Page 52

Her reaction had been the wake-up call I needed. A well-aimed slap to the face that reminded me the only person who could change this wasme.

“A tantrum that could call off a wedding,” he said very matter-of-factly.

Prince Icas was less than happy about my performance when he finally spilled what the plan was for my marriage. Maybe it was the viselike grip I had his cock in or the subsequent silent treatment after I realized what he was truly after.

He did quite enjoy my blood, but over the last two weeks, he hadn’t gotten so much as a taste of it.He deserves it.If he couldn’t trap me with a blood bond, it seemed his next idea was a baby. And my guess was that he was annoyed that his father was trying to hold me in front of him like a sweet, forbidden treat he couldn’t have.

But it would all change when I officially joined their house, so I had to work fast.

“He gets more out of this deal than you do,” I reminded him, and grabbed a stray strand of hair to circle around my finger. “And we both know his father coddles him too much. He hasn’t gotten used to what it means to deal with aCastle.”

His pause was all the answer that I needed. He was hiding something. Even if his body language didn’t give much away.

“It’s important for our future,” he said after a long moment. “Just do what he asks and try not to fight him too much. If he is happy, his father is happy.”

It’s important for our future.

“How so?” I asked and snuck to his armrest, sitting on it and putting my hand around his chair. “I know nothing about what was negotiated, and yet I’m being asked to do the unthinkable.”

“Unthinkable?” he asked with a huff. “This is your duty, Aurelia.” His tone held annoyance but not anger.He is softening up.

“Then let me in, Father,” I whispered and leaned against him. Something I used to do when I was younger and wanted something. “I want us to succeed. Know my loyalty. It will always be to you. How can a snake enter their nest if it doesn’t even know what to expect?”

His hand came to grab mine. An action I thought was supposed to be a comfort until his nails dug into my skin.

“What did he tell you?”

Ice-cold fear froze my veins. Panic clawed at my throat. I was too close to him. Memories of punishments flooded my mind.

My fight-or-flight response was begging me to run, but I couldn’t. Running would tell him I had done something wrong. And he would sic the guards on me before I could get to safety.

“Nothing I wasn’t expecting, Father,” I said, trying hard to keep my voice steady. “But it does seem it’s his father who is more interested in what I can offer than he is. It begs the question: Why not just marry me to him?”

His grip loosened, and he let out a huff of a laugh.

“He’s already been married for longer than you’ve been alive,” he said. “The family would riot.”

I let his words sit between us.

“What do you owe him, Father?” I asked.

For the first time, he froze against me. It was so slight, I almost missed it. Would have if I were not leaning against him.

“I don’towehim anything,” he muttered. “But you can say I…stole something from him.”

My head swirled so violently I thought I might throw up all over his desk.

“Something or someone?—”

The door was pushed open by none other than the fucking devil’s son himselfwiththe stepmonster.

She gave me a fucking knowing smirk when she saw our position. She knew exactly what I was doing because she and her spawn had done it hundreds of times to get what they wanted.

Prince Icas, on the other hand, looked a bit miffed.

“Prince Icas offered to give us an introduction to his feeder sourcing consultants. We came to propose it to you, but if you would rather spend ti?—”

“We need to relish in some feeders,” he said and stood up, pushing me off the arm of his chair. “This is more important.”