Page 102 of The Alpha's Cursed Queen

“Inside joke,” Mary lies calmly.

She slides the phone over to me, and I read the headline. Scrolling down, I see that Willow was at a social gathering when she was served with the divorce papers, and someone took pictures of her. The person must really hate Willow because they sold a lot of photographs. The shock, the disbelief, the angry tears—he or she captured them all.

I have never been one to enjoy somebody else’s misfortune, but after everything Willow put me through, I feel a sense of satisfaction.

This isn’t revenge. It’s karma.

But under my satisfaction is pure shock. I never expected Darian to go through with it. Despite what he told me, I didn’t think he would jeopardize the stability of the kingdom to this extent. Royal families rarely experience divorces. In fact, divorce within the wolf shifter community is incredibly rare because couples usually mate right after their legal marriage. If Darian is divorcing Willow, he’s announcing to the entire kingdom that he never gave her the mating mark.

A fact that will be very humiliating for her.

People will speculate, and most of them will arrive at the conclusion that she was simply not attractive enough or strong enough to hold Darian’s interest.

I grin at the photos in the article on Mary’s phone. This isn’t just one moment of humiliation that has been captured; it is the complete and utter destruction of Willow’s life—the life she built on my pain and suffering.

Fortunately, Katherine has to take a call, and she steps out of the apartment. As soon as the door closes behind her, I let out a long exhale, allowing my emotions to show. “He actually did it.”

“You doubted he would?” Mary asks.

I look at her. “Didn’t you? I mean, why would he do all this? I thought he was just going to string me along till he managed tofigure out a way to get me into bed, and then just make excuses and go back to his life—”

Mary gives me a sad smile. “You really don’t trust him, do you? Do you still have doubts about his story, even after seeing all the evidence?”

I hesitate before admitting, “No. But I’m scared to trust him, Mary. My mind keeps imagining ‘what-if’ scenarios.”

My friend walks around the kitchen island to me and removes the phone from my hands, setting it aside so she can take my hands in hers. “It’s okay. What you went through was traumatizing. But it does make a difference, doesn’t it, that he didn’t betray you? That he’s willing to do this for you?”

“I guess so.” I look over at the article, still visible on Mary’s phone screen. “But now, the entire kingdom is in uproar, and—”

“That’s Darian’s problem, not yours,” Mary says firmly. “He’s trying to make amends the only way he knows how. I’m not saying jump into his arms, but when you talk with him, do it with an open mind. He’s carrying his own wounds.”

I wet my lips.

She’s right. He is.

“When he gives you your rightful place, Alice”—Mary squeezes my hands, her voice firm—“that night in the ballroom will be forgotten. They’ll call it a love story. You know how sensational our kind is. We thrive on gossip.”

“I’m not getting back together with him.”

“That’s fine.” My friend shrugs. “But if one of the reasons is the events of that night, and the humiliation you suffered, then that shouldn’t be a factor. Not when Darian is trying to fix everything.”

“Why are you suddenly on his side?” I demand. I’m not angry but curious. I always thought Mary hated Darian as much as I did.

She lowers her gaze, and when she speaks, her voice is deflated. “When Darian came to see me after I brought you here, he didn’t just question me. He begged me. He pleaded. He cried. He was a broken man, Alice. For you, he set aside his pride and bared his soul to me. But I never told him anything because… Well, you know why. But now, after finding out the truth, I feel sorry for him. I really do. The two of you were each dealt a bad hand. I just want you to be happy, Alice. Willow is out of the picture now, and you and Darian have a daughter together.”

I absorb her words. “I don’t know, Mary. Willow may be out of the picture, but I told Darian I don’t want Mira to be part of the royal family. The mark on her—”

Mary’s expression becomes rigid. “I forgot about that.”

“I didn’t,” I reply grimly. “For now, let’s focus on making sure the witches don’t find us. Darian says he’s trying to figure out a way to strip them of their power.”

“Their magic?”

“Their influence,” I correct her. “Until that happens, Mira will never be safe.”

We end the conversation on that grim note because Katherine comes back into the apartment, looking drawn.

“What happened?”

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