Chapter 9
ANSEL POV
“Well, go on, don’t keep me in suspense,” Aron coaxed on the edge of his seat.
Ansel grumbled, “Two hard-ons aren’t really that big of a deal…”
Aron's eyes almost popped from his head. “Two?! You’ve gone from months of nothing to now having two erections with the same woman at the source?!” He smirked. “Who is it, Ansel?”
“Karin. She was the one I rescued from the dealers that night.”
“K-Karin…as in your mate that—”
“Rejected me,” Ansel finished for him, his jaw tightening. “That is correct, so again, don’t overthink it.”
“I’m not. I’m just a little surprised. How does it feel having her back in your life?”
“I feel no way about it.”
“The whitening of your knuckles and snarl on your face says otherwise.”
Ansel relaxed his hands and exhaled sharply. “I feel no way about it,” he repeated. “I do plan to use this for my benefit, however.”
“How so?”
“A surrogacy contract. She’s going to provide me an heir.”
“Tread lightly,” Aron said, shaking his head. “Lust is an emotion that has no discernment. You can hate someone and desire them with the same intensity as someone you love, though lust through love is its own beast. It will leave you physically at that person's will. Your body is telling you that you feel something. What that is, I’m not sure, but whatever it is, you may want to figure it out before it consumes you.”
Ansel sat in thought, his anger bubbling over. He wasn’t sure what he felt towards Karin, but Aron was right, it was affecting him. What was more, he had a nagging feeling that she wasn’t telling him everything. She may have played nonchalant, and brash, but her eyes said differently every time she looked at him. It was confusing, and something he needed to sort out.
“I sent a P.I. to check into her background. I need to know what she’s been doing for the past five years,” he said.
“Why?”
“Because I get the feeling that there is more to the story. If she is going to produce me an heir, I want to know just what I’m getting into.”
Aron nodded. “That’s fair, but again, tread lightly Ansel. We’re not just talking about some random woman; we’re talking about your bonded mate.”
KARIN POV
“I need a favor,” I say to one of the maids as she fluffs the pillows on my bed. She turns and faces me.
“And what would that be?”
“I want to go to the prison to see my father.”
“Absolutely not. I have direct orders from Meredith that you are to remain in your room until the Second Prince returns.”
I bit the side of my lip and swayed in front of her. “I will be quick, I promise. It’s important. The Second Prince has promised a large sum of money to produce his heir. If you help me to sneak and see my father, I will make it worth your while.”
She drops the pillow that she’s fluffing and arches her eyebrow. “How do I know that I can trust you?”
“You don’t. But I know that Meredith must take a portion of your pay. The deal that we make would be strictly between us. She wouldn’t have to know, and you could pocket all the money.” The maid gives me a long pause and then finally nods.
“I will help you, but I want compensation and please be quick. If you are caught, I had nothing to do with it.”
“Deal.” I quickly put on one of the jackets that had been provided for me among an array of clothing. Sneaking out of the room, the maid and I work overtime to ensure that we aren’t detected. It’s a lot easier than expected. All it takes is a nod from the maid and the other servants follow suit. “I can’t believe they listen to you,” I say.
She chuckles. “We all have an understanding. We never betray the Second Prince, but sometimes Meredith is overbearing. When we really need to get something done, we have a code that provides us sanctuary from her.”
“So she’s a pain in the ass to everyone,” Ada says, and I stifle a laugh.
The trip to the prison proved to be quick and painless. We search for the prisoners, and I soon come face to face with my father.
“Make it quick,” the maid says to me before disappearing around the corner.
My father rushes to the bars with tears in his eyes. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
I smile softly. “Me either. I don’t have much time, but I wanted you to know that I’m going to get you out. I got a new job that is going to pay me double what you owe.”
“Double?”
“Mhm. That means that we can pay off the debt and have enough to get the hell away from here. No more looking over our backs, dad, we’ll be free.”
“That sounds great, honey, but what type of job would pay you one hundred thousand dollars?”
I purse my lips at his question. I can’t tell my father that I’m going to be a surrogate for Ansel. The disappointment in his eyes would kill me more than lying to him. He’s always had high hopes of me becoming a ballerina. If I tell him that I’m just a lowly sex tool for my rejected mate he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.
“It’s not important. I just need you to trust me when I tell you that it’s legit. You’re getting out of here, and we’ll be able to start a new life without all of this looming over us.” I grab his hands through the bars. “I just need you to believe in me, okay?”
He nods. “I believe in you, honey. I can wait for the time needed. Do what you need to do. I know we will be together again.”
“We need to go,” the maid says, reappearing. “The Second Prince is on his way back to the manor.” I ignore my father’s look of confusion and kiss him on the cheek.
“I will be back to visit you as soon as I can,” I say to him before I tearily depart.
“Thank you,” I say to the maid when we arrive back at the manor. “I promise that I will keep my word and compensate you for what you did today.”
She gives me a nod and then parts her lips as if to say something, but her words are halted by a shrill behind her.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Meredith says, approaching us. She glares at the maid. “Don’t you have other things that you could be doing?” The maid retreats and Meredith turns her heated gaze towards me. “You look filthy and not worthy to meet with the Second Prince.” She grabs my arm roughly and escorts me to the room. “Your hair isn’t combed, and your outfit is in poor taste. What if Sir Ansel had seen you? Do you know how poorly that would have reflected on me?”
Meredith brushes my hair roughly, pulling the strands. It’s painful, and I can feel Ada growing angry. She rages inside of me wanting to attack.
“Calm down. If we harm her that will cause more trouble for us than needed. Let me handle this. I will find a way to get her off our backs.”
“Thank you,” I say curtly as I pull away from Meredith. “But I think I can handle making myself proper.”
“I don’t expect much from the improper,” Meredith murmurs. She squares her shoulders. “Whatever power you think you have here, you need to let go of the notion. You are nothing but a whore that the Second Prince took pity on. You are not even half the woman that his chosen mate is. So the sooner you accept that, the sooner we can all stop pretending.” She scowls at me and leaves my room.
I can’t take this anymore. Meredith is rude, disgusting, and she makes it her mission to belittle me. Leaving my room, I almost end up on the floor when I collide with Ansel’s broad chest in the entryway of the den. He catches me mid-fall.
“Is there a reason that you’re storming around my manor like a bat out of hell?”
I swallow my spit and nod. “I was looking for you.”
“Why?”
“Because I was hoping to discuss Meredith.” I breathe in deeply. “I know that she is the head maid, but she is disrespectful, and says the nastiest things to me. I may not have the respect of those around me, but I still don’t deserve to be treated the way she does me, especially when I’ve done nothing to warrant the disrespect.” I wipe the burning tears that well in the corner of my eyes. “Do you think that it is possible that you could send another maid to assist me? I don’t want to be a burden…I just…” I can’t stop my tears from falling.
Ansel’s face hardens and I immediately regret my words.
I should have just dealt with it in silence.
I chide myself as I quickly wipe my face. Glancing up at his flex jaw, I prepare myself for his response.
