I squinted at the ring I could see dangling around that Alpha’s neck. No, that couldn’t be mine—unless the call boy had sold it off that quickly? Why would another pack’s Alpha want it?
Thankfully Greg didn’t indicate that he’d noticed it, just ranting on about how important it was that he become the King. It sunk in that he really would banish me if it would help secure that throne. My stomach filled with ice.
The Rogues really would kill me if I stepped outside of the city. The only way to stay in the city was to marry Damian. Greg had found the perfect leverage.
It was too many revelations all at once—the banishment, the forced marriage, the application for Kingship, even that ring—and I couldn’t seem to make sense of any of it. All I knew was that I was caught.
I really was going to have to marry Damian, wasn’t I?
I barely heard Greg spout some bullshit about ‘knowing I’d thank him someday’ before dismissing me. I turned and left the meeting room, desperate for space to process my thoughts. Damian grabbed my wrist in the hallway, but I wrenched my arm away from him and kept moving.
Thank the Goddess neither he nor Greg bothered following me. With the panic building in my veins, I really didn’t think I could take another confrontation without snapping. I didn’t want to marry Damian, but I didn’t want to be put to death for murdering him either.
Stepping outside made me feel less claustrophobic, but not less overwhelmed. If only mom would wake up from her damn coma—she’d surely pass the title on to me, and then no one would be able to control my life.
She wasn’t going to wake up, though, and I knew it. We all did.
Well, at least I could go into her hospital room and cry into her chest. I might even be able to pretend she was hugging me back if I tried hard enough. I took off down the street at a clip, suddenly desperate to see her.
In that moment I wasn’t a grown woman fighting the world. I was a scared, sad little girl, and I needed my mom. As much of her as I could still have, at least.
I didn’t even make it half a block before a male voice called out, “Olivia Harp!” I stopped dead in my tracks, tears of fear and frustration threatening to burn my eyes. What now?
I turned toward the voice, half-ready to scream at the stranger to leave me alone, but my voice never made it out of my throat. Weaving through the light crowd was the call boy from last night. I frowned in confusion.
What was he doing here? I knew he wasn’t part of my pack, not to mention I never told him my name last night. Was he coming for more payment or something?
Then I saw the ring in his hand, and I relaxed. Damian had the ring custom made to have both our names engraved on the inside (which I’d thought was the sweetest thing at the time, but now it disgusted me). Of course whoever had it would find out who to return it to.
The image of that photo flashed briefly through my mind. This was definitely my ring, so the one around Eclipse’s Alpha’s neck must have just been eerily similar-looking.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as the call boy—Elroy, I remembered—stopped in front of me. Our business was done, so what did he want from me? I was too tired, too frustrated, and too close to a breakdown to have a friendly chat.
“You dropped your ring,” Elroy said, holding it out for me. I half-laughed.
“No, I left my ring,” I said, watching Elroy frown. It was kind of him to make sure I hadn’t made a mistake, but I never wanted to see that ring again. “Keep it, sell it, whatever you want.”
I turned to leave, but Elroy stepped up close behind me so I looked back at him. He had a frown on his handsome face, part confused and part annoyed. He looked almost accusatory.
“What?” I asked defensively. He held the ring back out and watched as I recoiled from it.
“Why?” he asked, almost angry. I grit my teeth, trying not to remember the sounds of Damian and Louisa fucking in my bed. I was rapidly sliding downhill into a breakdown and I didn’t want to do it here.
“Doesn’t matter,” I said. “I don’t want it.” Damian grabbed my wrist before I could walk away, glowering down at me with a look that could almost, maybe, be concern, and I broke.
“I don’t want it!” I repeated loudly, yanking my hand away from him. I was embarrassed by the way my voice cracked. I thought I saw Elroy startle at my emotional outburst, but my eyes filled with tears so quickly I couldn’t be sure.
“Listen, thank you for trying to return it, and for cleaning me up last night, and for the really great sex. Now just—” I felt mortified as the first hot tears streaked down my face. “Please just get it away from me.”
And that was it. I couldn’t hold it anymore, and I hid my face in my hands as I started to sob.
Elroy was probably totally thrown off by my sudden breakdown, but to his credit, it only took him a moment to recover enough to guide me inside the nearest building. That was nice of him. I just kept owing this guy, didn’t I?
I didn’t pay much attention to my surroundings as he led me to a chair. I vaguely knew we were in a hotel lobby, but the only person there was the young lady at the front desk and one pair of eyes was way better than however many happened to pass by outside. I was sure I’d thank Elroy for this later, but I didn’t have the energy to do it then.
No, all my energy was taken up with grieving. It was finally hitting me that I’d gone from happily engaged and trying for a baby to forced to marry a cheater under threat of banishment in less than one full day. I’d had it all, and lost it all.
Worse, I’d made up my mind to make a new life for myself only to have that possibility taken from me. I felt robbed, in so many different ways, and now I was helpless.
It took a little while for me to cry myself out, and the whole time Elroy sat next to me, awkwardly patting my back. It must have looked hilarious. Male prostitute comforts customer during a mental health crisis—not a headline I’d ever expect, at least.
Eventually I straightened up, exhausted and hollow, and wiped my cheeks with my sleeves. I had to pull myself together.
“Thank you,” I sniffled, to embarrassed to look Elroy in the face. His hand was still rhythmically tapping on my back. “I didn’t mean to break down on you.”
Elroy just kept frowning, his brow pulled low. “…What the hell did he do?” I let out a weak, wet chuckle.
“Cheated,” I croaked, the word falling heavily into my chest. “With my stepsister, two weeks before our wedding.” Elroy’s eyebrows flew up.
“Fuck him,” he said, surprisingly emphatic.
“I think Louisa’s got that covered,” I sighed. Elroy crinkled his nose.
“I know it’s none of my business,” he said, “but I’m pretty sure you should kill him.”
That, at least, got a laugh out of me. It was shaky, but it was real. Elroy sounded so genuinely disgusted on my behalf it was funny.
“…I can’t. The Moonshadow Alpha has decided for me—it’s marriage or banishment.”
I felt Elroy go stiff beside me. That wasn’t a choice, not really, and he knew it. Cold anger started to radiate from him.
“I can help you,” he said impulsively. I scoffed. Right, a call boy had the power to go against the Alpha of another pack? Funny.
“You did,” I just said, not wanting to insult the man who had comforted me. He opened his mouth, and I closed it with a short, chaste kiss. A thank you, just like the expensive bangle I slipped off my wrist and into his palm.
He looked down at me, confused. “I don’t need payment,” he said, sounding almost offended.
“I’d feel bad not doing anything to help you back,” I said, shrugging.
“I’d feel bad not actually helping you,” Elroy responded, narrowing his eyes at me. I smiled up at him. What a good man—too bad he didn’t have the power to act on it.
“You really want to help me,” I joked, “come crash my wedding.”
