Abandoned by All, Claimed by the Ruthless Alpha

pte

ia

ame quieter t

e blade turning over once in the fire

r remember w

und that no longer existed, and his tone

lade can't kill you-you don't get t

od fr

the continent. For a moment I couldn't tell if it was an or

ould finish forming. He was simply se

natched up my lead-heavy skirts and hurried

small. My toes had been curled inside them since the chapel

rned his head and tipped

ments later, a pair of soft flat shoes sat in front of me, along

inst the wall outside the dressing screen, and wa

hook as I worked the laces loos

scation-and then a pair of shoes that fit. Every single

dreds of eyes nailed themselves to us at once-foll

corpse to be carri

ite silk, my flat shoes carrying me light and steady, my hand resting on

family'

mother's fingers twisted her handkerchief into a knot. And Paige-Paig

es, I nearly laughed out loud. You didn'

, slow and deliberate and savoring, then fol

areless hand at the assemble

pulled out a chair and seated himself at the head of

him. The attendant at his side stepped forwa

labra and settled on Paige, as if

is

s. My father forced out a dry la

her name. Still clingi

tending. He nudged the empty glass towar

ke ice dropped i

s throat. My mother's hand jerked on the

the demand for marriage, spoken aloud by the groom at last, and in tha

painstakingly held up-he'd punched throu

o admit it was deceptio

d. The smile neve

on my face-traveling over it inch by inch, examining me in f

idle as ever, every word landing crystal clear, "about how Duskwood does its ari

pau

he real jewel ove

d silence that followed, I slowl

one at this table could tell whether he'd meant it or was toying

chair, bowing deep at the waist. "This-this

nd, nudged the empty glass another half inch toward the edg

e serve t

oked to Father; Father lowered his eyes. She

his seat, reaching as if to take t

exactly

harp. They landed squarely

uth I once believed would talk me through t

s secret lover. He didn't

would cost

o his seat, neck flushed

I felt none of the sa

wer the question of what he even was,

ted a dream as small as I just want to marry

quiet, but loud enough at this dead-silent tab

once against the rim of the emp

the wine flagon, her hands shaking so badly the spout

offended. "Who taught you to pour like that? Flagon held

in at the attend

r of Duskwood was corrected by a servant, hand over hand-the angle of

d gray, unshed tears trembling on her lashes-an

led, he tilted his hea

ine filling my glass, her face dipped close to my ear,

more than a hiss. "Don't worry-yo

lass. I didn'

. Even now-even now-she had the

on at this table, myself included, was

ne of us off it with

o

t Paige retreated to h

ng on each face, one at a time, unhurried, "carries the name Westbrook as of today

smi

sonally esco

ed the glass

temple. My mother's smile sa

to the floor in front of a hall full of witnesses-a declaration of ownership

from my family. That was

wh

-

lt

heap. The show

ortis faces-the woman whose hands were still shaking, the man with his

uskwood's fam

me back to rest on

his was the moment she should be glowing-at the very lea

d for half a lifetime, handed a blade to borrow

not

sip. Something sat pressed between her brow

's humiliation had anyth

rest

er. I thought of her eyes when she offered me the hilt-eyes that refused

rl, my li

t I have to b