Page 36 of Forsaken Fate

“It is how it works. Half the things that go on at the Gathering are purely ceremonial. You’d know that if you ever showed up to one.”

“I don’t care. I will not submit to anyone willingly. Especially not you. You want that, you’re gonna have to earn it. You think you could best me in a challenge?”

I let my voice drop to a grow. Reaching across the table, I sank a single claw into the top of Grayson’s hand. He winced. His wolf eyes flashed. I could feel his magic beginning to circle. He was no match for me though and we both knew it.

Grayson let out a howl then pulled his hand away.

“There’s no need for drama,” he said. “I’m asking for your support. It will be good for you too having me in power here in New York. You seem to forget that.”

“You want my support? I’m not talking about submission. Forget that. But if you want me to parade around the Gathering telling everyone how great you’ll be as governor, then you know my price. I’ll spell it out for you. You sign over my father’s lands to me. All four thousand acres.”

Grayson’s face turned purple. “That’s everything!”

“It belongs to me. You can’t hold it by yourself. I don’t care about the money. You can keep all of that. But I want the land.”

Grayson’s face stayed a lighter shade of purple, but he kept silent. Instead, he just kept looking from me to Brynna. As he did a few things dawned on me.

“Are you telling me Diana burned through all of my father’s money?”

“We’ve been fighting a war, Theo,” Grayson said when he recovered enough to do so.

“My father was worth millions. He kept a lot in overseas accounts. He planned for things like wars, Grayson.”

Grayson had a gin and tonic in front of him and he raised it to his lips with shaky fingers. He was sweating. His eyes glazed over. He seemed like he was having trouble controlling his magic.

“Shit,” I said, leaning back hard in my chair. “So she threw you money hand over fist and you pissed it away. On what?” The minute I said it, I knew what. Grayson had always been epically bad managing money. Whatever Diana gave him he would have spent or gambled away. One of the recurring arguments I used to get into with my father was his continued attempts to bail him out. He did it over and over again hoping it would keep peace with Diana.

“Well,” I said. “Whatever, Grayson. I’ve named my price. I want the land back. I’ll pay you fair market value for it. Take it or leave it. Sounds like you could use the money for your war chest. I’ll be doing you a favor.”

By divine intervention, Grayson’s phone rang. He answered it and his face went dark. He pulled the phone away from his ear long enough to say, “I have to take this. Go ahead and order me whatever you’re having, Brynna.” Then he got up, nearly tripped over his chair and walked out into the lobby.

Brynna and I were alone.

“I think it’s going well, don’t you?” I said as I poured water into my glass from a carafe on the table. I took her glass and poured for her.

“I’m sorry about your mother’s jewelry,” she said.

“You said that before,” I answered. “And do you think I bought that bullshit about him finding it in some back room? I know this is you.” I picked the wooden box up and gestured to her with it. “Thanks. There’s probably a good chance I never would have seen this again if you hadn’t stepped in.”

“I’m just glad it worked out,” she said.

And suddenly I didn’t want any bullshit between us anymore. With the Grayson Show, I felt like I was swimming in it.

“Why the hell are you taking his mark?” I said. Brynna looked down at her napkin. When she raised her eyes, she had her mask in place. “What’s he got on you?”

“I don’t want to talk about this with you.” She was smiling, hiding some truth I wanted more and more to uncover.

“Whatever it is,” I said. “Is it really worth mating with him?”

“I have my reasons. And they’re mine.”

You’re mine! I took a deep breath, fighting to keep my wolf in check. The urge to shift. To bend her over the table right here, right now, and sink my teeth into the back of her neck burned strong. What’s worse, I wondered if she didn’t want the exact same thing.

Could I let her do it? Could I stand there and watch as Grayson took one more thing that didn’t belong to him at the Gathering? Could I control my wolf long enough not to kill him?

“Fine,” I said. “But I want to see you again.”

“It’s a bad idea.” She kept her eyes toward the doorway to the lobby. Grayson’s phone call was probably legitimate, but I knew him. He was going to stay away to sulk, and then regroup with his latest round of bullshit.

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