I gripped the sheets against my body, trying my best not to make a single movement as I peeked at Julius. I promised myself that I'd never get myself involved with him again, but here I was. I had a sinful habit of coming to him when Felix wasn't paying me the attention I deserved, but I thought that I had grown out of it.

Before I came to Jeradua, this would've never been something I'd do. I had to admit that coming here had brought out a distasteful side of me that was capable of this- sleeping with my boyfriend's father. What are you doing? I had no clue. I was originally attracted to Julius because of the power he held, but then I realized Felix was the true one that'd become King. That made me shift over to him...but I suppose I never fully shook Julius.

He was a bad habit.

I moved the sheets, swinging my feet back onto the floor. I grabbed my bra from the floor, putting it on as quietly as I could. I felt the bed shift behind me and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. "Good morning," he whispered, his lips grazing the nape of my neck. I moved away from him, continuing to get dressed and he sighed. "Why must you always do this?"

"This was a mistake," I said, standing up to put the rest of my clothes in as I glanced down at him. "It won't-"

"Happen ever again...it's wrong," he mocked me, a small smiling playing on his lips. "You say that every time, yet somehow you end up in bed with me."

"You said we were just going to talk, Julius!"

"You were the one who kissed me, Xyla."

"I was drunk," I argued. "I had a bunch of wine at the dinner."

"Are you suggesting that I took advantage of you?"

I shrugged, zipping up my dress. "Maybe. I wouldn't do that to Felix again."

His cold eyes bore into mine, his jaw ticking at the mention of Felix. Although I despised the circumstance we were in, I liked being the center of a man's world. Jealousy was healthy, and I liked to see it. It had been a while since Felix got jealous of someone being too close to me...

With him, somehow I was always the crazy one.

"You say that," he said. "Yet you do it...again and again and-"

"It's not happening anymore!" I snapped. "I love your son. I don't love you, Julius. I never will."

"If you say so," he said casually.

"I do say so," I persisted.

"Okay," he whispered.

My phone chimed in my purse and I picked it up to see a notification from the tracking app I applied to Felix's phone. I frowned at the address, not recognizing it as one I had seen before and I slipped into my shoes. "Let me borrow your car," I muttered.

"Why would I do that, Xyla?"

"Because if you loved me, you would," I replied, throwing his feelings in his face. Sure, it wasn't the nicest thing to do, but I couldn't care right now. My thoughts were racing with possibilities of what Felix could've been doing this early. We hadn't talked since last night, but we were meeting with my parents today. We wanted to reveal our relationship before anyone else got the chance to do it. He should've been at the palace...not wherever he was. "Come on, Julius. This is an emergency."

He sighed, reaching over for the keys and tossing them to me. "Don't run over anyone, please."

"No promises."

Here we fucking go again. Another day, another problem. One obstacle passed and three more taken in its place. What's a guy supposed to do?

Xyla left me and ignored my calls, but somehow tracked me to a girl's house and got pissed I slept with her. After how she left, I considered myself a single man. I could do whatever the hell I pleased. But here she was, still holding onto me with a leash as if I were her dog.

"I hope you deleted that bitch's number," she spat.

"Xyla, keep it down. We're not doing this here." I said seriously as I adjusted the napkin onto my lap.

This Morning

I woke up with a pounding headache and a pain in my eyes as I opened them to adjust to the sunlight in the room. Where the fuck am I?

I looked to my side to see blonde hair and smiled. Xyla must have come back to me, like always. I smirked and moved down to kiss her shoulder. She stirred in her sleep and giggled as she turned back to me.

"You're not-" My eyes widened as I looked at the woman in the bed who was definitely not Xyla.

"Hey sexy. Down for round 5?" She said as she kissed my jaw. I made no movements as I tried to remember what the hell happened last night. The last thing I remembered was getting plastered at the bar across the street from the restaurant.

Images of the girl in front of me flashed through my mind and recognition was before me. "Good morning, Kayla."

She moved back and glared at me. "Who the fuck is Kayla?"

Oh shit.

"Wow, I have no idea where my mind is. Melissa?"

"No," she said as she moved further back.

"Is-" I was about to guess another name until her hand flew across my face, leaving behind a sharp sting.

"My fucking name is Alexa, you dickhead," she spewed as she shot up from the bed.

I don't give a fuck. Rubbing my cheek once again I turned back to her. What gave her the nerve to slap me? "Do you know who I am, Alexa?" I spewed as I slowly got up from the bed.

"An asshole," she yelled as she threw on her clothes in a fit of rage.

I clenched my jaw and rushed to her, grabbing her by the chin roughly. "Never speak to me that way!"

"Felix, where the fuck are you?!" A voice yelled. A voice that I recognized very well.

My eyes snapped to the girl and I pushed her away. "You need to leave."

"This is my house," she complained as I ushered her into the closet.

"Felix, I'm going to murder your ass if I find a girl with you!" The voice was now getting a lot closer and my panic multiplied.

"I'm not going to hide in my own house," the girl yelled. "You can both get the fuck out!"

The door burst open and Xyla rushed in like a bat out of hell. "Who the fuck is this?!"

"I'm Alex-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Xyla snapped.

"I'm calling the police." Alexa said as she moved to get her phone. I grabbed her arm to stop her and raised my brow.

"You will do no such thing," I said. I turned back to Xyla and rolled my eyes. "We're done, Xyla. I can do whatever I want."

"Not if you want to be king," she said vindictively with a shrug. "I told my parents you would help with Syn. We're supposed to tell them about us today so you can replace him in the treaty. And sweetie, you know I won't let that happen if we're not together."

Well, there goes all her promises about changing. Standing in front of me was the new Xyla and I hated her with a burning passion. The only thing that mattered to me anymore was the throne. Xyla was the ticket to that which I treasured the most- power and authority.

"Fine."

So here we were. About to have dinner with her parents and tell them everything. Hopefully, they wouldn't be too upset. When they realized I'd be a better fit for King, they'd surely give in to changing the treaty. I'd do anything to prove that I could handle it.

Her parents took a seat in front of us and I sat up straight. They already liked me, but I wanted to show them I could be more than the good son. "Let's talk about your brother, Felix. He's becoming an issue," King Jonathan said.

I was surprised at his swiftness to jump into the topic, but I needed him to slow down. Before we talked about that Xyla and I needed to tell them about us. Xyla and I glanced at one another and I nodded at her, signaling for her to go on. "Felix and I are in a relationship."

I slowly brought my eyes back to them to look at their reaction. They seemed to be holding themselves together, but I saw the vein in her father's head bulging. Xyla's mother as always was the one who was easier to read. Her head was shaking in disappointment as she eyed the both of us, and I took a silent inhale.

"Xyla what is wrong with you?!" Her father snapped. "You have a duty to your people and you throw yourself around like some-"

"That's enough," I warned. "If you're going to be mad at her you should be mad at me as well."

"Oh, we are mad at you!" The Queen said as she stood up from the table. "Who knows about this?!"

"Everybody in the palace," Xyla said as she looked down at her lap. I reached out for her hand and she tilted her head up at me to give me a small smile.

"Why must you always be a disappointment to our family name?" Her father asked. "It's always you. Does it bring you joy knowing that you're disrupting the sanctity of our family, Xyla?"

"It's always me?" She asked in utter shock. "Felix is a God fearing man and he is good to me. Why am I the only being a disappointment when I'm happy?! I don't see you having this same reaction to Syn and Queen- he's the son of the devil for Christ's sake. But I'm the disappointment?"

"Syn and Queen?" Her mother asked lowly, confusion writing all over her place as she slowly sat back down. "What do they have to do with anything?"

I turned to Xyla and she glanced at me, as lost as her mother was before realization appeared in her eyes. "You didn't know?"

"Know what?" Her father asked.

"Syn and Queen...they're together."

"Together?" Her mother's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"Romantically," I clarified.

Her mother froze in her spot, staring at the plate in front of her while Jonathan began fuming. Glass burst in his grip and he stood up, ripping the cloth off the table and sending everything flying towards the floor. "Why?!" He screamed. "Why would you allow that, Xyla?! Call your sister right now! She's coming back to Heaven immediately!"

"But-"

"Call her!" He ordered, his thunderous voice making her flinch. She removed her hand from mine, and at his order, she pulled out her phone. She tapped a few keys, dialing Queen's number, and put it on the table, on speaker. We all waited, the tension thick as we waited for her to pick up.

My eyes landed on Xyla's mother who still hadn't spoken. Her shoulders were slowly rising and dropping as she took deep breaths. She looked distraught. "This is my fault," she whispered.

"Possibly," Jonathan scoffed. "You excuse all of her behavior and fill her head with these ridiculous ideas, Zara!"

"Queen wouldn't do this." She shook her head. "I know my daughter, Jonathan. She has to be under some sort of influence...or maybe he's forcing her-"

"She didn't look like she was being forced last night," Xyla muttered, ending the call as it reached voicemail.

"He's Lucifer's son, Xyla!" She snapped. "Those people have black magic. They can manipulate people's minds. I just-...my baby," she began crying into her hands.

"I find it funny how neither of you have this reaction with me, yet I'm the one who's marrying him." Xyla shook her head, taking a sip of wine.

"You won't be marrying him," her father said, his hands on his hips as a determined expression decorated his face. "We're going to get rid of him." He turned to the Queen who was still crying in her hands and crouched down to her level. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's not your fault. But do you see now why we need to get rid of him? He's a danger to us...a danger to Queen."

"You're a danger to Queen too," she whispered. "I don't need to kill Syn to get her away from him, Jonathan. He's not the only person I need to protect my daughter from." She looked into his eyes. I was aware of the marital problems they were facing after she learned about what Justin did, but I didn't think she'd leave him. "I won't be interfering in your plans for him, but I will not be participating."

"Mom," Xyla called, looking up at her as she rose from her seat. "Are you really not going to help us? What about protecting your family- me and dad, what about us?"

"The two of you can protect one another," she said, grabbing her purse. "You're one and the same."

"Zara," Jonathan called. She ignored him, striding down the steps to the living room and straight to the hall that led to the front door. I turned to Xyla, catching her wipe away a stray tear. I slowly took her hand back into mine and she took a shaky breath. She didn't open up about her relationship with her mother much, but it was clear that she craved the bond that wasn't there.

We remained in an intense but comfortable silence for what felt like hours until Jonathan sighed."I suppose you want to be king, don't you?" He raised a brow at me.

"That would be...fitting," I said nonchalantly. I was bouncing off the walls at the question on the inside, but I kept my cool.

He rubbed his beard, eyeing our intertwined hands. "I may reconsider the treaty with your parents."

"If what?" I asked. There had to be a catch. I wouldn't just be given the throne so easily.

"We found a way to kill your brother," he spoke. "I'm not sure how much Xyla told you..."

I held my breath and met his cold and unwavering gaze. A smile found its way onto my mouth and I sat back with a scoff. This was the best news I had heard all day, maybe my whole life.

Suddenly the world in front of me was filled with opportunity. Syn being gone meant all my dreams could finally come true. I could be king like I wished and rule as I wanted.

"Is that so?" I asked. "Xyla told me a bit, but I'm still not sure about how you plan to do it. He's not exactly easy to get rid of."

"Yes, we're aware. After a lot of grueling hard work and research from our associates...we found a weapon."

"What weapon?" Xyla spoke up.

"A gun," he answered.

I let out a soft laugh and looked away. Never mind all my talk about being able to fulfill my dreams. "You expect a gun to kill him..." I said.

"It's no ordinary gun, Felix. It's spelled with the blood of Cain."

My eyes widened and I heard Xyla gasp next to me. Weapons spelled with Cain's blood were supposed to be destroyed. Some demons got a hold of them during the war with Heaven and almost wiped out all the Angels. The weapons were far too powerful for any of us to use safely.

I didn't think there were any left. But if anything could truly kill Syn...it'd be that.

"How did you get a hold of that?" I whispered. Even though no one was around, it felt dangerous to speak aloud.

"Our...associates." He said secretively. I was thinking that Angels could do no evil, but here they were. I had a feeling he didn't want me to ask further questions. If I was being honest I truly didn't care. As long as I got what I wanted, their motives for wanting Syn dead didn't matter to me. "None of that is important right now. We have the means to kill him and the motive. Now, all we need is opportunity."

He was speaking in riddles and it was hard to pretend I wasn't lost.

"Opportunity?" I asked.

"That's where you come in," he said as he raised his glass of liquor.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You think you have what it takes to be king?"

"Of course," I answered sharply. Xyla rubbed my knee to calm me and I shook my head. I had an idea where he was going with this, but I didn't want it to be true.

"Then prove it. We have the gun and there is only one bullet meaning there is no room for missing. We angels aren't shooters," he said as he took another sip of his drink, his eyes studying my face in a manipulative manner.

I sighed. "You want me to be the one to shoot him?"

He looked at me seriously and shrugged with a raised brow. "Do you want to be king?"