Page 41 of Cruel Alpha: Season Two

“For what purpose?”

She shrugs again. “To make a suggestion.”

I settle deeper into my seat.This ought to be good.

“And what might that suggestion be?”

Aunt Pen sits forward, and when she dons a dark grin, I brace myself for another of her schemes. “Well, before I fill you in on what I’m thinking, you should know that I like her.”

I nod. “Good. She’s part of the household now, and soon, part of the family.”

Aunt Pen shakes her head. “No, Cas. Ireallylike her. Not because she’s prim and proper, not because she makes the Estate look good. I like her because she’s more than what the media makes her out to be—a pretty face, a walking womb to grow your future heirs.”

I roll my eyes at the crass remark, knowing she meant for it to be taken exactly that way.

“Is there a point to all this? You mentioned having a suggestion.”

Her nostrils flare when I rush the conversation along.

“The suggestion is… that you end this, Caspian. All of it. Focus on her, and her alone,” she says. “That girl is clearly emotionally invested, and while you pretend to be cold and heartless, I know you feel something for her as well. I saw it onscreen, when you left the Spring Ball to follow her. Your face. You seemed… distraught.”

I straighten my posture and remain stoic, doing my best not to validate her claim. This woman can smell weakness from a mile away, but I’m also intrigued. She appears to be telling the truth about taking a liking to Annalise, and Aunt Pen isn’t one who connects with others easily. Yet, after a single conversation with Annalise, she already seems so sure of her.

“You shut down our chat about the contract last night, but I made it clear that we were far from finished discussing it,” she reiterates, as if I’ve forgotten.

“Yes, but pardon me for thinking you’d wait more than twelve hours to bring it up again.”

“Well, now seems like as good a time as any.”

“Of course you’d say that. You’re impatient and?—”

“Tell her you’re ill, Caspian.”

The abrupt command catches me off guard. Hence the reason I’m left staring at my aunt with my mouth half open for several seconds without being able to utter a single word.

I eventually gather myself, lowering my gaze to my desk as I make the split decision to get back to work.

“You should go.” I’ve already re-opened the folder in front of me.

“Stop being an ass and manup,Caspian. Tell Annalise the truth—that you’re ill and loyal to the clan to a fault. Tell her that youthoughttaking multiple mates was the best solution to produce a viable heir. But also tell her that you’ve now come to your fucking senses.” She pauses and I feel her gaze on me. “Youhavecome to your senses, haven’t you?”

“We’re done here.”

Aunt Pen sighs, but I don’t look up to meet her gaze. “You’re scared.”

A quiet laugh leaves me. “Scared? Sure. Whatever you need to tell yourself.”

“Youare,” she insists. “You’re afraid that you’ll tell her the truth and that she’ll reject you, but I think you’re wrong.”

“Because you’ve got all the fucking answers,” I grumble.

“No, because I know love when I see it, Caspian. And that girl does love you. Despite whatever lies you tell yourself to pretend that this entire arrangement is transactional, void of emotion. But I challenge you, Nephew. Take a chance on something youcan’t see, for once. Something you can’t manipulate, something you can’t control.” She pauses, and I meet her gaze. “Take a chance on love.”

Her expression is hard and unyielding, contrasting the tears pooling in her eyes.

“You’re a lucky man and you can’t even see it. All because of some silly promise you made to your father while under duress. But you’ve been given a second chance, one that not everyone gets—an opportunity to hold onto something so many have lost. You’d be a fool to squander it.”

I’ve never seen her in such a state, and I’m admittedly unsure what to make of it. But she quickly wipes away her tears and it’s as if they were never there.

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