"Right," he says flatly. "Because that's all Omegas are good for. Breeding."
"That's not what I meant?—"
"It's exactly what you meant." Cillian moves toward the door. "Go to your interview, Your Highness. Find your perfect broodmare. Just remember one thing."
I raise an eyebrow. "What's that?"
"If this Omega is as perfect as you say she is, then she will see right through you. You might be able to keep up the ruse for a bit, but eventually it will all fall apart. I just hope she gives you a taste of what you deserve before you destroy her, too."
The door slams shut behind him when Cillian stomps out of the room.
I tamp down on the urge to chase him down. Once Cillian is done throwing his little tantrum, he'll be able to see reason.
Being named my father's heir, eventually becoming king — that is how I'll keep us safe.
I rub the mark on my shoulder, the spot where Cillian's teeth tore into my flesh years ago. The claiming bond throbs with his anger, a distant echo of emotion I can feel even after he's gone.
He doesn't understand. Or maybe he understands too well.
I check my watch again. I'm already late for the interview with Maya. My father will be displeased, but when isn't he? The king's expectations hang around my neck like a noose, tightening with each passing day.
Produce an heir. Secure the line. Fulfill your duty.
The words have been drilled into me since childhood, but they've taken on new urgency since Ander's death. My father may even suspect I had something to do with it even if he can't prove anything.
That doesn't stop him from using this heir business as both carrot and stick.
And if he ever discovers that I've been hiding a male Omega in the palace guard, much less bonded him, I don't want to imagine the consequences.
Designation fraud. Murder. Treason. High crimes against the crown.
The best case for Cillian is that he is thrown in a work camp full of convict Alphas only too happy to tear him apart.
I'll be sent to the Outlands as a conscript, assuming I don't face the gallows first.
I straighten my jacket one final time and head for the door. The walk to my car is brisk, my security detail falling in step behind me. They're not Ares or Poe, just faceless palace guards who know better than to speak unless spoken to.
As the car pulls away from the palace, I watch the gleaming towers recede in the window. The Enclave is on the other side of the city, a prison disguised as a school. I've never liked the place — the sterile halls, the false smiles, the way they train Omegas to be perfect little dolls.
Except Maya isn't like that. From the moment she walked into our first interview, chin up and eyes defiant, she's been different. Her scent calls to something primal in me, something that should have been buried when I bonded Cillian.
No Alpha can bond two Omegas — it's biologically impossible. The second claiming would never take, not fully. And an incomplete bond can't produce viable heirs.
Without an heir, I'll never be king.
If I never become king, I won't be able to fully protect Cillian from the consequences of his lies and our impulsivity when this secret is inevitably revealed.
So I'm left with an impossible choice: my duty or my heart.
The car slows as we approach the Enclave's gates. I take a deep breath, centering myself. For today, at least, I know what I have to do.
Maya Tantamount is waiting.
CHAPTER 4
Logan
ONE YEAR AGO
