Yours,
Roman
P.S. Don’t fall in love with someone else. Come back to me.
* * *
Violet sat at the small desk in her room at the inn, just inside the Human Kingdom border, and read the letter again.Roman wants to marry me ‘since Vivian left?’
She’d heard people say they got butterflies in their stomachs, but reading his words again turned her organs to ash. Her anger was a tangible thing, igniting everything within her.
Did he think a few flowery words would convince her to be a stand-in for Vivian?
Red clouded her vision.“Since Vivian left.”
“That fuckingasshole.”
Jumping up, she stomped to the door connected to Ares’ room and threw it open without knocking. He and Griff each had a room on either side of Violet’s and had insisted on keeping the connecting doors unlocked in case of an emergency. This was an emergency.
Violet pulled up short at the sight of Ares’ muscular body slamming into a woman from behind.
He looked up, met her eye, and paled, his stunned expression matching hers. Neither moved nor spoke at first until Ares composed himself. “I know you and Rome like the pleasure house, but he’ll kill me if he finds out you saw me naked.”
The woman whipped her head to the side and shrieked, attempting to cover herself with her hands.
“Violet,” Ares pleaded, his voice shrill enough to make her cringe. “I am begging you to leave.”
Shaking her head, she crossed the room, Ares’ fearful eyes bulging with every step. “Don’t worry, your delusional friend won’t hear about this from me.” She shoved Roman’s letter into Ares’ chest. “I don’t intend on writing him again. Tell the prince he can find someone else to replace Vivian. Just because we’re identical twins doesn’t mean I’m her fucking backup.”
Spinning on her heel, she almost fell over War.“You can tell him what I said too.” Weaving around the giant tigon, she marched into her room and slammed the door behind her.
Had Ares known about Roman’s plan? Had War? Not that War could tell her, but it still embarrassed her.
Roman hadn’t seemed to care about Viv leaving, but he’d always hidden his feelings well. He’d given Violet no indication he wanted her as more than a friend, but now that he was afraid she might meet someone else, he’d decided to tell her he wants to marry her?
“Since Vivian left.”
Fuck. Him.
* * *
“Are we still on for dinner tonight?” Marissa asked Roman as they trekked out of the training arena.
“What did you say to Violet?”War’s voice came through the bond, stopping Roman in his tracks.“Whatever you’re doing, stop and watch this.”
Marissa moved in front of Roman, the picture of concern. “Rome? What’s wrong.”
He ignored her, glamoured himself invisible, and closed his eyes to connect with War. Violet stomped away, a piece of paper in one hand, and threw open a door.
War followed close on her heels and immediately closed his eyes.“What are you doing? Open your eyes,”Roman commanded, shooting his frustration down the bond.
“You don’t want to see this,”the tigon replied, amused.
“I know you and Rome like the pleasure house, but he’ll kill me if he finds out you saw me naked.”
Ares? Hot, jealous rage pumped through Roman’s veins.“War, open your fucking eyes.”
A woman, not Violet, screamed, and War gave in, showing Roman the sordid scene. Ares, the handsome bastard, stood naked, his cock lodged into a frantic woman trying to cover herself.
