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“I... no, I’m not telling you that.” It makes sense. Soren has the mind for business, whereas Nole would try to run it like a governor.
“Well, I think you’re lying. And you also suck at it. Lying, that is.” Nico’s trademark black stare replaces the smirk an average person would have given.
“Fine.” My stomach turns, and it isn’t the dried-up food in the pipes of this unused kitchen turning me off.
Annabelle turns from the windows in the living room to the open-plan kitchen. “Oh, the kitchen. It’s really big. What do you think of it, Holter?”
He nods. “It’s nice. I’m sure whoever you get to cook for you will like it.”
Annabelle frowns. Holter will never live here, at least not until Annabelle has a full pod and is proven to society, then she can take ageminaeinto her pod. Like mother did with Constantine.
“Nico, do you want to look at the rest of the rooms with me?” she asks. “Soren got a call on his cell phone.”
“Block,” I remind her.
She shoots me a glare. “If it rings like a phone and works like a phone, it’s a duck. But whatever.”
Holter breaks out laughing, and even Nico smiles.
“Soren was talking to someone named Yana. She didn’t sound all too happy about him showing me an apartment. Is that his girlfriend?”
Joy zips through me. “It might be.”
“I got the feeling that he was flirting with me. And if your mother pushed his name any harder, she’d be tucking him in my bed.”
Holter laughs again. But Nico’s smile is gone. “Is Soren courting Yana? Who is she?”
“I can’t say for sure, but I would guess it’s Yana Braken of Braesen.” I clear my throat. It would be a good match for him.
“I’ll look at the bedrooms with you.” Nico takes her hand, and seeing how she looks at him hurts my chest.
The tour is over. We are all standing in the living room when Soren comes back in. He’s bouncing with excitement, but something is also off.
“What is it?” I ask.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He crosses his arms in front of his chest, unfolds them, and then crosses them again.
“Even I can see it,” Annabelle says. “And I’ve just met you.”
“Right, well, I’m sure I’m going to be disowned, but I don’t care. Yana has asked me to be her mate. And I’ve said yes.”
“That’s wonderful.” Annabelle jumps up and down and claps.
I’m at Soren’s side, and I pull him into a big hug. “I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you.” Soren is smiling ear to ear.
Everyone is happy until I get a glance at Nico. He’s in full scowl.
“We’re not going to tell my mother until after the ball tomorrow,” Soren says as he locks up the empty apartment. I watch my brother. He’s the second of us to commit to a mate, behind Nole. I’m sure Yana is lovely, but she’ll never be Annabelle. I’ve heard Yana spends money by the bucketload on dresses and perfume. Annabelle was sent to the shops and barely came back with enough for two days. If it weren’t for me, Soren could have had a better match. But the thought of him seeing Annabelle every day? No.
19
Annabelle
“You can pull it tighter if you need to.” I glance over my shoulder. Kai is tugging at my laces. She’s a lot shorter than I am, with a massive, thick braid swirling around the top of her head. Kai’s stunning with her dark blonde hair and green eyes. She’s already done my makeup, and I watched while she finished hers. I can tell she’s not pulling as tight as she had me tug on hers. I thought I might cut her in half. We’re back in the Drakos main apartment. Her old apartment.
“You’re sure?”
