Page 58 of Microburst

He opened his mouth, but I didn’t even give him the chance, focusing on the rest of them.

“You didn’t want to punish Wilder when I didn’t throw him in my dungeon because you didn’t want your other family members held to the standards they should be. It’s pathetic. He should have gotten this and worse forlyingto the media in my home. Enough. Stop acting like I’m standing here with my hat in my hands when I’m the one in charge.

“You want to play games with me? Let’s fucking play, because I promise that I will break any of you that comes into the ring with me. Go ahead and say that I was lying and that wasn’t what happened? Pull that string and let’s throw down, shall we?” I snickered when they were all quiet. “Orhow aboutyou all start doing what you promise to do when you’re standing in front of me?

“How about you stop losing sanity the moment you leave Nerthus or whatever is happening? I can still fly to you and fold you into a pretzel if you’d like. It would be the best stress relief and the media would eat it up. Anyone want to debate that?People all over social media wondering why I’m flying all over for quick visits in person and then the Alpha isn’t seen for days?”

Dray snickered and I was glad he was on my side of this at least.

“Does everyone now understand that I will not give you unlimited chances to stab me in the back—lie to my faceyou will do things and then renege on them later? Because I can come explain it to you face to face. At length. In multiple forms. As many times as needed.” And just because I needed less stress in my life. “Or Fraser could as he did Vex.”

I was more than a little annoyed when that threat seemed to do more than the ones about what I would do. Seriously?

Like…Seriously?

Men.

Speaking of men—or a certain man—it was clear that I had one who wouldn’t wait to talk to me. I ignored his intense stares during dinner but then realized it wasn’t just Thorn but Onyx as well.

Okay, well, one at a time, and I could handle Thorn easier.

Probably.

I went to his room that night and he was already chuffing, seeming all over the place and just… Snowballing.

“I agree with Velle that you’re an idiot for not telling me and you should have,” I said firmly as I leaned against the wall and out of his reach. “People are too vocal they don’t like her and we’re not even friends. I bet you tried Myriam and she said she wasn’t getting involved.”

He winced which said a lot.

“Velle didn’t want to risk pissing me off but was annoyed to be the errand girl or whatever she said. She thought I knew.”

He let out a long breath. “Okay, yeah, I’ll apologize to her, and—it seemed like if I couldn’t get to you to give you the card, how would I have explained it?”

That was fair too and I said as much. “But that was the sign it wasn’t for you to get involved in.” I held up a hand to hold him off. “And I’m uncomfortable with it. So I’m going to cut up the card and Myriam will wire you what I’ve spent. Get her the total—this is not okay with me. Velle said she didn’t understand how rich people court, but you’re not courting me.”

“I can still spend money on you and buy you things,” he defended.

“No, actually that—no. It makes it weird.” I shrugged when he started chuffing again. “It does for me. You can’t seem to pick a lane, Thorn. Everyone keeps saying you don’t know what you want—whatever, I’m not getting into this. I’m not comfortable with it. We’re fucking and you’re not staying.”

He tried arguing again and I lost the little patience I’d been prepared to use for this.

“I don’t want my fucking suite decorations paid for by someone who doesn’t want to be with me,” I snapped. “An Alpha I will see one day in meetings and mated to another woman while I sleep in my bed with other men and my mate, okay? What part of that doesn’t make sense to you?”

He spun away and punched the wall. Not too much or even denting it. We were across the room from each other. Nothing toxic or… It was really fine. Just showing he was overloaded.

And we were part beast. It was to be expected.

He let out several deep breaths. “I didn’t think of that. I just wanted to do something nice. Something to help you after I hurt you and haven’t been—I can’t ever seem to help you when you’re always drowning. I offer to help and—”

“You offer to help to get near me,” I interrupted, calling him out on what I’d noticed. “Have you ever just offered to help Myriam or Velle with paperwork or bullshit?”

“No,” he admitted, banging the wall with his forehead. “I realized that too and I’ve been too selfish. I’m sorry. I’m reallysorry. I’ve been so focused on how I got screwed that I’ve been ignoring the collateral damage of what I was demanding could hit you and others. I haven’t appreciated what you’re risking to help me, even if it’s not for me but what’s right.”

I felt better when he turned around and looked destroyed at realizing that. He looked… Not like a selfish, demanding ass anymore.

“I really just wanted to help you and do something nice. It wasn’t…” He sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face as he slid down the wall to sit. “I have no power and I should. It’s so fucking infuriating. Every time I turn around for so long, I see things that are wrong or I want to fix and Ican’tbecause he took it from me.

“And it’s like all I live in. But I have money. I have so much money that he can’t touch because at least my stupid parents protected me in that way.” He scrubbed the right side of his face and snorted. “People talk so much in this fucking castle and it annoys me. Don’t let them gaslight you that it’s normal. It’s not. Send them to Treena’s castle to show them.”