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I leaned back into the leather couch, arms folded in front of my chest. “Now that makes sense. Are the three of you afraid Father will call you incompetent yet again?”
Aleksei was angry. “Watch your tone, Ekaterina—I’ve had enough of you. You’ve brought me nothing but trouble these past few weeks, and you might be my sister, but you’re not a god. I won’t tolerate your bullshit anymore.”
I grinned. “Why, thank you. It’s been a while since you complimented me.”
Abruptly, Dominik rose from his chair. He was fed up with our arguments, though they were nothing but a pastime for me. I never took Aleksei’s words personally. After all, nothing he said could hurt me more than what he’d already done.
“Ekaterina, walk with me.”
Before slipping out of the room, I drank the rest of my whiskey and made a mental note to eat something before I left.
Dominik was walking a few feet in front of me. Silently, I followed him outside.
Once we were behind his house—an area that held nothing but deep forest—he stopped and allowed me to catch up before striding forward once more.
“All right,” I began. “I’m sorry. I just think this should be taken a lot more seriously than it is.”
Dominik nodded in agreement. “And it is. There are plenty of things you’re unaware of.”
“Then tell me,” I pressed.
He sighed. “When Aleksei challenged our father and took over, this sort of thing happened frequently. People believed he wasn’t fit to rule, and the majority of the alliance agreed. Of course, Aleksei proved them all wrong and our connections are stronger than ever, but it doesn’t mean it can’t happen again. Showing panic and rushing our response would prove that Aleksei truly isn’t fit to rule, and after what happened with his fiancée, he has nothing left to lose. You need to understand—what happens next is his decision and his only.”
“Wow,” I breathed.
Dominik blinked. “What?”
“I think that’s the most you’ve ever said at once.”
His lips twitched. “Be serious.”
“I am,” I replied with a grin. “But I do understand—somewhat. Aleksei isn’t dumb, and he for sure won’t let it slide. I’m just trying to make all of this go away quicker.”
Dominik’s eyes narrowed in doubt. He stopped walking and simply watched me. “What do you know, Kaya?”
I shrugged. “Nothing.”
He grabbed my wrist, though it was a soft touch, just to prevent me from leaving. “If you know something, tell me now.”
I jerked my wrist back. “I’ll tell you once I know something definite. I’m not one to throw accusations without proof.”
His jaw clenched. “I’ll ask because I have to ask.” He swallowed harshly. “Are you involved in this?”
A dry chuckle left my lips, and my heart dropped to my feet. A twisted knot had formed in my gut, and I felt as if someone had slapped me—hard.
“I’ll ignore that unfounded distrust and respond. However, if this happens again, Dominik, if you try to force words out of my mouth, I’ll become your worst nightmare.” It came out too harshly, but I didn’t care.
With a deep breath, I turned on my heel and began walking back towards the house. “But no. I’m not involved in this. I need Aleksei alive, Dominik.”
He caught up to me quickly. “I apologize. I had to make sure.”
I chortled. “Make sure of what exactly? That I don’t snap all of a sudden and cause a war?”
He rolled his eyes. “That’s too dramatic, even for you.” He paused. “And I’m not afraid of you going astray; I’m afraid you’ll do something without thinking it through.”
“I never do things thoughtlessly. But if I did, it would be because I was pushed beyond my limits, and I don’t like my limits tested. But yes, I have a vague idea of who might be behind this,” I admitted, leaving Dominik speechless.
A few minutes later we were back in front of his house, and I refused to rejoin the family gathering—the one I hadn’t been invited to in the first place.
