Page 78 of Forsaken Royals

Clarissa was still classically beautiful, delicate and slender, her body weighed down by all the jewels she regularly wore around her neck and wrists. Annalise took after her mother when it came to her style, but she’d inherited the plain features from her biological father. Just looking at Dane annoyed me—something about the arrangement of his features was permanently smug, and his clothing screamed that he had money and no taste.

When the aide saw us coming, he bowed his head in deference. And probably relief because Clarissa and Annalise weren’t squawking at him anymore.

“You’re early,” I said.

“We wanted to get ahead of traffic. I know everyone is coming, and we wanted the nicest lodgings.” Clarissa stood, smoothing her hands down her skirt. “Hello.”

“Hi.” I let her air kiss me on both cheeks.

“It’s so good to see you,” Annalise said, standing and giving me the same treatment. Her perfume was sickly sweet, like she’d dipped herself into a vat of caramel before coming here. “You look well.”

Dane finally bothered to stand and greet me, giving me a hard handshake and a nod.

I waited for Clarissa to at least acknowledge Arden, but they all sat back down. I waited for a beat, just to see if any of them would look in her direction, but they didn’t.

“I need one and a half cubes of sugar,” Annalise said to the aide, her expression turning from polite and pleasant to annoyed in an instant. She still hadn’t looked in Arden’s direction. “Not two. One and a half.”

“Of course, miss,” the aide said, scrambling to make it happen.

A few more moments passed.

“This is my mate,” I finally said, resting my hand on Arden’s back. I barely kept my voice even. “Arden.”

Finally, Clarissa looked at Arden, her eyes widening as if Arden had just teleported into the room. But her eyes narrowed as she looked her up and down, lingering on Arden’s bare calves, then her face.

“What family are you from?” Clarissa asked. “What bloodline?”

“Um…my own?” Arden answered.

“So, you’re a nobody,” Annalise said, one delicately arched eyebrow lifting.

Fuck no. My rage heated up the room by several degrees, but Arden gripped my arm before I blew up. She didn’t squeeze me hard, just enough to stop me from burning Annalise alive.

“I’m just Arden.” Arden slapped a smile on, even though the irritation coming through our bond nearly bowled me over.

“A mate bond doesn’t give a fuck about who you are,” I said, my voice booming enough to make Annalise shrink back.

I pulled out a seat for Arden.

“Your language, Jagger.” Clarissa sighed, her nose wrinkling. I shot her a glare. Just because she had been my stepmother since I was a teenager didn’t mean she had any authority over me. She looked down into her tea.

“But you mate-bonded with her?” Dane asked, glancing at Arden for a moment. “How?”

“We met. It clicked.” I pinned him with a glare. “It’s simple like that.”

“I wouldn’t know.” He shrugged, unbothered. “I’d never allow myself to be tied down to just one female.”

“That must be a relief for all the women in your life,” I said, glancing to the aide who had just returned with Annalise’s one-and-a-half sugar cube tea.

The aide jumped to attention, and I gestured to Arden. The aide hesitated—probably because he was (rightfully) used to serving me first, but I needed Arden taken care of. Especially since my family apparently needed reminders that she was even in the room.

“What would you like, miss?” the aide asked.

“Any tea is fine.” Arden smiled. “Thank you.”

“I’ll have tea also.” I put my arm around the back of Arden’s chair.

The aide disappeared to bring us more tea. Annalise took a sip of hers and rolled her eyes.

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