Page 38 of A Reign of Malice
I make it three strides before pain shoots down my arm and my forward movements are halted.
Aeson grabs my bicep, squeezing unnecessarily hard. “You’re either the most oblivious woman I’ve ever known or the smartest. I’m not yet sure which it is, and that isn’t good for you.” He grabs my hand, forcing my fingers to curl around his. “I came to escort you to dinner as my mate and queen, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Afterward, you’ll be joining me in my room for the night. No more interruptions.”
My wolf snarls in protest, my stomach twisting with disgust. Like hell that’s happening.
I allow him to keep my hand, but that doesn’t stop me from reaching out to Clara. “I know you’re supposed to be sequestered to your room, but I need you to get to Estee or Isla. Now.”
Her tense confirmation comes as no surprise.“What am I telling them?”
“I need a reason not to be alone with Aeson tonight, and only another royal is going to get me out of this,”I say.“He won’t want to slight them. We might be in his kingdom, but he isn’t the most powerful alpha present, and he knows it. I need to use that to my advantage.”
“Understood. We have other wolves in the castle that I trust,”she tells me, something I should’ve probably known sooner.“If I can’t get to one of them before you do, someone will. I promise.”
“Who’s in the castle with us?”We’re nearly to the first floor. There isn’t much time left, and I shouldn’t be bothering Clara with questions like that when I trust her judgement, but I can’t help myself.
She doesn’t answer, and at the last step, I act without thinking things through. I purposely miss and allow myself to trip. Pain rips through my ankle, a sharp, searing jolt thatsends my body lurching forward. But Aeson is still holding my hand.
The act doesn’t send me sprawling across the marble floor like I pictured, but it still hurts.
“Shit!” I hiss, bending down to clutch my throbbing joints.
Aeson doesn’t move to help me. He doesn’t kneel. He doesn’t even ask if I’m okay.
Instead, he releases my hand slowly, deliberately, allowing me to fall back, hitting my head on the wall hard enough that black spots dot my vision for a few seconds.
He laughs at me, a low, mocking chuckle as he stares down, shaking his head. “You almost had me fooled, Sloane. Almost.”
A chill races down my spine. His voice is void of warmth now.
Aeson crouches beside me, one elbow braces on his knee as he watches me like a predator watches prey. Calm. Certain. Smug.
“But it’s too late for you.” He leans in, his voice lowering to something just above a whisper. “You’re mine. You will do as I expect. You have nothing without me. No home. No pack.”
He smiles, slow and cruel.
“Don’t you forget that.”
There it is. All pretenses gone.
The mask has been shattered.
And finally, I see the real Aeson.
Good. At least the doubts I’ve had haven’t been wrong.
I lift my head, baring my teeth in a slow, wicked grin, my voice cool as steel. “The funny thing about losing my land is that you’re right, Aeson. I have nothing.”
I shift, my weight pressing onto my injured ankle, pushing myself back up to my full height.
He stands with me, and I hold his stare as I add, “I have nothing to lose so I’ll do as I damn well please. Don’tyouforget that.”
His darkened gaze makes me question whether I’ve made the right move, but it’s too late to go back. I won’t be his pawn, and I’m certainly not going to be his mate. Though I can at least pretend I’m still willing.
“You knew who I was before I signed that contract,” I tell him with certainty. “My inability to accept being your arm piece and my demand for respect shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. I act with authority. You can do whatever you want as long as you leave me to do the same. I won’t cower in your shadow. If you thought you could break me, you were wrong, and it’s better we decide what we’re willing to put up with now than to allow our mateship to fall apart later—an incident that would only reflect poorly on you, in case you’re forgetting that.”
He huffs and stands a little taller, so he can properly look down on me. “How so?”
“As you already pointed out, I have nothing,” I remind him. “My land is dead. My pack is living in your kingdom. I can’t change that. If we can’t find a way to work around each other, I’ll leave. Simple as that for me. But you? You’ll be left here, dealing with wolves who might begin to doubt their king as they watch their queen walk away without a tear in her eye.”
