“Why are you doing this?” she asks.
I roll onto my back, avoiding her gaze. “Time to move on. And because I make crappy choices in men, I may as well go through the process like I’m choosing a business partner.”
She snorts. “If you’re looking for a business partner, then why not choose Jacques? You two have a bunch of businesses together, not to mention you’re probably the only person in his life who stayed by his side for so long.”
“He’s the wrong species,” I grumble.
“Now you’re just being a speciest,” she teases.
I chuckle. “Is that even a word?”
“Yes, I’m pretty sure it is,” she retorts.
“Besides, he doesn’t have a pack. I need a mate who will merge packs with mine.”
She blows a raspberry. “Stupid political bullshit.”
I face her and rest my head in my hand. “I need to protect my pack. It doesn’t matter what I want anymore. The other option is I don’t mate and someone challenges me until I die or start an all-out war.” I blink up at her. “You think about it and let me know which option is better,” I mock.
She lies beside me, placing an arm behind her head, and stares at the ceiling. “What about that Henry guy you chat with online?”
I frown. “Henry? I don’t know Henry that well, and we don’t chat online.”
She hums. “I see the way your face lights up when he sends a text or an email.”
“He’s not real. He’s a fantasy I mostly built up in my head. Besides, I think he’s just a lonely, old guy, which is why he spends so much time sending emails and text messages.”
She rolls her eyes. “I read some of those texts. Remember? And I saw the pictures of his abs and his…” She blushes without finishing her sentence. “Anyway, he did not look nor sound like an old guy.”
I roll my eyes. “Can we not talk about Henry?” I ask dryly.
“Let me guess. You embarked on a destructive warpath and ended it with Henry after everything with Liam and Luke.”
“No…”
“I’m pretty sure that is exactly what happened. You went down the ‘I don’t deserve anything good or things that make me happy’ spiral.”
I cross my arms over my chest and pout. “I did not.”
She shakes her head. “What am I going to do with you? I thought we worked past all of that.”
I sigh. “I still have my moments.” I rub my face. I know she’s right, but I just don’t want to hear it right now. “Can we talk about something else?”
We both gaze at the ceiling, looking for answers.
My bedroom door open, and Carmen walks in. She stands at the foot of my bed. “Your parents are adamant that they have the day tomorrow to conduct their own background checks. I prefer that filming starts tomorrow to stay on schedule.”
I slide to the edge of the bed and slowly stand. “Let’s go talk to my parents, then.” She eyes me suspiciously, assuming I have no sway over my parents. Smiling, I push past her and leave the room.
My parents are absolutely livid. The producers threw another five men into the lineup, on top of the eight I already knewabout. I just didn’t tell them I knew. Carmen didn’t know about the changes the producers made, which I find odd, seeing as she is in charge of making all the arrangements. The producers claim it was a last-minute decision to boost ratings and planned on informing Carmen tonight.
I insist that, even with the changes, we move forward with the meet-and-greet tomorrow evening. The sooner we start, the sooner I can move on with my life and focus on my duties as the Alpha and whatever other disasters that ensue. I assure my parents that all will be fine, and Anders can perform his checks tonight and all day tomorrow until the meeting.
Carmen flips through the pages on her clipboard. Setting it back in her lap, she rests her forearms over it, clasps her hands, and addresses me. “I’m sorry we need to continue at this late hour. Life in front of the camera is not always easy. I appreciate you being amenable and a team player. I understand you have been through quite a lot these past two weeks, especially with all the unwanted attention from the reporters and paparazzi. I just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing with all of that.”
Since I revealed myself as both princess and “G,” the media ran with my big reveal. I became an overnight sensation. An anonymous source leaked that I was originally from Territory Two, I came to live with and was adopted by the royal family, and, hours following, I became the successor for not only the Whitemore territory but the seventh territory as well. They even included pictures of when I was in a coma and proof of my abuse. The media portrayed me as a living, breathing, fairy tale princess.
And without warning, the media turned on me. I transformed from a real-life Cinderella to a sneaky, manipulative, evil witch. Past news clips resurfaced, and entertainment series spread rumors of my affair with Luke as “G,” as well as an affair with Jacques. Questions were raised.
