“No thank you.” I gave her a curt nod and she sauntered away.
The moment she closed the door I returned my gaze to my uncle.
He was already looking at me.
In his eyes was raw fury. It was so intense the color had changed and heat radiated from him like that of a forge.
His jaw was set, shoulders rigid despite the casual robe, and the only movement he made was the deliberate way he set down his mug on the table, making the wood tremble.
“Uncle?” The word came out clipped, and unbothered.
I walked further into the room, keeping my movements casual despite the pressure crackling between us.
He leaned back against his chair. “Tell me something, Nephew.”
“Sure.” I’d play his game.
“Why exactly do you hate me?” He squinted, eyes narrowing to slits. “I’d really love to know.”
I raised my brows. The question didn’t require deep thought. The list of answers was very,verylong. Topping the list was my suspicions that he had something to do with my father’s death. And that by itself was enough.
“I don’t think it would be best for either of us if we get into that,” I answered, looking him up and down.
“I’d beg to differ. I think it’s fair that I know why you choose to work against me at every turn.”
“Not being your puppet isn’t me working against you.”
“Puppet? What a way to put it.” He smirked without humor. “Wolfe, you’re reckless as fuck, you have no regard for the crown or kingdom, or this family for the matter, and all you do is what you want.”
“That’s partly true,” I answered coolly, pissing him off even more. He wasn’t going to get to me with his words.
“This is not the fucking time to joke. You married the mage.Married. You, a prince of Galaythia married some lowly half mage who’s barely been in the magical realm for five minutes.”
I bit down hard on my back teeth to tamp down the spark of rage. These days I’ve found that it didn’t take much for me to switch. He’d already had a taste of that—twice. I feared if unleashed again, I’d kill him.
“Why Wolfe? Why marry her when you could have had the princess of Thalyrius?” he looked me square in the eye. “Why marry someone who has no benefit to the kingdom whatsoever? Would it not have been better to marry into Thalyrius and at fucking least have some claim to their wealth and power?”
He was still bitter because he missed out on the benefits he would have gained from a union with Thalyrius. His loss was not my concern.
“I told you, marriage wouldn’t help the kingdom. The rebels have gone way past that.”
“Every little bitwouldhave helped.”
“Well it wouldn’t have helped. I married for love. That is all.”
“Love makes people reckless,” Dreynthor countered. “I hope you haven’t just proven that true.”
“I haven’t.”
“You are thinking like a boy in love,” he grated out, seething.
“I’m thinking like aking.”
He laughed and shook his head at me. “It seems you’ve forgotten who sits on the throne. Last I checked it wasn’t you.”
Motherfucking dog. Now he was throwing shit in my face.
“Say whatever you want. Nothing will change.” I straightened. “Elariya is my mate now and you will respect her.”
