To Crown A Beast (Blackest Gold Book 4)

by R. Scarlett

  Molly wanted to burn the kingdom down while watching the gold trim boil under Lilith’s fingers and hear every member scream for mercy.

  But she couldn’t fight now.

  Not yet.

  She hoped, she prayed that sliver of Tensley’s heart was enough for now.

  Molly ground her teeth, feeling the tension burn the lash on her cheek, but it only fueled her more.

  “Guards,” Lilith called, her eyes never parting from Molly, a sick glint to them that turned her impregnated stomach inside out. Two guards in their suits of gold armor approached Molly on either side.

  Molly didn’t let them touch her. She turned, her eyes darting to the prince, and walked toward the double doors.

  The court watched their king’s wife leave with her head held high. They didn’t know her insides were burning and fraying. Holding on by a thread.

  The guards flanked her, dangerously close to her sides. They knew the threat underneath her skin.

  Once outside in the hallway, she saw Seto.

  “My lady,” he said, glaring at the two guards beside her.

  “Seto,” Molly said, stopping in front of him. “You need to protect him. You need to watch out for him.”

  Seto nodded. “I promise, with my life, I will protect him. Do not worry.”

  A guard gripped her elbow and shoved her. “Move.”

  Molly scowled and gave one last look to Seto. She knew this may be the last time she saw him so she said what she had told herself not to bring up.

  “Prim will come back to you, she may seem far, and broken. But she’ll come back for you, she’ll fight for love. And so will you. Love wins,” she whispered and watched the way his body stiffened.

  He simply nodded, his lip trembling as he tried to speak back.

  The guards pressed her forward and she obeyed, marching through the large glamorous hallways, paintings of victories and battles, and she felt lost.

  Her heart was in her throat. She didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye to Tensley.

  “Wait!” Molly looked over her shoulder to see the prince jogging after them. He stopped in front of her and shoved the guards to the side. He pressed his cheek to hers and sighed, “You will have that iron heart, just as I will have that throne.”

  Molly breathed out shakily and the prince stood back, his eyes focusing on her pale expression.

  “Protect him,” Molly whispered.

  He smirked. “He’ll be safe with me.”

  THE RAIN HAD soaked through her clothes and straight to the bone. As she stood in Tensley’s dark apartment, her emotions sat in a heavy lump in her throat. Each swallow, it grew larger and heavier. Each swallow, she ached to sob, to release the building tension in her chest and lungs and bleeding heart.

  The guards had opened the veil between the High Court and she ended up outside in the street, behind an old Chinese restaurant.

  Now she stood alone in an apartment she once called her own.

  Their apartment.

  She didn’t know how long she stood there in complete darkness, still wearing soaked clothes, but a knock at the door shook her from her thoughts.

  She turned, staring at the door until another, louder knock propelled her forward.

  She opened it to see a familiar face.

  “Molly,” Illya whispered, stepping into the room and taking in her dripping wet clothes. “The doorman contacted me as soon as he saw you walk inside the building. What—what happened?”

  She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

  Illya laid a light hand on her shoulder and his tender eyes searched her face. “I heard, Molly. About Fallen and Tensley.”

  She swallowed thickly. She could note the pain written all over Illya’s friendly face and it crushed her even more.

  Tensley’s best friend, like a brother to him.

  “Is it true? Is he—” he stopped himself.

  Molly nodded, her unwept tears burning.

  Illya sighed, closing his eyes in pain. He stood silently for a moment, searching for the floor like it held the answers to cure him.

  Illya pulled Molly into his arms and wrapped her in warmth and comfort, and she sobbed. Freely, unafraid of the judgment because Illya would never judge her.

  She dug her nails into his shoulders. After some time, he pulled back and brushed her hair from her face.

  “Tensley,” Illya muttered, his features showcasing a battle inside of him. “Tensley had bought you a gift. He planned to show you after you returned from the High Court.”

  Molly wrinkled her brow. “A gift?”

  Illya studied her. “Come. I’ll show you.”

  ILLYA LED THEM down toward Central Park, but for Molly, everything was a fog. When they stopped in front of the Dakota apartments, a famous building in Manhattan, she frowned. The building's high gables and deep roofs with a profusion of dormers gave it a North German Renaissance character, something anciently beautiful to Manhattan.

  The Dakota was to be one of Manhattan's most prestigious and exclusive cooperative residential buildings.

  “Come on,” Illya urged and took her hand. Illya spoke to the doorman and he smiled back at Molly, but she couldn’t form one in return.

  A short elevator ride later and they exited into a grand hallway of black and white tiled floors.

  Illya withdrew a key from his pocket and stopped at a white door.

  He opened it and stepped back, nodding at Molly to go first.

  Molly hesitated, her hands held in front of her tightly. She took one step inside and glanced at the classic elegance of the room. Painted a light blue, a foyer greeted them.

  Molly moved forward, each new lavish room greeting her. A kitchen of grace and French traditional style, a dining room with a crystal chandelier over a long mahogany table, two living rooms, three bathrooms, three bedrooms, and even a study filled with her books and Tensley’s.

  The last door she entered was a grand bedroom, a large king bed with a master bathroom attached.

  “What is this?” Molly asked as she traced her finger along the bed frame. She turned and stepped into the walk in closet.

  “It’s your new home,” Illya told her. “Tensley said he wanted more room. I guess he was thinking of the future.”

  Her fingers touched the tip of the ironed dress shirts. Ones that still smelled like her Tensley.

  She gripped a sleeve and pulled it off the wooden hanger, clenching it to her throbbing chest.

  “Molly?”

  Her knees buckled and she fell, bending over as a painful sob wracked her body.

  “Molly!’ Illya’s hands smoothed across her back. “It’s okay, we’ll figure this out.”

  She shook her head, gasping between sobs that made her whole body shake. “No, Illya. No.” She looked up at him through blurred vision, seeing his sad eyes and his concerned expression. “Illya, I’m pregnant.”

  Illya’s brows shot up to his hairline. “Pregnant?”

  She nodded, wetness rolling down her cheeks. “We had a wedding in the High Court, but I was already two months pregnant before then. We didn’t want to tell anyone, we didn’t want to risk it.” Her shaking hands went to her stomach. “Then Fallen ripped his heart out. He knew. About everything. He found out, somehow. That I was pregnant long before the wedding, that Tensley fell in love with me and I love…”

  Illya pulled her into his arms and held her, allowing her to sob, to scream into his chest. He didn’t let her go, he only whispered soothing words and she cried harder, digging her fingers into his back, afraid to let go in case he too was taken from her.

  After a long time of holding each other on the floor of the closet, Illya picked her up and laid her down in the bed.

  Illya eventually left the room, and as she cried, she grew tired.

  At the sound of a knock, Molly jolted out of slumber and stared at September. Her entire outfit was drenched from the rain, including her dark hair, droplets gathering and creating a puddle on the h
ardwood floor.

  Molly tried to keep her face expressionless, but September smiled shakily, and everything broke inside of her.

  September rushed to the bed and wrapped her arms around Molly, whispering cherished words of comfort and understanding, and Molly never wanted to let go.

  HOURS had passed and the three of them, Illya, September, and Molly sat in the living room. It was her home now, but it felt foreign and empty without Tensley. He had decorated the apartment complimentary to her tastes, every last detail, even the lace curtains.

  “Pregnant…” September repeated for the thousandth time. “And married.” She folded her arms and leaned back against the leather chair.

  Illya stood by the fireplace, a hand covering his mouth as he watched her.

  “And your husband is now king of demons?” She cocked a brow at Molly.

  September continued to repeat everything back to them, shocked by all the new information.

  “And you’re sure you’re pregnant?”

  Molly sighed and held her stomach. “Yes.”

  September paused, her mouth twisting in the way Molly knew she wanted to say something but was holding back. “Do your parents know?”

  Molly shook her head. “I’ll tell them tomorrow. After I get settled in.” But she wasn’t sure how she would ever settle into this giant apartment.

  She pressed her hands into the soft white couch and fixed the wool blanket around her shoulders. A warm shower had eased some of her tension, but it all sat on her chest, weighing heavier each second she wasn’t near Tensley.

  She wasn’t sure how her parents would react. They had never approved of Tensley, but this child was hers. It was their blood and she knew they both wanted grandchildren. The other thing that made her stomach twist with worry was their reaction to their only daughter getting married without their knowledge. Without them being present.

  Her heart hurt at the thought of Tensley’s promise. A promise that he’d give her another wedding in Manhattan. A promise he’d be there.

  “And Tensley…” September paused, taking a deep breath. “Tensley’s heartless now?”

  Molly nodded again. “I tried to get him back, I tried to give him a heart. The prince and I, we found this old, dangerous curse that was meant to make him grow a heart again. We managed to bring part of it back, but it’s so small, so vulnerable,” she said, her voice weak to her own ears. “I just—I just feel like I failed him. It’s not enough. I didn’t do enough. Maybe if I had had more time in High Court I could have worked harder to make the sliver of a heart grow some more, but I’m banished. The court banished me. They said I was a threat to their king. A threat to my own husband.”

  Silence.

  Molly saw Illya and September steal a glance. They didn’t know how to handle her. She wanted to yell she wasn’t breakable, she wasn’t delicate, and she wouldn’t back down.

  But internally, she knew in that instant, she was all of those things. After weeks and weeks of constantly looking behind her back and playing games, trying to decipher friends from enemies in a court full of snakes and wolves, she needed a moment to be vulnerable around friends. Real friends. A moment to live her emotions fully, not repress them.

  She did feel broken. She felt delicate and vulnerable. She felt like a failure.

  So, she allowed herself to feel that way. If only for that one night.

  A knock startled them and all three looked at the white door.

  Illya cleared his throat after a moment and moved, opening the door.

  Tensley’s mother, Daphne, and his sister, Gabriella, pushed their way into the apartment. Both ignored Illya’s presence.

  “Hey,” September said, awkwardly raising her hand.

  Both women glanced at her, but they were both more focused on Molly.

  “My dear,” Daphne said, rushing to Molly’s side. She sat down next to Molly on the couch and held her hand. “Are you all right? Illya told us you were back.”

  “Yes,” Molly said, frowning at both of them. Gabriella stood behind her mother, her baby, Isabella cradled in her arms.

  “All we’ve heard were awful rumors. Some even said you were dead,” Daphne continued.

  I almost was.

  “Where’s Tensley?” Gabriella asked, her hard eyes focused on Molly. She rocked Isabella as she began to fuss.

  Molly’s throat grew tight and she bowed her head. “He’s still at High Court,” she said, her voice almost a whisper.

  Gabriella glanced at her mother whose own head lowered.

  “Please tell me it isn’t true,” Daphne whispered, her voice on the edge of breaking. She gripped Molly’s hand tighter. Molly looked into Daphne’s shining brown eyes of warmth. “Please tell me my son isn’t heartless. My son isn’t the king.”

  Molly squeezed her eyes shut and with courage, opened them and met Daphne’s begging eyes. “It is,” she said, her own voice breaking. “It’s true.”

  Daphne grew pale and her free hand shook violently as it covered her mouth.

  Gabriella pressed her lips together and swore under her breath.

  “Was he vicious?” Daphne asked through tearful eyes. “Did he hurt you?”

  Molly shook her head and her hands fell to her stomach. Daphne’s eyes widened and she turned to her daughter who smiled slightly, and back to Molly. “You’re pregnant?”

  Molly nodded, a small smile curving her lips.

  Daphne gripped her hands, her expression hard. “You’re safe now, Molly. I won’t let anyone hurt you. We will find a way to hide the pregnancy so no one harms you.”

  Molly’s brows furrowed, and then it occurred to her. “No, no. We’re married.”

  Daphne’s hard expression dropped. “Married?”

  “Tensley asked Fallen to have the wedding sooner, because we were both afraid someone would find out about the baby. Fallen agreed, but only if it took place in High Court. And so we did, we got married there,” she explained, her hand lightly brushing her stomach.

  Then, she forced herself to tell them everything that had happened to Tensley and herself, from the moment they had set foot in High Court, to the moment she had left. Alone. Leaving the man she loved behind.

  Daphne stared at her, and without warning, pulled her into a tight hug. “We’re family, and family protects its own blood.”

  She pulled back, tears streaming down her face and fixed Molly’s wet hair.

  “I’m going to save your son, I promise,” Molly whispered.

  Daphne smiled shakily.

  “How’s Scorpios? Did Ares do too much damage?” Molly asked, trying to switch the conversation.

  Daphne’s eyes turned haunted with grief and other emotions Molly couldn’t decipher. “Ares attacked the pit. Where Beau was. They killed members, but we were able to fight them off. We’re preparing to send an attack, but another thing happened while you were away,” she said and her own voice broke completely.

  Gabriella moved forward, putting her hand on her mom’s shoulder in support. “My husband passed away. The doctor told us the chances of him coming back to us were too slim, and so we,” she stopped, a sob escaping her. “We let him go.”

  “I bet the devil is having too much fun in hell,” Gabriella said, and Daphne’s lips turned into a small, sad smile.

  Molly’s heart twisted like a dagger to her chest. Tensley’s father was dead. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so, so sorry.”

  Daphne shook her head and squeezed Molly’s hands.

  Molly’s brows furrowed at a sudden thought. “Who’s in charge of Scorpios then? We were gone for weeks he and I. Who has been leading Scorpios?”

  Daphne’s head lowered and she turned to look at Gabriella, searching for the right words.

  “Evelyn Rose has been acting as Dux,” Daphne said, not hiding her distaste.

  Molly’s stomach dropped.

  “She’s hungry for power and since the news of Tensley’s new role, she’s been even hungrier on keeping he
r position as the new Dux of Scorpios,” Gabriella bit out and that made Isabella cry.

  “That bitch,” September chimed in and all eyes swung to her. She awkwardly shrugged.

  Molly dug her nails into her thighs. Evelyn Rose, a woman of Scorpios, Tensley’s ex fling. The woman had been hell-bent on ruining her relationship with Tensley, and now she had his position.

  “She won’t stay in that position,” Molly said and lifted her gaze to Daphne. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  THE WHITE TOWNHOUSE stood out in the dark autumn of Manhattan. The leaves had turned into reds and oranges and soon would fall and paint the sidewalks. Molly didn’t knock as she entered Scorpios’ townhouse, the row of footmen dressed in black suits a familiar sight.

  The men glanced at her and their faces dropped.

  As her high heels clicked against the tiled floor, passing each member, they bowed their heads in respect.

  She walked with grace and power, as if a crown atop her head.

  A guard stood outside of the boardroom and when he saw her, he stilled.

  “Ms. Darling,” he whispered carefully, as if he wasn’t sure how she would react to him speaking to her.

  “Is Evelyn Rose in there?” she asked, gesturing to the door he guarded.

  He glanced back at it, then her, nodding. “Yes, but she’s in a private meeting. I can escort you to her office until it’s over.”

  Molly clenched her jaw, took off her sunglasses and folded them into her purse. “No need. She’ll see me now.”

  “Ms. Darling, it may be better to wait,” he protested, lifting a hand.

  Molly didn’t wait though. She pushed past him and shoved open the boardroom door.

  In the dark room, the high members of Scorpios gathered around a long oak desk. Evelyn sat at the head of the table, her legs crossed, and her eyes widened at the sight of Molly.

  Then those eyes darkened.

  “Ms. Darling,” Evelyn began, softly, as if any louder it would break her.

  Molly glowered at her. “Actually,” Molly started, a slow, venomous smile growing on her lips. “It’s Mrs. Knight now.”