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But so am I, and she’s called my bluff.As Tai would say…
There’s nothing I want more in the world than for my mother to be pain-free. For her to have the chance to see Kevin grow up. For her to be there to meet her eventual grandchildren.
The thought of leaving the Royal Pack behind is so painful that I have to hold back a scream when agony rips my soul apart, but my mother would be receiving the very best care out there if we go. We’d have a home. School. Work.
It’s everything I ever would’ve been able to dream of, but… “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. Your offer is so incredibly generous, but I’m afraid I can’t accept it.”
My mother would never forgive me for turning down a chance at love. She’d rather die than feel responsible for me being torn away from my soulmates, and I know the guilt itself may well kill her before the disease ever could. Besides, I have to believe that if the queen could arrange this for my mother, then maybe my pack could, too,withouther help.
The queen blinks in surprise, but then she shrugs it off, swipes the papers off her desk, and drops them in the trash. “Very well, Ms. Darling. I’ll see you at the ball, then.”
The words sound a little ominous, but it doesn’t matter how she feels. The Alphas have made it clear to me where they stand, and nothing and no one can take that away from us. I push to my feet, dropping into another clumsy curtsy before I turn to leave, but as I do, she speaks again, halting me in my tracks.
“Kaspian, Wolfgang, and William may have feelings for you, Ms. Darling, but make no mistake that they’ve been raised for a life of duty. They will not shirk it indefinitely. This is a phase, nothing more.”
I glance at her over my shoulder. “His name is Taiyo, not William.”
Her eyes flash with fury, and I realize this is probably the final nail in my coffin, but what is done is done. She was way out of line summoning me like this, and the fact she did means her attempts to sway the Royal Pack have failed.
This was her hail Mary, and it was unsuccessful.Let her be angry. I’m pissed off too.
I know she’s the queen, and that frightens me because I realize she has more power in her little finger than I’ll ever have, but screw her. It’s not like I’m a terrorist who has threatened her reign. I’m also not an anti-monarchist who will stop at nothing to bring down her family.
I’m just an Omega who doesn’t have any connections to bring to the table, but what I do have is more love for her son and his pack than anyone else will ever be able to offer them. It may not seem like much to her, but it is what it is, and what it is, is enough for them. And right now, that’s all that matters—whether she likes it or not.
THIRTY
—
M A D D I E
Outside in the hall,Antonio, Casey, and I are waiting to be announced. The sounds of music and chatter drift to us from the ballroom. While it’s so like that first night in many ways, it’s also so different.
As I stare at myself in the same mirror as I did when my name was called for the Scenting, I’m not wobbling on my heels and my freckles are out in full force. Mary and I reached a compromise on my shoes, and while they’re not the pumps I liked, they’re also not skyscrapers.
They’re modest kitten heels, broad and low enough to allow me not to feel like I’m teetering and high enough to make my ass look good—according to Antonio, anyway. He grins as he comes up behind me, putting his hands on my hips and resting his head on my shoulder.
“You’re beautiful, Maddison,” he says happily before he frowns. “Very flushed, but beautiful. Are you still experiencing those heat symptoms?”
I sigh, nodding at him in our reflections before he turns me abruptly to face him, his expression serious and more than a little scared. “Haven’t you been taking my suppressants?”
“I have, but only half a tablet of yours a day and one and a half of mine.”
“Why?” he asks urgently. “Yours clearly aren’t working and—”
“And I didn’t want to burn through your stash at the same rate that I’ve burned through mine,” I say stubbornly. “I’m okay, I promise. I took a whole one of yours this morning just in case. Gotta give it time to kick in.”
“Are you in any pain?”
I shrug, but he doesn’t miss the wince that follows. My lower stomach has been aching since I woke up the morning after Kaz knotted me. There’s a tightness there that doesn’t seem to want to ease no matter how many warm peppermint teas I drink or how many cold showers I take. And the slick. Don’t get me started on the slick. I’ve borrowed a few panty liners from Mary, who’s promised to keep the request hushed until I can get my heat dialed back and under proper control.
“A little,” I admit. “But I brought another one of your suppressants with me.”
I pat my chest, where I’ve tucked the little pill into the boning of my emerald dress.
“Maybe you should take it,” he suggests. “But what you really need is to go to a doctor, Maddie. Now. This isn’t right. If the dates on your suppressants were good, then this should never have happened.”
His gaze sweeps across my face and his nostrils flare as he breathes in deeply. “Every Alpha here will know if you’re going into heat.” He swallows, eyeing me up and down. “And I suspect you are.”
