The Lycan Queen's Ruthless Beta

u

ed my rooms when som

nce L

first thing that struck me, that he was alone. The second was that he wasn't glancin

speak wi

the me

ed almost impercep

od well eno

mbers and shut the door behind us. He stayed

We

poke. "I wanted you to know that not ever

he took that as per

u would make a

ad they sat uneasily in my chest, heavie

ter is t

or

flinch or soften it. He didn't. "Wh

onest. "I only wanted you to know that if the questio

hos

faintest smile. "You'll

d spoken to me as though the crown were already mine to lose rather than something permanently out of reach. I hadn

s poss

er touch, learning the treaties and the bloodlines and the ceremony of a crown th

a let herself in before I could answer

t hap

oth

oor behind her

e myself. "You k

sed the room towa

ily. "A councilo

shifted, sharp

d he sup

beside me and took my hand in both of h

on't

ed this your

kn

Bu

me to have it. Father is fighting to make sure I never do. And now pe

und mine. "Because they th

u think

ed closer instead, until there was no

u co

nded harder than I'

ned hands. "I don't want

u wo

f it cha

. "You're still her brother, Luca. That doesn't chang

I becom

steals every blanket in this

the first real laugh since Hale

change everyt

No

orehead, soft and cert

llowed me a beat too long after the council meeting ended. Yesterday I had been Evelyn's adopted brother, unremarkable, s

. But wanting it had never felt dangerous before. It did now, because Evelyn wanted to hand it to m

"I need

and once more before I reached the door. "Then thin

't," I

t least, I did

-

Eve

ch surprised no one, least of all m

ood there for a moment before he noticed me at all. When he finally looked

foun

looking v

at h

ibrary at midday. It wa

ook, conceding t

m toward him. "Wha

aty disputes between

hat you re

No

Go

orse thing

d when I did, his eyes moving over mine like

had a m

he

u he

oesn't have miracles." A small, know

r eno

said anything, and it wasn't uncomfortable - which surprised me more than it should have. Yesterday I'd barely kno

ed the counc

are

ather was going to

onside

e. I glanced sideways at him. "

ith men twice your age and twice

uspiciously lik

was

morning had actually been difficult, and

n changed inst

tely. A

g it explained further. "That

n't li

hy

nging the succession out loud. And today everyone suddenly

politics,

te pol

e said, "given wh

Wh

u're going t

ainst the window frame, and he laughed

his shoulder. I realized what I'd done a beat too late and st

have to mo

n't tease me for it, didn't ask what it meant. H

ting used to th

o a

e bo

t that yo

That's a strange thi

what my mate might be like.

An

perly then. "I was w

brow. "Good wron

than anythin

, or the council, or bloodlines and succession and the war quietly building itself in my own family. I was only thinking abou