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Unexpected rage burned through my belly at the realization.
Mom and I had never lived in anything better than a one-bedroom apartment on the bad side of town. Shitty landlords, mice, ants, cockroaches, broken pipes, a toilet that either wouldn’t flush or would overflow, no hot water in winter, the list went on and on and on and on—
Meanwhile my baby daddy had lived just miles away in some other mansion, his wife and kids—holy shit—did I have half-siblings?—living in the lap of luxury. Meanwhile Mom fought her entire life to make ends meet.
Another thought struck. “My scholarship to Darlington Prep. Was that real or was that him?” Had some anonymous father secretly cared about my education?
Mama H’s face dropped to the ground, and she slowly shook her head. “No. No honey, it wasn’t your father.”
I felt like both raging and crying at the same time. My hands fisted as I fought back emotion. “Why? Why are you telling me all this now?” Frankly I might have preferred to go on in ignorance.
Her countenance brightened and that was when she pulled out an envelope, gold letters embossed on it, my name on the invitation. “Because we finally have the chance to fix it. To repair all of the past’s mistakes. Rafe is the Initiate. He’ll choose you for sure. Finally, you can go through the Trials and get everything that was always denied to your mother. You’ll be the one they never saw coming and you can finally claim your birthright.”
“But he—” I started but she cut me off.
“It’s Rafe. He’ll get his head out of this ass long enough to see the amazing woman in front of him when he sees you there. Don’t worry, darling. Your time has finally come.”
Except she was wrong.
Because Rafe had just rejected me. Again.
And I had just lived up to my mother’s legacy all right.
Along with Mama H.
I was another in a long, illustrious line of losers.
Fuck them. Fuck this patriarchal system. Fuck them all!
I took one last look at Rafe with the belle he’d chosen over me and then started to stomp towards the exit.
But right before I could take a single step, the girl in yellow standing in front of Rafe collapsed.
As in, she dropped to the floor like a freakin’ stone.
The other women gasped, some screeched. I froze. A couple of men stepped forward, rather calmly considering the situation, and picked her up by her arms.
“Another one down,” joked a man from the back of a group of men, and there was snickering laughter.
“Hasn’t happened in a few years,” another said.
“Is she okay?” Rafe asked, wide-eyed, reaching out a hand uselessly towards the woman who was already being dragged off. She was blinking and looking around even as the Elders pulled her from the room, her silk gown sliding smoothly on the marble floor.
“She just fainted,” said one of the Elders, stepping forward. “It happens sometimes. You chose poorly.”
Rafe looked around like a deer in a gunsight who realizes he’s about to get it. “What does this mean? What happens now?” he gulped hard. “Is it over before I’ve even started?”
The Elder paused and stared at Rafe critically. The man was familiar, but I couldn’t place him. Was he the father of one of Rafe’s friends? I’d occasionally run into the families of the powerful through my association with Rafe and his friends, but that didn’t mean I’d memorized their faces.
Gah, why was I even still standing here? This was bullshit, and frankly, no longer any of my concern.
I was about to continue my journey out the door and towards a bottle of tequila so I could forget this stupid night had ever happened when suddenly I heard my name.
“You chose poorly, so now we will choose your belle, and you will have one last chance to pass your Initiation. Fallon Perry will be your belle.”
I all but choked as I spun around to look at the group gathered on the other side of the ballroom.
Me? How the hell did they even know my name? Why would they choose me? Had Mama H done something? But she couldn’t have known Rafe would choose the wimpy blonde in yellow or that—
“Not her,” Rafe said, the words spitting out of his mouth like a staccato shotgun blast. “Anyone but her.”
They hit their mark. I was shocked I managed to stay on my feet and hated the fucking tears that bit at my eyes. My nose stung and in that moment I fucking hated Rafe Jackson. I couldn’t believe I’d ever— That I ever thought I’d— That I’d ever felt anything for him, that I’d ever—
“It’s her or no one and you fail,” the Elder said ruthlessly. “It’s her or you leave the Oleander tonight in disgrace and never return.”
Now Rafe was the one who looked like he’d been blasted by buckshot. His eyes came to me reflecting devastation and confusion.
