Page 136 of A University of Betrayal

“But it belongs to the Bardots,” Nash snorted.

Not exactly.

“It’s Julian’s,” I corrected my brother.

Nash stared at me fiercely. I knew he was thinking about Julian, and I wished I knew what it was that was bothering him at that moment.

“Who is Julian?” Tania asked now. She sat up straight and looked at us scrutinizingly.

“A frien...” I began, but Father seemed to find the subject too sensitive.

“No one...” he began. The Alpha across from me raised his eyebrows. “...that we want to talk about tonight, because there are more important things to discuss,” my father deflected skillfully, which the Russian Alpha seemed to be satisfied with. “Emely, please introduce yourself and don’t leave our guests in the dark like this.”

I looked at my father, who nodded at me encouragingly. It was unusual for him to speak to me directly, to call me by my name. Overwhelm threatened to overtake me.

“Emely is also studying economics as a minor and is very active in sports. She’s on the basketball team at university,” Father then spoke up and I couldn’t say anything.

It felt strange when he talked about me. As if he didn’t know me, which wasn’t far from the truth. My interests were my business. Something that had no place in the affairs of the pack. He could have mentioned my law degree, but had opted for the minor....

“Besides, Emely is very involved in the pack.” Alarik winked at me and I blushed. Did he have to mention that like it was something special?It was my damn duty.

“I’m glad to hear that. A social woman at my son’s side isn’t doing too badly.”

The look Dimitrio received from Alarik was more than devastating, and Tania looked down into her lap, ashamed.

“We’re not living in the sixteenth century anymore, Dimitrio,” Alarik growled with a bitter scowl. “And that’s why you don’t talk like that about a woman, especially not when it’s my niece.”

My father instantly turned pale.

Dimitrio’s thick brows drew together. His jaw moved menacingly.

“Am I understanding this correctly? You’re criticizing the Senseque tradition that every pack follows?”

My uncle looked at him with defiance. “Maybe, yes.”

Tania looked up, startled. A blonde curl came loose from her hair and fell forward.

The Russian Alpha looked in horror at Alarik, then at my father. “Your brother still shows me as little respect as he did back then, even though I’m above him! Are you letting him get away with this behavior?”

“No,” my father pressed out. If only the Russian Alpha knew all the things Alarik was allowed to do, simply because he wasAlarik.“Brother, please don’t forget your manners. The Rolanows are just as much your guests as they are mine.”

But Alarik seemed to have a really big death wish today. “Emely isyourdaughter, and you let him talk about her like that?”

“Alarik…”

“No,Tania.” The woman flinched, and again Alarik’s gaze lingered on her. He addressed her directly by her first name… They must know each other.

“Alarik,damn it!”My father’s eyes began to glow. But that didn’t help with Alarik. He was just as strong and indomitable when it came to the Alpha bond.

“Never mind!” He jumped up, his chair grinding across the floorboards with a loud noise. “I’ll let you negotiate yourdeals,Brother. But without me.”

Those were his last words before he hurried out of the dining room.

Tania and I watched him leave, and I was about to get up and follow him, to confront him. He may have wanted to protect me, but my well-being didn’t come before the pack’s.

What kind of messy dinner was this? It felt like I hadn’t done my homework, even though I had informed myself about the Rolanows the last two evenings.

“This behavior is inexcusable!”

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