I sucked it up and decided to be honest. “I’m being advised that would be bad in the long run. Vex is my biggest ally and Kole is good at playing the victim. He’ll make it like this was my grief, and—you know this will play badly for me in the end. I’m cold and he wanted to get closer to me.”
I felt better when he cursed under his breath.
“What can I do?”
I licked my lips. “Tell Vex that I’m sorry when this all blows up later. I didn’t want this, but I have to protect myself. I didn’t—the elders cornered me into this madness, and I couldn’t let Hardin puppet me. I couldn’t let them abuse me like they did my parents. I can’t let seventeen men treat me the way Kole is. I wouldn’t survive it and they’d win in the end.”
I wasn’t sure if “they” were the elders or the men.
Or even the Alphas and one of them could take over.
Oranyone who wanted my demise.
“Please don’t cry,” he breathed. “I’ll handle Vex and explain. I’ll make it clear that his blind spot for Kole was part of the problem. Kole’s brother covering for him.”
“What?”
Onyx sighed. “You busted Kole about not being here during the funeral and his brother tried to help cover for him. We only found out at the meeting. They’re both lying little shits and…”
“What a mess. I should never—this is why the royal family stays away from Alpha families.”
“Yes, and why your father didn’t want this match—made it clear you wouldn’t mate any Alpha family,” he said sadly.
“What?” I gasped.
“You didn’t know?”
I let out a bitter chuckle. “No, why should I know that? I was only their daughter.”
“Shit, this wasn’t how you should have found out.”
“Found outwhatexactly?” I pushed when he didn’t answer.
“That your father made it clear to Vex a couple of months ago that the relationship was over and a statement would bewritten up so to get on board and handle Kole’s reaction or Vex wouldn’t like the mess,” he answered.
“I have to go,” I mumbled and hung up.
I stared at the phone for several moments but didn’t see anything. Finally, I tossed it to the side and lay on my bed staring at the ceiling. How could no one tell me that?
Honestly, I didn’t blame Vex. He would have assumed I knew. Probably that I’d fought against Father thinking I cared for Kole.
But why hadn’t Father or Mother told me they didn’t like my relationship with Kole? I would have ended it. My feelings were lukewarm at best and…
I really was just a pawn they moved around as it benefited them, not a daughter they loved.
That thought broke another piece inside of me and I responded back to Kole saying that he needed training in royal protocols and a reality check. If I needed to loop in his father I would, but he was being beyond ridiculous and I was tired of it. I didn’t date children and I was going to be queen, so act like the partner to one or I would end things.
I let out a slow breath and then told him that of course he could have friends over since he was my guest but only if he followed the rules of the castle and stopped acting out. I had piles of issues all over and I couldn’t deal with his tantrums.
Basically, I pushed every button I could knowing it would piss him off more and more, but also that my responses gave him nowhere to go. Asking why he wasn’t more understanding of what I was going through and where the loving Kole I’d first gone out with was. It was manipulative as fuck for me to do and I hated it.
But it was needed in case he showed the texts to anyone… And I was pretty sure he would. So I played the game I hated.
I playedhimwhen I had always promised myself that my relationships were the one area I would not be fake Princess Sagan and simply just Sagan.
So much for that fantasy.
The next day, I was in a foul mood. It started off with the high priest of the capital’s temple starting more trouble with me. He pretty much refused to officiate the ceremony unless it was run by the elders—especially Elder Hardin as wastradition. It was clear he was in Hardin’s pocket and I wasn’t going to allow it.
