Chapter 16: PR Nightmare

GIANNA

We pulled up outside my parents’ castle. Diego met us at the door, pulling me into a hug. “You okay, G?” I nodded grimly.

“I’m gonna fucking kill that son of a bitch when I get my hands on him. He’s fucking dead,” Diego threatened, walking up the stairs.

Kol was fuming behind him “That piece of shit is slippery. Believe me, I fucking tried ripping him apart. Son of a bitch got away,” he spat.

I didn’t know what pissed off Kol more, this situation or the fact that a slimy reporter had escaped the clutches of the alpha.

“Got him good, though. That gash in his side will take weeks to heal,” he muttered darkly, and Diego smirked appreciatively.

We didn’t need to make it all the way upstairs before we heard Father’s roars. I’d caused many controversies and outrageous headlines in my time, but this one topped them all, really.

We opened the door to Father’s study, and our jaws fell at the sight that lay before us. Mother sat on the couch with her head in her hands while Father paced in a circle like a madman.

Tufts of his raven-black hair littered his desk, which explained the patches missing on his head. We all took our places around his conference table.

“THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE OUTRAGE! I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS, FRIEDA. I WILL NOT HAVE MY DAUGHTER’S PRIVATE AFFAIRS PLASTERED FOR THE WORLD TO SEE.”

I flinched at those words. I glanced at Diego and Kol. They were both shaking in rage. I didn’t know who was going to blow first. I picked up one of the many papers that littered the table.

^~Gianna Gets Hot and Heavy with New Mate—Could Pups Be on the Way?~^

And sure enough, underneath the headline was a photo of me and Kol sprawled out half naked on our kitchen table. Father’s continued roaring snapped me back to reality.

“FOR FOUR DECADES, I RULED THESE LANDS WITH AN IRON FIST. I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS. I WANT THIS PAPER SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY. I WANT THIS PATHETIC EXCUSE OF A WOLF TERMINATED.”

His fist thundered down on the table, causing a crack right down the center.

~Shit.~

~Dad’s losing it.~

He only spoke murder in front of Mother when he was really going—well, berserk. I flinched.

~Great. Just what this situation needs—my dad on the warpath with his best soldier red with rage in the corner. A war could be happening. Soon.~

“I’m gonna fucking murder him,” Diego seethed. He stood up abruptly. “I’m gonna fucking rip him apart.”

Kol bolted up beside him. “I’ll hold him down,” he spat.

Father nodded in agreement “ Yes, Diego, yes. You and Kol—you finish him.” His eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

Pissing off an alpha and a prince might have earned you a fairly solid beating, a possible coma even.

Pissing off the king, however, by plastering a photo of his princess half naked—well, that shit earned you a grave.

“Okay, enough!” Mother shouted, standing up. We all gaped at her. She never shouted. I actually didn’t think I’d ever heard her shout before.

She took a deep breath, composing herself underneath Father’s murderous glare. “No one is killing anyone.” She held up a hand to hush the complaints beginning to come out of the men’s mouths.

“Yes, this is bad. Yes, Gianna and Kol are in a compromising position, but this is a matter of an invasion of privacy. We sue the reporter and the paper. We do not murder someone just because we can.”

She glared at the three men in the room. Kol and Diego closed their mouths and sat back down.

“FRIEDA, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?! MAY I REMIND YOU THAT I AM THE KING! I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS—FOR THIS—FOR THIS—I WILL NOT HAVE IT!”

He was pacing again, pulling at his hair. Mother pulled him to the floor and cradled him like she was cuddling an upset toddler, rocking backward and forward.

She hushed him, stroking what was left of his hair. He nuzzled into her neck, every so often mumbling words like “outrageous” and “ridiculous.”

I had never seen my parents like this. Mother was always so good with him. We all knew he had a temper.

Of course, I knew that it was because of the berserk gene in him, which—I glanced at my brother, still seething in the corner and ripping papers apart—explained Diego.

Lucas and Levi burst into the study, out of breath and wide-eyed. “Father,” they gasped. “Father, have you seen the news?” Mother shot them a look that would’ve made even the bravest wolf tremble.

They, however, didn’t notice it and turned on the TV.

“A source close to the pair has hinted that pups could be on the way soon for Gianna Gray and her mate Alpha Kol.

“It has been reported that they were in fact getting hot and heavy in the morning following their wedding—”

She was cut off as Father’s roars filled the room again.

“WHAAAAAATTTT? DIEGO, SHUT THAT BITCH UP IMMEDIATELY. I WILL NOT HAVE SOME HOOKER-LOOKING TROLLOP SPEAK OF MY DAUGHTER IN THIS WAY.”

I stared in shock as chaos unfolded in front of me. Diego had punched the TV in response to Father telling him to “shut that bitch up.”

He looked pretty proud of himself. I rolled my eyes. As if his punching one TV had shut down the whole news report.

I loved my brother, but sometimes he could be so thick. Kol had flipped what was left of the table and threw his chair against the wall in a fit of rage.

Father screamed on the phone at his head of security.

“ROLAN, YOU FIND ME EVERYTHING YOU CAN ABOUT THIS BITCH.” He slammed down the phone.

Mother looked up at him from the floor. “Raphael, calm down. This will all be handled.”

“YES, FRIEDA. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IT WILL BE! EXAMPLES WILL BE MADE OF THESE PEOPLE, I ASSURE YOU, FRIEDA. NO ONE WILL DARE CROSS THE KING AGAIN.

“OH NO, FRIEDA. I WILL NOT HAVE IT. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! THIS IS A NIGHTMARE.”

Mother lay down on the floor, exasperated. I didn’t blame her; there was no talking to Father when he was like this.

I rubbed my temples, feeling a bitch of a headache brewing.