Violet stood stock still, staring at him.Did she like watching him?Roman would kill him.
“Violet,”Ares half-yelled, sealing his fate. How dare he fucking yell at her?“I am begging you to leave.”
Violet shook her head, her beautiful hair swishing with the movement, and walked toward Ares.“Fucking rip his head off,”Roman commanded War down the bond. The disloyal beast merely huffed in return.
She slammed the paper into Ares’ chest.“Don’t worry, your delusional friend won’t hear about this from me.”Violet might as well have spewed venom. Delusional? She planned to hide this from him?
“War, if you don’t kill Ares now, I will torture him into a slow death when he gets back.”
“You are focusing on the wrong thing. Listen to her.”
“I don’t intend on writing him again,”Violet assured Ares.Roman’s heart stopped.“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.”
She thought he wanted to replace Vivian?
“War, bring her home right now,”Roman ordered.
“I cannot speak to her,”War reminded him wryly.
“Fuck.”Roman’s palms grew damp, and his breathing shallow.
Violet turned and almost ran headfirst into War.“You can tell him what I said too.”
Roman opened his eyes and dropped his glamour. “Roman, is everything okay?” Marissa asked carefully.
He made to leave, but she caught his arm. “Tell me what’s wrong. Let me help you.”
Grabbing the back of his neck, he tipped his head skyward. What had he put in the letter to make his girl think she was a replacement for Vivian? The idea was laughable.
“Nothing. I have something to do, and then I have an appointment, but I’ll meet you at the palace for dinner with my parents.”
Roman, Slayton, and Marissa hung out a lot now that Violet, Griff, and Ares were gone. The king and queen had invited the three for dinner tonight, but Slayton told Marissa he had to help his father stock the store.
Without waiting for her reply, Roman trotted toward the small cottage on the outskirts of town.
23
Princess,
It seems you misunderstood my last letter. Let me make myself perfectly clear. You are not a replacement for Vivian because Vivian was never going to be my queen. I decided years ago, when you stood in the forest and tried to do right by your kingdom and sister, that no matter the cost, you would be my wife.
I spent years researching ways to transfer the bond from her soul to yours, and when I realized the impossibility of it, I lost my mind. Knowing you would never agree to marry me while still bonded to someone else had ignited a new type of desperation. I would have done anything to keep you.
I waited for inspiration to strike to avoid my last resort plan. I won’t tell you what it was because you wouldn’t approve.
I realized the only thing Vivian loved more than the idea of being queen was herself. I played on her jealousy. She once told me she’d won by being mated to me. I told her you’d won, not her, because you were happy and in love with Titus while she was stuck in a loveless relationship neither of us wanted.
I gave her my blessing to continue with her lover and told her that if she broke the bond, I wouldn’t charge her with treason.
I didn’t know her secret lover was Titus. He would ultimately have had to go, but I never wanted it to be at your expense. If he’d died or disappeared, you would have been heartbroken, yes, but not betrayed. I would have killed them both before I let them hurt you. They will pay for what they’ve done.
You are not a replacement. You are my true mate, and I’m done caring if telling you what’s on my mind scares you. You’re my obsession, Violet Maekin. You always have been, and you always will be. You have owned me completely since we were children running through the palace halls.
Three hundred and twenty-nine days.
Obsessively Yours,
Roman
