Page 124 of A Second Chance for the Beta

“Did you swear an oath you can’t break?” Aryanna wants to know.

“N… no,” he stutters.

“Are their friends here you can’t leave behind? A lover? A child?” I ask.

He shakes his head, his body wavering slightly. He grabs the wall for support and balance.

“So, you want to stay here because you hate yourself. You want to punish yourself by letting Aloysius abuse you and use you to his liking,” I conclude. “Do you think Silas would be happy if he knew that?”

“Silas is better off without me,” he says.

“Yes,” I say bluntly. “Silas moved on. He is not your lover anymore, and he certainly won’t be your beloved again, but that doesn’t mean he wants the next time to see you be when your bones lie in a grave.”

“She is right,” Aryanna says surprisingly earnest. “It’s selfish. You want to suffer, but it will make others suffer because of you. You fucked up, but you did right today… for us.”

“I didn’t do it—”

“I know you didn’t do it because you are selfless,” I say. “Frankly, most people are selfish. I don’t care for your reason. But the fact is that Charlie is now safe from the vampires, and you helped with it.” I pause. “There is still a life out there for you.”

“You called yourself a coward,” Aryanna says. “Living on is fucking difficult. You lost a lot, and maybe you will never be able to reconcile with your old friends. But if you run away now, again, you will never be able to shake off these regrets.”

Julianus looks down to the ground. “I don’t have much in my possession,” he says quietly.

Aryanna nods at me before approaching him and retaking his arm. “Show me your room. We will pack in five minutes. I’m used to emergency packing.”

“He can’t know I’m leaving,” he whispers.

“He won’t.” Aryanna smiles and snuggles against his arm. “Clearly you are taking me to your room for something else… a goodbye before Ella and I leave.”

I nod at her, deciding to stay behind to not raise any suspicions. Julianus is right. He needs to be fast, but at the same time Aloysius is so used to him being his lapdog that he doubts he will ever leave him. It’s probably the only reason he is still alive.

When there is a knock at my door only five minutes later, I’m a bit surprised. That’s almost a bit too fast, especially if they want to keep the pretense. To my relief I have my guard up because once I open my door, there he is… in his full height and presence.

“Lord Aloysius,” I say, deciding to continue the game. I smile at him. “It’s an honor. Are you seeing me out in person?”

“No,” he says, reaching out his hand. “But I wanted to say goodbye to my charming guest.”

Blerg,Nefeli groans.Is he going to slobber on your hand?

I show him a dazzling smile, feeling how his aura presses against my mind. Nefeli is on full alert, and the candy Silas gave me still has some effect, but I can’t stay in his proximity for long. “It’s a pity your little niece isn’t my daughter,” he says sweetly.

I look at him with what I hope is a sorrowful look. “It would have been such an honor to have relations with you,” I say with a sad smile. “But a man named Ambrosius is her father. Do you know him?”

Aloysius looks annoyed for a moment. “I can’t believe he put a child into this world and sullied our lineage,” he mutters. I pretend to be so dazzled by him that I didn’t hear what he said.

“Pardon me?” I ask.

“I meant to say he is a cousin. We weren’t close, though. I apologize for not being able to take a distant relative like your niece under my wings.”

“I understand,” I say earnestly. “You are leading an empire after all and have probably so many suitable ladies lined up.”

My words seem to please him. “I will miss you, little wolf,” he says with a smirk. “If only you stayed longer…”

He did not just say that?Nefeli grunts.We seriously need to get out of here.

“Where is my number one guard?” Aloysius asks, probably thinking he’s being sly. Again I feel his aura pressing against mine.

“He is saying goodbye to my friend,” I say, hoping I sound suggestive.