Dark Obsession

Chapter Ten: Testing Loyalty

The peace of the morning was a fragile thing, and I wasn't about to let it settle into comfort. A queen didn't just rule; she tested the foundations of her throne. I sat up, the silk robe sliding down my arms, and looked at the five of them as they recovered in the aftermath of their tribute. "You say you're mine," I said, my voice cutting through the heavy silence. "You say the pact is dead and the rules have vanished. But I want to see if that’s true when the choice isn't easy." I pointed to the far wall, where a collection of antique blades hung as decoration—remnants of Leo’s taste for dangerous things. "Jax, Silas. Stand up."

They moved instantly, their bodies tense. The others watched, their eyes darting between me and their brothers. I walked over to them, my bare feet silent on the cold floor, and took a small, sharp dagger from the display. I pressed the handle into Jax’s hand. "He was the first to touch me in the basement," I whispered, looking at Silas. "He’s the reason the pact broke. Silas, you were the one who valued the rules the most. If I told Jax to mark you right now—to prove that his loyalty to me outweighs twenty years of friendship—would you let him? And Jax, would you do it?"The air in the room vanished. This wasn't about s*x or hunger anymore; this was about the bone-deep hierarchy of their lives. Jax’s knuckles turned white around the hilt. Silas didn't flinch, his gaze locked on mine, but I could see the muscle in his jaw ticking.

Leo stood at the edge of the bed, his expression unreadable. Caleb and Ezra held their breath. For a long, agonizing minute, the room was a powder keg. "I don't need blood," I finally said, taking the knife back from Jax’s trembling grip and tossing it onto the bed. "I just needed to see the hesitation. Or the lack of it." I turned my back on them, walking toward the balcony. "Jax didn't hesitate to take the knife. Silas didn't move to defend himself. That’s a start. But if we’re going to be a pack, you need to understand that the only person you answer to is me. Not the past. Not each other." I looked over my shoulder, my eyes dark with a new, icy authority. "Tonight, we’re going to the city. We’re going to the club where my brother thinks he’s king. And you’re going to stand behind me and show everyone exactly who owns the shadows now."