My twin rolls her eyes. “She’s here, isn’t she? Florence traveled halfway around the world, let you tuck her away in a flat a few blocks from the palace, in a country where half of the citizens view her as a villain, and the other see her as the face of the omega movement.”
“She’s here for them… not me.”
“God, you’re an idiot. She’s here forallof you. She wants every member of your pack. I bet you did somethingappropriately self-sacrificing and told her you’d remove yourself from the pack, didn’t you.”
My teeth grind together. She doesn’t need to know that is exactly what I did. And had my pack dug in their heels, had Florence, and they all stayed in Granton, I would have taken that as my sign to do it. To break my bond with my pack and face the world as a lone alpha.
But they didn’t. Instead Ren put aside her worries and fears and came with me. Let us tuck her away in an apartment and keep her like the mistress she was worried she’d become. Our dirty little secret who deserves better.
Just like Piers deserves better.
I have two people who want nothing more than to love me with their whole hearts and what am I doing about it? Hiding? Being the coward that Ren accused me of being?
Certainly not being the alpha that they both deserve.
But that changes now. With Lizzie’s blessing, knowing my twin will support my decision, I’m going to make it right with Florence. With Piers. With my pack. I’m going to show the world who Prince Forsythe Ashbourne, Duke of Whitcombe, chooses when he also chooses himself, his happiness.
“Iaman idiot.”
She grins up at me. “I’m glad you can admit it. I thought you weren’t capable.”
“I can. I am capable of recognizing my faults. Too many of them, in fact.” I run a weary hand down my face. “I am a flawed person, Lizzie. I’m working on being better.”
She nudges me with her shoulder. “You are, but so is everyone.”
“Not you surely.”
She laughs. “Even me.” There’s a moment of pause, where we’re both silent, just enjoying each other’s company. She breaks it with a sigh. “I should have seen this coming. I shouldhave… recognized the signs, realized that Grams is too bloody stubborn to admit defeat.”
I’m not sure what she’s talking about, but I know my sister well enough to know she’ll tell me.
“Bree’s pregnant.” I look over at her, my heart swelling with both joy and trepidation. She doesn’t look as ecstatic as I’d thought she would at the news. She glances over at me and sighs. “I am blissfully happy about it. Don’t doubt that, but these new laws…”
It clicks in my brain, what exactly my grandmother did and why she did it. She never made her disapproval of Elizabeth’s omega a secret. It was clear from the start she wanted her to bond with a male omega, not a female, that there should only be one womb in the pack to ensure the bloodline. Lizzie just didn’t care. She followed her heart and it worked out for her. The public loves Bree almost as much as her pack does.
But of course the queen couldn’t leave it at that.
The omega laws were a response to Bree being brought into the Royal Crown Pack.
“Jesus, I knew she was petty but this is…” I shake my head.
“Everything that’s happened since I brought Bree into our pack, it’s my fault,” my twin says. “The television show was a distraction and a way for her to pretend she’s more modern than she is. She pushed you to bond Isadora because she knows that girl can be controlled with nothing more than a tiara and the illusion of power. She pressured you to give up your mate because she could tell Florence would never be controlled.”
I shake my head. “She couldn’t have known Florence was my scent match. I didn’t even know.” I suspected, but until Grieves thrust that bundle of fabric at me, I didn’tknow.
“No, but she could see how drawn to her you were. Everyone could see it, Sythe. She saw a threat to her plans andshe acted as she deemed appropriate, threatening you, your pack and Florence to force your hand.”
She turns back to the view of the gardens. “Her actions of late are unhinged. I’m seriously concerned about her mental state, and I know she’s making decisions that protect our family name and bloodline and not the country. I’m going to push for her to abdicate.”
I jerk toward her. “You are?”
She nods. “Yes. It’s what's for the best. If she can’t see it, then we’ll force her hand. I refuse to let this law stand, Sythe. Fucking refuse. She couched in words like security. Safety. But this law was an attack on Bree. My omega. On my pack.” She looks at me out of the corner of her eye. “Yours too.”
A slow nod. “It was. And countless other omegas and packs will get caught in the crossfire.”
“But we are going to stop her.” My sister sounds determined. Angry.
“When?” I ask, both dreading and needing the answer.
