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“I don’t have specifics,” he admitted with a frown. “I’m giving myself until the end of this week to look at my options and make a choice based on those options.”
I nodded. It made sense.
“I’m telling you this because I will still be expected to be…intimate with my wife in hopes of producing a male heir,” he said tentatively.
“Wait,” I said. It felt as though I had just run into a wall of brick. “I’m your heir.”
“You are.” A beat. “For now.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, standing up. The plate clattered on the table but I paid it no mind. “My entire life has been a reminder of all of the responsibilities and burdens I’m expected to carry as your heir, as the one inheriting the pack once you step down as Alpha. And now you tell me there’s a chance that might not be the case.” Tears filtered into my eyes, but I bit them back. I refused to cry, but never in front of my father. Not over this. “You cannot mean to take this away from me.”
“I thought you would want that.” His eyes flickered to my wounded hand before looking up at me. His face was emotionless; even his tone was stoic. “I know how burdened you’ve been by this ordeal, and the last thing I want is for my daughter to be overwhelmed by her sense of duty. If anything, she should be willing to step fiercely into it —“
“You know I am,” I said, my voice rising. My fingers bunched into fists as I tried to get a handle on my emotions, but I was too overcome with them to slow myself down and breathe. “You see how hard I work. You know I study harder than anyone here, I fight harder. I’ve learned our history, our language, our customs. I’ve done everything you’ve asked me to do, and still, if you produce a male, you will look me in the eyes and tell me that I haven’t earned it? I haven’t earned what’s been rightfully mine since you announced it on my thirteenth birthday?”
My father's lips twitched into a frown. “I didn’t know this was important to you,” he said. “From what I hear, you resent your responsibilities and would prefer to have freedom. Granted, even as a spare, there would be particular duties you must adhere to, but the actual inheritance of the pack would fall off your shoulders.”
“I don’t want that,” I insisted. “I’m telling you this right now.” I blinked. “Wait. Who’ve you been speaking to about me? Who would tell you such things, such lies?”
My father had the decency to look away, not because he was shamed by what he said, but because whoever this person was had some significance, if not to him, than to me.
I furrowed my brow, jerking myself back.
It couldn’t be Matthyw, could it?
Maybe that was why he was being nice, buying me a necklace, caring for my hand. Because he needed my cooperation when Father gavehimthe pack instead of me.
“Father,” I pushed. There was something in my tone, something I didn’t recognize, something I had never used before. It was firm and unyielding, and it struck me by surprise. And yet, it surged through me, a power I hadn’t realized I possessed. I needed to hear him say it. I needed a name. “Who is telling you these things?”
“I’ve had multiple discussions about you with the wolf I’ve selected to take as my mate,” he finally said, gracefully standing to his full height so I wouldn’t continue to look down at him.
“I thought you were giving me a week,” I said automatically. I blinked. “You meant, a week to tell me.” I shook my head in disbelief. “And how would she know me?” I sneered. “At least, she wouldn’t know me well enough to claim such things.”
A moment hung between us. “Actually,” he said. “She would.”
I opened my mouth to ask what he was talking about when he locked eyes with me.
“The wolf I’m going to marry is Megan Chamberly.”
Kazu
Kazu stepped into the tavern, eyeing the packed room with derision. He didn’t want to be here. Not a fan of people or excessive drinking, especially as a way to celebrate, a tavern reeked of piss and spilled alcohol, was too noisy to hear any meaningful conversation, and increased attraction without warranting it.
But he was here because the other captains and lieutenants invited him, and he needed a distraction from everything he had to deal with, thanks to Grey’s new plan of implementing him as Embyrlyn’s contact on a mission he was vehemently against. Maybe a drink might help him, but he wasn’t sure. He just couldn’t be in his room right now, left alone with thoughts he couldn’t quite understand.
Like, why he cared so much about Embyrlyn taking on this mission in the first place.
He didn’t care abouther. That was why he focused so much of his attention on Dade, and then Felix. She was weak and emotional. Brilliant, maybe. A decent fighter, sure. An astounding strategist. But not worth investing in.
And yet…
There was more to it than that. There was a reason he purposefully pushed her away from the start, and now, she was about to ruin that, thanks to Grey and his manipulation.
Bastard.
“Kazu! Over here.” A hand waved at him through the crown.
He sucked in a breath, steeling himself for whatever would come his way tonight. He highly doubted he would be able to plan for anything, especially since he didn’t plan on being here in the first place.
