Dasani knew his father was obsessed with the old ways, but it seemed the man was teetering at the edge of insanity. There was a wild look in Egbar’s eyes, one that didn’t bode well for Dasani.
“Did you whore yourself out to a shifter, a vampire?” His father snarled. “I won’t allow you to go to him anymore.”
Dasani wasn’t sure how his father knew he was seeing a male. Had Egbar convinced one of his followers to spy on him?
Using his sharp nails, Egbar slashed open Dasani’s chest. Dasani gasped. The pain was like white-hot needles. He glanced down to see the blood well up to the surface and then begin to seep down his chest like a slow-moving waterfall. All four cuts trickled, and Dasani feared that his father would hold him in place as he bled out.
“Maybe if I disfigure you then your sister will be the only person who can stand to look at you.” Egbar yanked harder on Dasani’s hair as he dragged him toward the stove. Dasani’s eyes grew wide when his father turned on one of the burners, the flames springing to life.
“No!” He shoved and kicked, wiggled and spun to get free. Egbar placed a poker from the fireplace over the burner, and Dasani watched as the tip grew bright red. His heart beat so hard that he could feel it slamming against his ribs.
Egbar had gone totally insane.
When his father picked the poker up, Dasani threw his hands out, shoving the hot metal toward the man’s chest. Egbar screamed as the scent of burnt flesh filled Dasani’s nose. His father released his tight hold. Dasani stumbled backward, falling against one of the chairs. It took a second for the realization to set in that Egbar wasn’t keeping him in place.
Dasani sobbed as he spun around and took off through the house. His chest felt as if it was on fire, and was still bleeding, but he couldn’t stop to check his wounds. He had to get as far from his father as possible.
Dasani nearly fell to his butt when he ran over the carpet near the door. The carpet slid under him but thankfully Dasani kept upright. He chanced a glance over his shoulder to see his father bearing down on him. The man’s expression was demonic.
“Get back here!”
Dasani ignored the command as he raced out of his home and deep into the forest. As he ran, he tugged at his bracelet, frantic to get the thing off of him. He stumbled, fell to his hands and knees, and then pushed himself back up.
“Dasani!”
Fear gripped Dasani and shook him violently. He could barely see past his tears and nearly ran into a tree. He wiped at his eyes, glanced around, and then shot to his left. He winced as the frozen floor of the forest stabbed at his bare feet. Something sharp pierced his heal. Dasani bit back the cry of pain.
He tried to stop short when his father shimmered in front of him. It didn’t work so smoothly. Dasani fell on his butt and almost hit his head on the hard ground. He could see the ugly welt across one of Egbar’s pectoral muscle. The man’s hands were clenched tightly at his sides as he bore daggers into Dasani.
“Did you think you could escape?”
He had foolishly thought he could. He shrank back and tried to scoot away from his father. Dasani shut his eyes for a moment. He tried to center himself and find a way out of this mess. Egbar outweighed Dasani and had the upper hand. Dasani could try and slide through his father’s legs and race away, but it would be a close thing. He’d have to wait until the absolute perfect moment. Egbar took a step forward but didn’t rush Dasani, as if he knew what Dasani planned on doing.
“How many men have you spread your legs for?” There was intense hatred in his father’s eyes. “I know you go to that ranch. You’ve been spotted there. Did you spread them wide for each of those bear shifters?”
The way his father spat his accusations made Dasani want to vomit. He wasn’t a whore. Dasani had been a virgin until Winter. “Why are you saying these things?” He hated the fact that his voice was unsteady.
“Did you think I was joking when I said that you’re mating your sister?” Egbar asked.
“But I don’t want to,” Dasani argued even though he was terrified of the man. “Th–the new ways don’t have to be so bad.”
“If left up to Rakeym, our tribe would slowly disappear, homogenizing us with other species until no full-blooded Shadow elf existed.” Egbar shimmered closer before Dasani realized what the man was doing. He pressed his foot into Dasani’s wounds, holding him to the ground. “And my very own son betrayed me.”
“You think I betrayed you because the thought of mating Sheba is disgusting?” Dasani asked incredulously. “Inbreeding is killing our race, father. You are well aware of that fact, yet you refuse to embrace a way that will save us, that will allow our women to have healthy, normal children.”