Elijah stared right at Bellamy and asked, “It’s odd that your father sent you over, no?”

My free hand drifted under the table to my gun. Elijah was playing games here, and until I figured out what they were through more subversive methods, my hand was staying firmly on my weapon.

Ford and Esme seemed to be of a similar disposition. Both of Ford’s hands were under the table, whereas Esme was openly analyzing Elijah the way she inspected a diamond on a new piece of jewelry for any impurities.

Bellamy’s eyes narrowed at Elijah, a clear sign that she wouldn’t be giving him an inch more than she was comfortable sharing. “I don’t think it’s odd at all. In fact, I think I’m best suited to be here.”

That answer seemed to be exactly what Elijah was looking for, despite how vague and dismissive it was. He lifted off the table, smug grin plastered firmly on his face. I really didn’t like him.

It was Esme who spoke next. “There’s a table in the back, a bit of dead space right by the band. The music and conversations will cover anything up.”

Ever one to place value in secrecy and sly tactics, Esme clearly found value in removing this conversation from the ears of the crowd. People were still sneaking looks at us, but conversation had picked back up from the shocked silence that descended upon the room when Elijah had walked in.

Esme learned enough through eavesdropping that she knew when conversations would be picked apart by those listening to snap up the crumbs.

Elijah crossed his arms over his broad chest, turning his smile to Esme. “Living up to your reputation, I see.”

The only comfort I got was that Elijah seemed to be willing to extend charm to anyone. If he focused all of his attention on Bellamy, I would not be liable for what I would do in retaliation, promise not to give into the Bond or not.

“Glad you’re aware of it,” Esme shot back easily, standing and heading towards the back of the pub without another word. Elijah’s eyes drifted up to watch her walk away, only getting a second in before Ford stood and cut off his line of sight.

Elijah’s eyebrows went up, but he didn’t say anything as Ford followed Esme.

I leaned into Bellamy, making sure I got close enough that my nose brushed through the waterfall of her hair. “You’re getting up first.”

Wisely, Bellamy listened, standing and turning her back to Elijah. She looked down at me expectantly, and I could have kissed her right there and then if I didn’t think she’d yell at me for it.

I settled for another sort of touch, making sure my hand was planted right in the center of the tree trunk inked into her back, leading her to the back table. I heard something of a scoff from Elijah, and I restrained the urge to flip him off for good measure.

Halfway to the back of the room, Elijah’s voice boomed through the space. “Oh, how silly. I forgot to introduce my unit. Now that everyone is here, let’s do so.”

I turned, and what I saw made me blackout with rage.