Page 35 of Cruel Alpha: Season Two

She glares, seemingly annoyed by my questions. I’m guessing because she intended to be the only inquisitor tonight.

“Apparently, your father had his secrets,” she sighs. “One of which being that he’d purchased a storage unit in my name without my consent.”

“What was inside?”

“A few random odds and ends, but most importantly, the letter. I found it tucked inside a lockbox. If it weren’t for theowner of the storage facility deciding to retire and sell the property, I might not have even known the unit existed.”

She falls silent as I uncrumple the letter, one drafted in haste a few years ago. I remember that night so clearly, how my father pecked away at his typewriter in a frenzy as his hands trembled, sweat pouring down his face. My gaze lowers to the signatures penned at the bottom—mine, my father’s, the notary’s.

“Well, my sincerest apologies, Aunt Pen. I can see how finding this document could be upsetting. Especially seeing as how there’s nothing to be done about it. It’s been signed, notarized, and the second copy is on file with the Council. Whichthey’venow signed and kept for their records. In other words, the contract is airtight.”

My aunt stares without blinking, and her expression is hard to read.

“All this time, I thought you’d become some toxic, run-of-the-mill, chauvinistic asshole, thinking your dick is far too epic to commit to just one woman. But… that was never the case. That was neveryou,” she adds.

She glares at me a moment longer, focused on my eyes as I stare right back.

“Tell me why you signed,” she demands.

While her request mayseemsimple, the answer is definitely complicated.

“Let this go, Aunt Pen. I?—”

“Were you forced?” she cuts in. “By your father?”

“Not at all. I signed willingly.”

The look on her face tells me she’s still skeptical, but then her eyes soften unexpectedly.

“You were always a good boy, Caspian. I saw it in you from the very beginning. Then, that good boy turned into a goodman,” she says. “But this, your decision, altering your future in this way… it’s a stain on our family legacy. Can’t you see that?”

I keep my expression composed, hiding that I’m affected by her words. Especially the suggestion that my choice will somehow mar our family’s honor, when all I’veeverfought to do was protect it.

“Regardless of how you feel about this contract, about my decisions, what’s done is done,” I say firmly. “The only way out of the contract would be for me to step down as alpha, and I think we both know that cannot happen.”

She scoffs again, folding both arms over her chest. “You men and your fucking titles. I swear, if your brains were as big as your egos, you’d?—”

“This has nothing to do with my damn ego! And if you knew anything about me, anything about myfather,you’d know everything either of us haseverdone has been steeped in loyalty to Clan Centauri.”

My heart races, because the one who stands to lose the most in this entire scenario is me. The woman I want, the one I’m undeniably desperate for, wants nothing to do with me because of this fucking piece of paper, and there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it.

“Loyalty. Hm,” Aunt Pen scoffs, staring down her nose at me like she thinks she’s got me pegged.

“Yes, loyalty. We both know my father didn’t want to risk Dimitri being in charge.”

Her nostrils flare as she listens, and to my surprise, she doesn’t have anything to say in return.

“He knew Dimitri could never fill his shoes. Not thatI’mwithout flaw, but being clan alpha requires that a man be of sound mind and possess a certain measure of selflessness. My brother just…”

I stop short of speaking my mind, finding that I still want to defend Dimitri at times. Like I’ve done most of our lives.

“He’s not all bad,” I say to soften what comes next. “But he’s not the right man to lead our people. This is the exact reason Father and I had to act quickly to ensure the bloodline once I began to show symptoms. We couldn’t risk Clan Centauri falling into the wrong hands.”

Aunt Pen is still quiet, and for the first time since she stormed into the study, I believe she’s listening. And it’s possible that she may even understand.

A heavy sigh puffs from her lips, and when they part, I’m hopeful that maybe, just maybe, I’ve gotten through to her.

“I hear you, Caspian,” she says, “but unfortunately… I call bullshit.”

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