Ryan’s pov(The past)
I didn’t have time for this.
Father was sending for him again. It was always the same, Rhys never listened, never obeyed. Rhys Blackwood, my twin.
I stormed into his chamber without knocking. No need for pleasantries, he never cared for them anyway. As expected, he wasn’t alone.
Jazmine.
The one woman who shouldn’t be here.
Rhys sat lazily on the edge of his bed, his arm draped around her as if he had all the time in the world. His dark eyes flickered to me, unimpressed. “Knocking is part of manners, brother,” he said, his voice laced with amusement.
I ignored him. “Father sends for us.”
Rhys smirked but didn’t move. His fingers traced slow patterns on Jazmine’s arm, deliberately testing my patience.
“Now.”
With that, I turned on my heel and left. I didn’t need to wait for him. He’d come eventually.
I made my way to the Council Hall, the place where decisions were made, where my father ruled long before us. These days, he spent more time reading than leading, but his word still carried weight.
He was already seated when I arrived, a thick scroll in his hands. He always had something to read, though he rarely shared what it was. Now that the weight of leadership had fallen on Rhys and me, he had little else to do.
“Where is he?” Father asked, his voice calm but sharp.
I opened my mouth to answer, but…
“I’m here, Father.”
Rhys strolled in, a lazy smirk on his lips. He was always like this, too carefree, too reckless.
“Both of you, sit,” Father ordered.
Rhys remained standing. “I’m busy.”
Father’s eyes darkened. “Sit. This instant.”
I was already seated. I didn’t waste time with arguments, I had better things to do. Unlike Rhys, I didn’t linger in Shadowhaven for long. I left most of the responsibilities to him, and he didn’t seem to mind. He liked power. He thrived in it. And the people feared him more than they feared me.
Finally, with an exaggerated sigh, Rhys sank into the chair beside me.
“How dare you,” Father said.
Rhys and I exchanged a glance. He knew what this was about.
“Rhys,” Father said again, his tone sharp.
“Yes, Father,” Rhys replied, clearly uninterested.
He was stubborn, but we both knew better than to provoke our father too far.
“How dare you bring that thing into my home,” Father spat.
Rhys’s expression darkened instantly. His jaw clenched, and his fingers curled into fists. “She isn’t a thing, Father. She’s the woman I love.”
Father slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair. “You dare to fall in love with the enemy? Not just that, but bring her into my home?” His voice thundered through the hall.
Rhys lifted his chin defiantly. “You haven’t even found your mate, and yet you dare claim love from the enemy’s territory? I rebuke it.”
Father’s rage was barely contained. I could see it in the way his knuckles whitened against the chair.
Rhys, ever the firestarter, stood abruptly. “You don’t tell me what to do. You may be my father, but your reign is over. We reign now.”
Silence. Thick and suffocating.
Father’s eyes blazed, but before he could respond, Rhys turned on his heel.
“The sooner you accept her, the happier we’ll all be,” he said over his shoulder before disappearing through the doors.
“Rhys!” Father called.
“Rhys!”
No response.
Father exhaled sharply, his fury barely contained. When he turned to me, I could see it in his eyes, he didn’t trust himself to speak further.
“Go talk to your brother,” he said finally, his voice low but firm. “I will never accept a witch in my home.”
I nodded. “Alright, Father.”
I stood, my mind already spinning. Rhys had always been reckless, but this… this was dangerous.
It was time to talk some sense into my brother before it was too late.
*****
I didn’t bother knocking. I pushed open Rhys’s door, stepping inside without hesitation.
Rhys let out an annoyed sigh. “You really need to work on your manners, Ryan. Stop barging into my….”
His words trailed off when he saw the expression on my face.
Jazmine was sitting beside him, watching me carefully. Her gaze was sharp, unwavering, as if she knew exactly why I was here.
“I need to talk to you,” I said to Rhys, ignoring her presence.
Rhys leaned back, unimpressed. “We live in the same house. Whatever it is, it can wait.”
“It can’t wait,” I said firmly. “Meet me in the hallway. Now.”
Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked out, my frustration growing.
Just as I stepped into the hallway, I heard Jazmine’s voice behind me.
“It’s about me again, isn’t it?” she asked softly.
Rhys’ voice was calm, reassuring. “You don’t have to worry. Everything will be fine.”
I clenched my jaw.
It wouldn’t be fine. Not even close.
He was playing with fire, and he didn’t even realize how much danger he was in.
I exhaled, shaking off the thought. It wasn’t my concern what he whispered to her. My concern was that my brother was about to make the biggest mistake of his life.
A moment later, Rhys stepped into the hallway, arms crossed.
“I hope this isn’t about what Father said,” he muttered.
“You need to listen to him, Rhys,” I said. “He’s our father. He knows what’s best.”
Rhys scoffed. “Since when have you ever cared about what’s best?”
I ignored the jab. “No one in Shadowhaven will accept your union with a witch. It’s against our law.”
“I know,” he said simply.
“Then why are you still doing this?” I asked, my patience thinning.
He met my gaze with unwavering certainty. “Because I love her.”
I felt a flicker of something, something I didn’t want to acknowledge.
He really loved her and I know. But this union won’t happen.
Rhys wasn’t just being reckless. He truly believed in this.
“Rhys,” I sighed, “love isn’t the issue here. The pack…”
“I don’t care what the pack thinks,” he interrupted. “I’ve done everything for them. Sacrificed my time, my freedom. I’ve earned the right to choose one thing for myself.”
I shook my head. “You know it’s not that simple.”
“Maybe it should be,” he said.
“I will kill anyone who stands in the way of me and Jazmine’s union,”
I stared at him searching for hesitation, there was none.
“Even father?” I asked quietly.
He didn’t blink.
“Especially father.”