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“Excellent.”
Her high heels clack against the hardwood floors as she strides toward me, her eyes stern on mine as she stops a few feet away. “See to it that Wolfgang and William don’t stay up too late. And do not sneak away tonight.”
I bite my tongue so hard I feel a sharp pinch of pain before the taste of metal fills my mouth, but I nod like the good little prince she made sure I was raised to be. She can’t tell that deep down inside, I’m hurling obscenities at her for treating us like children now when she wasn’t bothered to back when we were, in fact, children.
Thankfully, my tolerance for discomfort is fairly high. I’m sure my face won’t betray what I feel or that I’ve bitten a goddamn chunk out of my tongue. Her chest rises in a deep breath as she stares at me, undoubtedly assessing if there’s any hint of a lie in my eyes.
If thatiswhat she’s looking for, she won’t find it. Wolf and Tai—notWilliam, though it frustrates me to no end that she insists on calling him by his middle name—are right downstairs. I can feel them through our pack bond. They’re not planning on going anywhere either.
They’re obviously aware of the storm brewing inside me though, their concern flowing freely through our bond.That’s just fucking great. Now I need to appease them before I can go back to my telescope.I can sense their distress at my discomfort already. If I don’t go to them, they’ll just come to me.
In all fairness, it isn’t their fault. I shouldn’t be irritated that they’re concerned about me when I’m feeling as strongly as I am right now. If the tables were turned and I felt this kind of intense, negative emotion coming from either of them, I wouldn’t have just been concerned. I’d already be by their sides, ready to raze the world to the ground to make the responsible party suffer.
My mother nods curtly as her palms move to her hips, I know what’s coming. She’s been in lecture mode for weeks now. Whenever she takes this pose, she’s about to drone on about things I’m so sick of hearing that I may lose my dinner on her shoes.
“The Omega Trials are a necessary and important part of our history, Kaspian. You would do well to remember that. In the coming weeks I will not have the three of you making fools of us by not taking this seriously.”
“Yes, Mother. We are taking it seriously. Very seriously. However, it is worth mentioning”—again—“that we’re the only nation left doing anything like this.”
Her full lips purse as her brow smooths out and annoyance flashes in her eyes. “Look out your window, Kaspian. Does it look like you’re in Jordan, Eswatini, or Denmark?”
She waits a long moment, but I do not peer out the window to the manicured gardens and the walls of the castle estate in the distance.
“No.”
“Are we clear on this?”
“Crystal.”
Arguing with her won’t change her stance. I’ve tried, but she’s dug in and will defend her position like it’s a fortress under attack.
Although I don’t make a habit of giving in, in this instance, I do. Ultimately, she is queen. If I push her too hard, she could retaliate in some way I’d like less than this. She’s my mother, but she’s as cold and ruthless as they come.
Which is saying something, coming from me, but I digress.
After giving me a final, meaningful look, she reminds me that we’re to be in the drawing room at a quarter to five. Then she takes her leave. When she’s gone, I heave out a breath, sink down on my haunches, and scream into my hands with my palms clamped tight over my mouth to muffle the sound.
It won’t make a damn bit of difference, but heaven help me, I wish I could make her see reason. Unfortunately, she already thinks she does. She views this as part of our faithful and honorable duty, and refuses to consider the possibility that the Trials are not necessary anymore.
Secretly, I think the entire outdated tradition is a ploy for her to be able to handpick the next queen. While my pack and I might have some sway in who stays and who goes among the selected at first, ultimately, my mother will ‘guide’ the final selection.
As I rise again, I smooth out my shirt and start toward the door. Wolf and Tai will be on their way up soon if I don’t beat them to it.
After briefly looking in the mirror to make sure there’s no outward trace of my feelings, I head out the door and remind myself once again that I need to play the game. It will only be a few more years until my mother will pass the torch and I’ll be king. Then, I’ll finally have the chance to do some good with my power. I’ll be able to make all the changes I want to make to the system.
Maybe I’ll abolish the Omega Trials so no future generation will have to subject themselves to the absolute absurdity of it all.
Until that happens, I have to keep up appearances. Even if it feels like it might bloody kill me long before my mother starts thinking about retirement.
Doing my best not to look as pouty and doomed as I feel, I stride into the hall of our pack quarters at the palace. Wolf and Tai are in our rec room, enjoying our last official night of freedom, when I walk in.
Tai stands at the pool table with a tall glass of whiskey in one hand and a Beta’s ass in the other. Another Beta is draped across his side, although I’m sure it’s difficult for him to take a drink with her positioned the way she is. She’s got her tits pushed into his arm, though, so I doubt he minds much. Not paying too much attention to the Betas, he’s watching our resident playboy packmate in action, getting turned on by seeing Wolf receive pleasure.
Wolf, in all his golden-haired glory, has his head thrown back and his lips parted on a silentOas he thrusts his swollen cock into a Beta’s mouth. She’s on her knees between his spread legs, her eyes rolled back, watery, with mascara smudging their rims.
His strong hand fists her hair, ropes of muscle rippling in his forearm where they disappear into his rolled-up shirt sleeves. Strands of the beta’s blonde curls stick out between his fingers as they flex and release on her head.
Empty beer bottles are scattered around his feet.
