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She takes an instinctive step back, folding her arms across her midsection. "What do you want to know?"
"How about we play Lucy's game? I'll trade you a question for an answer."
She quirks her head to the side, considering my words. "Because the last time we played it, it went so well?" she asks, not with malice or sarcasm but with an innocent sort of dismay.
"Consider it a redemption round," I counter, and she smiles.
I walk over and take a seat at the edge of my bed. She hesitates for a moment, eyes scanning the room as she weighs her options. Finally, she walks over and joins me, the mattress shifting under her weight as she sits beside me.
"Ladies first."
"Why do they call you the Rogue Alpha? I know there are rogues in your pack, but when you first arrived at Oscar's mating ceremony, they called you the Exiled King. Is it just because you lead an unconventional pack?" she asks at last.
"They call me that because I used to be a rogue wolf myself. When the Alpha of the Rovers died, things got... complicated," I reply, rubbing the back of my neck as my muscles tighten uncomfortably at the memories. "I spent a few years on my own, and when I eventually returned and became the new Alpha, I opened the doors of my territory to all lone wolves and outcasts who longed for a pack."
She looks at me with curiosity in her expression, her purple doe eyes narrowing slightly, but she does not press for more.
My turn.
"What about you, little flower?" I say carefully, my tone measured, "Everyone has demons, especially in a pack full of mutts and misfits. But the other night, when you screamed in your sleep..." I trail off. I take a slow breath, resisting the urge to curl my hands into fists, and finally ask, "What haunts your dreams?"
I expected her to stiffen. I expected her to hunch over and curl up or flinch and move away, but she just sighs as if she's not surprised by the question, just saddened by it. "Bad memories make for bad dreams," she mumbles, almost to herself. "I have nightmares about the past. My role in the Bane pack was... complicated."
Something burns in my chest, and in the depths of my mind, my wolf growls at the thought.
It's not a full answer, but then again, neither was mine. We're both being careful, and though this is originally Lucy's game, it does not feel like we're playing.
"How did you end up living in a magic house?" she asks, her lilting voice sounding a little higher as she moves on to the next question. Anger still simmers within me at the implications of her answer, but it dulls at the flicker of awe on her face as she speaks. "The enchantment on the Villa du Lac is unlike anything I've ever seen before."
An easy question. This time, I give her the full answer. "My father was a merciful Alpha. When I was just a boy, a wounded witch wandered into his territory. His Beta wanted to kill the sorceress for trespassing, but my father chose to spare her. He believed it was a leader's duty to protect those who could not protect themselves. He offered her shelter until she recovered. To thank him for opening his home to her, she cast a spell on it before she left, so this house would take care of itself while he took care of others."
She nods, looking around the room as if she can somehow see the spell on the walls.
I lick my lips, the next question dancing on my tongue. "Why did you agree to come away with me?"
Chapter Eighteen
I clench my jaw, wringing my hands at his question. I should lie, flatter him and praise the life he's given me. But as his amber eyes peer into mine, I cannot bring myself to try. Somehow, I don't have the energy, don't have the will to deceive him.
"I didn't think it was much of a choice," I reply at last.
He frowns, and I can tell it's not the answer he was hoping for. "I would not have forced you to come. If you had rejected me, I would have respected that and walked away."
"I know that," I say quietly but quickly, and it's true. At least, I know that now. From the moment I met Tristan, I felt the urge to trust him, but I didn't go with him because of that. "But Viktor wouldn't have reacted well. He... he gave me to you, and even if you had let me stay, my uncle would not allow me to embarrass him like that."
Something wrathful flashes through his eyes, but the anger in his expression is different. I get the sense that it's not because of my answer; it's not even because of me. He's furious at what might have been done to me.
"I had no idea you were Viktor's niece. When I saw his son raise a hand to you, I wanted to tear it off."
"Hey," I whisper, my hand instinctively reaching for his. When he doesn't pull away, my fingertips brush the tops of his knuckles with a soothing touch. "It's my turn," I say softly, and some of the irritation softens on his expression.
"What do you want to know?" he asks, and he turns his hand so his palm is pressed against mine, looking down as our fingers entwine.
"You told the others my role here is simply as your guest, but... what does that mean? Are we going to have a mating ceremony?"
He tilts his head, pondering the question, and my heart skips a beat at his reply. "Do you want there to be?"
I blink in surprise and bite my lower lip. "I don't know what I want," I say finally. Honestly.
