10. Steven - Hospital

The doctor finishes the check-up, writes something in the chart, and says, “See you in the morning,” before leaving.

Rin curses the doctor while trying to get into a sitting position but stops moving almost right away. He hurt his back quite badly in the car accident.

“Do you need help?” I ask.

“What I need is to get out of here and kill some Dukes!” Rin retorts. “Fucking Dukes,” he mutters. “It’s all their fault.”

Despite having a sprained back, Rin, like most Lords, is too prideful to ask for help. Sometimes, being a Lord is exhausting. We can never show our weaknesses, in fear the Dukes will find out and use them against us.

I adjust his pillow before helping him find a comfortable position.

“It was a drunk driver,” I remind him. At least that’s what the official police report says, but just like Rin, I know that the Dukes are behind the accident in which Rin, Rueben, and Tyson were injured, even if it wasn’t a Duke who crashed into Rin’s car.

Rin glares at me. “I know a Duke when I see one. They all smell like the pieces of shit they are,” he sneers. His eyes are full of hate.

I’ve never seen Rin like this, not even when Levi was killed. He was quiet then, bottling up his feelings, but he’s quite the opposite now.

The doctor did warn me that he had a severe concussion and might have a change of personality but should return to normal soon.

“Have you seen Tyson and Rueben?” he asks a moment later.

I nod. “Rueben fractured his right femur, and Tyson broke his left clavicle. Olivia wasn’t happy with them. She was ripping them a new one when I went to see them.”

Rin snorts. “I could hear her from here. That woman has Tyson and the rest wrapped around her little finger. No woman will ever have that kind of power over me.”

Women are not a priority right now. There are more dire things to worry about, like the Dukes or the Nephilims.

Finding out that Ansel was a Nephilim took many by surprise. It only showed how easily the enemy could pass for one of the Lords. Ansel is keeping an eye on things. If he notices something strange, he will warn the Elders. At least, that’s what he promised.

Maddox’s betrayal came as a shock. To this day, there are Lords who can’t believe that Maddox collaborated with Azael. It made many of us suspicious of friends and family.

If there are other spies among us, they will lay low for a while, especially after they’ve seen the punishment Maddox received. Killing Maddox would not have been too efficient, but burying him alive in a cement block and preventing him from dying must be one of the worst tortures I’ve ever seen.

“That woman is a hellstar with unique powers,” I remind Rin. I don’t know why I brought up Olivia’s powers.

Rin snorts softly. “What good is it to have powers if she never uses them?”

“She offered to bring Levi, Isak, and Gavin back, but we chased her away like a rabid dog. Are you surprised she never brought up the subject again? Besides, Tyson and Rueben will never let Olivia expose herself like that.” I don’t agree with them, but I understand their need to protect their woman.

Also, didn’t Maddox say she could only resurrect those who died recently? It’s too late for Levi and the rest.

“If I had a bonded and she had powers, I’d make her use them for the good of the Lords,” Rin says.

I walk over to the window and lean against it, my arms folded against my chest. “What if she doesn’t want to use her powers?” I inquire.

Rin narrows his eyes. “It doesn’t matter what she wants. Any woman of mine will do what she’s told.”

“Just like that?”

“We are Lords, Steve. We are meant to rule our women.”

“That was true a hundred years ago; times have changed.”

“Not for Lords.”

There are things Rin and I will never see eye to eye on, so I change the subject. “I stopped by Juan’s house. He was lucky that the bullet only grazed his upper arm. From what he said, Cade saved him.”

Rin’s eyes flash red. “And you believe him?”

“Why would Juan lie about something like that?” I wonder.

“To protect his daughter!” Rin says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

Juan loves his daughter, everyone knows that, but he would never vouch for a Duke, even if said Duke is his son-in-law.

“Alma doesn’t need her dad’s protection. She has more balls than many Lords I know,” I say.

“Bonding with two Dukes doesn’t make her special,” Rin retorts.

“It takes courage to sleep with the enemy,” I point out.

“You talk as if Alma becoming a Duchess will benefit the Lords.”

I don’t understand why Rin cares so much about who Alma sleeps with. From what I know, he never talked to her. It was Rueben who liked to taunt her.

“Maybe,” I shrug. “But you can’t deny that having Dukes on our side might lead us to Carlos and Azael.”

“I highly doubt any Duke will betray his kind,” Rin spats.

This discussion isn’t leading anywhere. “It’s getting late,” I say. “Do you need anything before I leave?”

“Can you check on Yan and Cirro?” Grabbing his phone, he adds, “Can you buy the items from the list I’m about to send you? Cirro has social anxiety, and Yan hates shopping.”

All I’m hearing are excuses for Cirro and Yan’s incompetence.

“You should stop acting like their mother.”

Rin has another burst of anger as he snaps at me, “Just do as I asked!”

“See you tomorrow,” I say before leaving.

From the hospital, I drive to a grocery store and buy the supplies Rin asked for. Neither Yan nor Cirro knows how to cook, so they are probably starving by now. Or maybe they ordered takeout.

From the grocery store, I drive directly to Rin’s house. The moment I step out of the car, crows are already flying above.

Damn birds!

I grab the bags and go inside.

Yan’s voice comes from the kitchen, followed by that of a…woman?