Page 73 of Microburst

“None of you know each other or see each other clearly. You all have blinders on to each other.” I gestured to my family. “We know our faults. We knew my parents’ faults and they—we have no blinders. We just don’t share them withyou. But you all—I’m done.”

“I want popcorn,” Fraser chuckled. “No, those dates now. Those are so good.”

“Replace mine you ate,” I grumbled before smirking at Hanna. “Did you bribe the last judge, or was it just a sob story using your woman card playing into his sexism? For the record, it was another woman who overheard him and was disgusted with it who warned us.”

I moved closer to her and easily shoved Vex away when he went to protect her.

“You’re one Alpha Mate. I’mqueen. You will never be able to compete with me. Never. Your son was never good enough for me. You forgive Elira because youare her. You came from a poor family, and instead of working hard and making something of yourself, you—”

“I did make something of myself. I’m Alpha Mate of Applerest unlike you who was born in the right family.”

“The child is delusional and truly believes that,” Belinda chuckled darkly. “Oh dear. This family really has delusions of grandeur.”

“I would like to be excluded from that, and even Vex didn’t start out that way,” Onyx defended. “Father wasn’t like that either. I would say maybe it was Hanna and her genes that made Kole that way.”

“Viable theory,” Maple admitted.

I kept my gaze on Hanna. “You used howyou were bornand your genetics that made you pretty to hop into the rightbed. And then you look down on me being born into the royal family? Do you not pay attention to the new reports at all or only what you want to hear?”

Onyx cleared his throat. “She always believed that your studies were more diplomatic than actual classes.”

I shot him an amused look. “I know. She said a lot. Publicly and to my face. That’s why I said the new reports.” I focused back on Hanna. “That one site has uploaded hundreds of hours of my guest lectures. The news has shown some. Reported on my degrees, my published papers in other countries. Do you have blinders on for that too? Or do you think I pay media like your mate?”

She blinked at me a moment and then slowly looked at Vex. “What is she talking about?”

“Oh, this is precious,” Maple chuckled. “She really didn’t know that he bought those focus groups to help Kole and then the little shit was lying. Yeah, we need popcorn. No, I want sweets. Those tarts we have now.”

“Wait, they can fight later. Our time is too valuable for their crazy,” I drawled. I focused on Kole and moved closer to him, not caring at all that he was over a foot taller than me. “I’m scaredof you? I’ve never been scared of you. You senttextsbecause you know I could break you with one hand and that’s what bullies do.

“I’m lame and you put up with me because I was shy and don’t know how to communicate? No, honey, you were stupid to bother with.” And then I flexed and changed languages.“Talking to you when you were on my arm was dreadful. It was a joke, but you were a good shield at times.”

“Protesia,” Onyx muttered. “I heard them speaking that in Protesia.”

I glanced at him. “Good ear.” I switched again and kept switching as I insulted Kole to his face, loving how easy it was to push his buttons. Then I smirked at Hanna. “Yeah,I’mthe one riding on my family’s coattails. His grades weren’t even honors-level and his three degrees you boast are all bachelor’s in Thovudin that took him how many years to complete?”

Kole reached out to grab my arm and probably force me to face him, but I was quicker. I caught his wrist and broke it before he got close.

“You will never touch me again,” I said evenly as I twisted his arm until he fell to his knees in pain. “You weren’t satisfied? I was the virgin who never orgasmed with the one who had all the experience and cheated all over the place. Ihatedhaving sex with you, Kole.

“It was gross and I hated being with you, but I didn’t want to make a mess dumping you. So I would ignore you until you were useful, idiot. I needed a date to a party or it would be a problem for me and you wereobedientlike a pet who came flying to wherever I wanted. You think I care that you cheated?”

I snorted and let him go, shoving him away. The confusion in his eyes, along with the anger, was delicious.

“Treena wasn’t lying. I lost a bet. That’s all you were and then a shield against other idiots until I was older and had to take mating seriously.” I pulled up my pants leg and squatteddown. “I wasnevergoing to mate someone so far beneath me like you, asshole. You’re a fucking moron, shit in bed, and all you do is brag about being rich.

“You didn’t make that money. It’s not your accomplishment. I speaksixteen languagesand you didn’t even know that. I didn’t even tell you about some of my double degrees because I had to be careful not to make you feel as small as you are. And I was careful in bed because you would know how strong I was if I did too much and I had to hide that.”

“Oh, he really is a slow one,” Belinda said with a laugh. “He hadn’t figured that out yet. Nor that you hid your training from him. He thought you were lazy like others said.”

I sighed and stood. “I really didn’t spend enough time with him to know he was this big of a moron. I would have ended it the first month if I’d known. It’s embarrassing that he’s this dumb and I was with him for years.” I rolled my eyes and glanced at Maple. “The mistakes we make when young and being too careful to not upset royal protocols.”

I felt better when both Fraser and Maple snickered.

I faced Vex and Hanna. “You both went way too far with all of this. He was completely in the wrong, and I gave you chance after chance to handle it—handlehim. Instead, you doubled down and doubled down again.” I looked at Hanna specifically. “Going to the judge? Are you mad?”

“Are you? You had him handled and—”

“Don’t speak on things you don’t know,Sister,” Onyx bit out. “Someone from the family told me because they’re tired of what you’re all doing and you ruining the Conley name. There are others of us who are Conleys and good. Others who want to not keep wearing this shame.