I swallowed. Caspian wasn’t lying when he told me Katarina came to him to ask if he could claim her and I mistook them for having an affair. She really wanted out of this Claiming with Aeon.
“Him?” Sofia asked, snapping me from my thoughts. Her eyes widened as if she was too surprised. I just watched her forehead crease before her fork pointed at my Beta. “He has a girlfriend. You can’t just take someone’s boyfriend and claim it as yours.”
“Sofia!” Katarina exclaimed in a hushed tone. “Don’t point your fork at someone. Where are your manners?”
I laughed while my finger was moving in circles on my mate’s thigh under the table. “My Beta doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
“He told me he has,” Sofia answered, her brows furrowing.
“It was a joke. I didn’tknow you couldn’t tell a joke from a real one.” Dominic added, snickering in his seat.
“I’m finally convinced you’re a terrible person.” Sofia sneered, and I just shook my head at their exchange, my eyes staring at Nadia, who seemed to be amazed looking at them.
“Ouch! That was straight to the heart.”
“Alpha Riley, did you know that the first time I met Beta Dominic, he told me he was Alpha Jacob? And I believed him. You should reconsider him for a Beta post. I think he’s just making up stories with everything.”
“Well, that’s interesting. I thought I knew my Beta well. I didn’t know he lies a lot.” I answered in a calm tone, but I was doing my best not to laugh because I might offend Sofia.
“Oh, he does. And Katarina, please, choose someone else. I don’t think the Beta can make you happy.”
“That’s already below the belt.” My Beta replied, a playful smile plastered on his lips. I was under the impression that he enjoyed riling up Sofia’s anger.
“I’m desperate. I don’t know how to tell Darvin I don’t want this without putting him in a bad light.” Katarina said.
“Yeah, and then I’m next.” Sofia added.
“You too?” Nadia asked.
“Yes, but I hope at least Darvin will give me a chance to choose who will claim me because I’m not going on a blind Claiming. I will run away.”
“Call me. I’ll pick you up.” Dominic butted in.
“You’ll help me?”
“If my Alpha allows me.”
“Then I guess it’s a no.”
“Is there really no way out of this?” Nadia’s question took my attention away from Dominic and Sofia.
“I have no idea what agreement they had with Aeon’s pack, so I can’t really tell,” I answered my mate before shifting my eyes to Katarina. “But if anything, Aeon is a good man. Maybe give him a chance, get to know him.”
“Well, that’s the problem. I’ve been betrothed to this Alpha for more than six months now, but I haven’t seen him even once. It’s either he looks scary or he’s not interested in me.”
“I reckoned it was the latter,” Sofia said in a nonchalant manner. “Because I’ve heard from my friends that he’s good-looking, as in hot, hot!”
“When are you turning eighteen?” Dominic asked her.
“Eight months from now. And why should I expect a gift from you?”
He chuckled. “Too bad, I’m thinking since it looks like you’re smitten by Alpha Aeon, maybe you can take Lady Katarina’s place in the Claiming but then you’re not yet eighteen by then...”
My brow raised as I listened to my Beta. He made it sound like he was teasing the young female, but I could sense the annoyance in his voice. I felt there was more than what he was trying to show.
Chapter 49
Three Days After.
