Betrayed By The Hero, Loved By The Lord-Chapter 240: Rare (1)

"What is it now?" Xavier questioned after noticing the look he received from Orlork. "You have a lot to say tonight."

"I am surprised you’ve settled into becoming a husband so well. I heard you had been planning to rest for a long time, so you almost missed your chance to wed her," said Orlork.

"You should stop having Jasper follow us or I will feed him to a dog. Is he going to become your next child?" Xavier asked, curious about the relationship the two had. "Give him the Blackthorn name so the others could be upset about him and leave Selene alone."

There was never a day Xavier saw his grandfather without Jasper.

"My father is jealous of the way you treat Jasper. I enjoy it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he were to kill Jasper when you sleep again," said Xavier.

"Jasper is only a servant to me. He is loyal and does what I ask without question. I might be the only family he has, but he is not my son. If you claim him to be, Jasper will quickly say I am his master. Nothing more," Orlork replied.

Orlork wasn’t interested in turning his servants into his children, but he could always acknowledge when Jasper did better than his children.

"He is still the one you trust most, which puts a target on his back. You should be careful with him or just allow me to trap him in a cage. I would allow him to stay as a bat," Xavier offered.

"That sounds like you would be torturing him. Jasper meant no harm when he stalked you two. It was me who advised him to keep an eye on you, and then you got a wife, so he panicked a little. So far, I like what I see," Orlork said, referring to Selene.

Orlork continued, "The Blackthorns aren’t close as others might believe. We only gather when there is an important matter to speak of. There’s a warmth to your home that you would only see with the humans. A warmth very few vampires get to experience."

"Would you send her to me for one day just to give my home-"

"No," Xavier rejected the idea. "She is not going to your home to stumble into other Blackthorns."

"I have already warned them not to disturb you or Selene. I know they will still plot and be led by your father, but the moment they disobey me, I shall strip them of our name. Taking away what gives them pride is always a good punishment. Here," Orlork said, stopping before the cave.

Xavier looked around, careful of any guards lingering around. "It is quiet."

"You pick a cave when you want peace. Come in," Orlork said, placing his hands behind his back as he walked forward. "I think someone is awaiting us."

Xavier walked behind Orlork, using his grandfather as a shield.

Orlork noticed what Xavier did. "You would make your old grandfather go first?"

Xavier nodded his head. "I have a wife to go back home to. You have a wife who wants to kill you when she wakes up, so it makes sense I shouldn’t be harmed. Selene will worry while grandmother would be happy."

Orlork laughed since it was true. "Murder is your grandmother’s way of loving me. It always has been. I am lucky she never got her hands on a holy weapon."

"I can give her one," Xavier said.

"I’ll steal your children in the middle of the night if you do," Orlork threatened.

"You will never reach them," Xavier replied.

"So, you do think of children. You should be like me and have three. No, they argue with each other too much," Orlork changed his mind.

"They argue because you played favourites with my father, which turned them against each other. You were a wonderful grandfather but an awful father. No matter how many children I will have, they will not end up like your own. Stop," Xavier said, sensing they were not alone.

It wasn’t inside the cave that Xavier sensed someone, but at the entrance where they had just come from.

"Orlork," a voice was heard, echoing against the walls. "Who was foolish to wake you, and why are you in my home?"

"Zephyr, you sound as grumpy as when I last saw you. I thought to visit an old friend," Orlork replied.

Zephyr Everhart, Selene’s grandfather, approached the two intruders. He was well aware who the two Blackhorn men were. He had been watching Xavier from the moment he married Selene.

"We were never friends. I remember telling you how much I hated you. I hate you even more now that you are walking into my home unannounced. You still haven’t found manners," Zephyr said, not surprised.

"And you," Zephyr addressed Xavier. "You’re the new bastard who married my granddaughter. I’ve already planned to kill the other one. Do I have to kill you too?"

"Comparing me to Gabriel is an insult to me. Selene is fine with me. You would know that if you approached her instead of hiding out in a cave," Xavier said, refusing to be scolded by someone who hadn’t shown themselves to Selene. "I should be speaking of killing you."

’Oh dear,’ Orlork thought.

"Where were you when Selene needed you most? She lost her parents, got outnumbered by the Harrisons, and faced the town calling her a traitor. Were you enjoying your time in this cave without helping her?" Xavier asked.

"I’ve been keeping her safe as best as I could. No one wants to wake to hearing they almost lost their daughter. It is more complicated than it seems, but you can never mistake how much I love my granddaughter. Your family produced another rude one," Zephyr said, so far unimpressed.

"This rude one has been keeping your granddaughter safe. It was hard for me to get near her. Don’t be so quick to dismiss him because you don’t like me. Why don’t you like me again?" Orlork asked, drawing a blank on what he had done.

"You were always rude, and you created more rude bastards," Zephyr replied.

Selene getting herself caught up with a Blackthorn wasn’t something Zephyr wanted, but she had gone to Xavier’s home right before he could get to her. Now she had too much attention on her.

Zephyr stared at Xavier, trying to place what kind of man he was. "Where is she now?"

"She is at home with my mother. Selene knew we were coming here to find you. She wanted to come along, but my grandfather suggested she didn’t. I hope there’s a good reason why you haven’t come to see her. There better be," Xavier said, waiting to hear the excuse.

"I don’t have to explain it to you right now. Since you’ve been keeping her safe, continue to do that while I protect her from afar. It’s good you didn’t bring her here. It’s not safe yet. There’s a little more to be done before I go to her. I will get rid of those who threaten to harm her," said Zephyr.

"Are you the one who killed her old friend, Fiona?" Xavier asked, his earlier suspicions seeming to be true now.

"I wouldn’t call that woman a friend with the way she turned on Selene. I did what I needed to keep Selene safe. I gave her one less person to worry about," Zephyr replied, having no regrets for what he did.