Page 78 of Trust No Alpha

If only he could contact Kris, reassure himself the boy was okay. But Kris had left behind his tablet, the one Thorne had tinkered with so Kris could spy on his family.

He knew of no way to connect to Kris. If Kris even had access to any type of computer, it was a safe bet to assume Varian had restricted his usage again.

All he could do was reassure himself things would work out. He’d get the claim. Then he’d go to the Vandergale house and legally ask for Kris’s hand in marriage.

It had to work.

In the meantime, two days seemed like an eternity to wait.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Kris

“I’m not allowed to visit you.” Trigg stood in the open doorway to my room. “But I don’t care. I’ll take whatever punishment Father throws at me.”

My brother entered the room and closed the door behind him. He looked good, taller than when I’d last seen him, his short hair trimmed perfectly, the bangs upswept.

“Mathias is at school, or I’m sure he’d be barging in, too.”

I sat in the center of my bed, my legs crossed, my elbows digging into my thighs. I didn’t want to talk to Trigg or anyone. I just wanted to get out and go back to Thorne. I could not understand why Father would prevent it. Certainly, if he had to keep me locked away, he didn’t want me around. I was a burden. His burden. Why not let me go to the only Alpha who really wanted me?

But Father was all about control. Of his businessandhis family. I sullied the Vandergale name and he would not stand for that. Better to keep me hidden. Better to make my existence a non-existence, and never publicly speak of me.

Trigg came to my bed and sat on the edge. I swayed away from him.

He bent his knee and lifted it onto the bed, turning to face me. “You don’t have to be afraid of me. I’m not Mathias.”

“I know.”

He smiled. “So do you really have a bondmate now? What’s it like?”

“We’re not truly that. Yet. But as I said before, we want to be together.”

“Do you love him?”

I appreciated the question, something Father would probably never think to ask. “Yes. Very much.”

“And did he—well, you know, did he actually kill his first Omega mate?”

“You would ask me that.”

“Well, I’m worried about your safety, Kris. Anyone would be. So?”

I tilted my head to look at him. “No. He took the blame, but his mate died of natural causes if you want to know the truth. And Thorne is the most generous, good man I could ever meet.”

“I’m glad.”

“He rescued me, you know. After I ran away.”

“Well, that’s kind of romantic, right?” Trigg asked.

It was then I knew for sure that Trigg, too, was one of the good ones, an Alpha with a heart and a conscience no matter what Father had taught us about our supreme privilege.

I gave him a little smile. “It is.”

“I had my first Burn,” Trigg said softly.

“Was it good, I hope?” I asked.