Chapter 78

Third Person POV

Alaric hadn’t been able to find Mia for hours, not since Lucius had told him of the engagement rumors she was spreading.

She had to be hiding on purpose. When she wanted to be seen, she would be.

Alaric was running late for his meeting with Sienna as Archimedes at the Rosenfell, and he’d planned on telling her everything when they sat down. That meant everything from revealing his identity, why he kept it from her, and everything beyond that.

He was going to absolutely spill himself, his whole soul to her, and beg for her forgiveness.

But then he found Sienna and Lucius at the city gates, embracing, and all of that hope was crushed.

The hatred in her eyes was colossal — and he was pretty sure she wasn’t forgiving him any time soon, if at all.

He deserved the chance to explain himself, didn’t he? Yes, he lied and deceived her, though it wasn’t to harm her.

It’d always been to protect her.

As soon as he saw her and Lucius, he retreated, the knives of her glare driving into his back the whole way into the palace.

Only a few hours after he’d seen her and Lucius, he received a couriered letter that he recognized immediately as Sienna’s handwriting.

He ripped it open in his own private quarters his uncle has so graciously given back to him, dropping the two pages onto his desk, which sat against a window.

Dear Asher — sorry, Alaric,

This is the last personal correspondence you will ever receive from me. I don’t need to explain why.

I have voided our contracts (all of them), effective immediately. You are free of me and your commitment to Nightwind. I ask that you please never return, and let me move on with my life, as you will your own.

I know all your real identities, and won’t ever understand why you couldn’t tell me. Our paths will surely cross, even if I don’t keep my Alpha status. I ask that you behave professionally, as will I, but please give me my space.

I cannot forgive you for what you’ve done. My trust was already hard to earn, and you absolutely butchered it.

Good luck in your endeavors.

The other page was the voided contract, sinking Alaric’s heart.

And yet the bond is still unbroken. Does she really mean it, or are they just words on paper? his wolf mused, making a good point.

The bond wasn’t severed. He wasn’t rejected the way Julian had been. Then again, her and Julian had never belonged together in the first place, so there was no real bond to break.

He stared at the contract, a pang of sadness engulfing him. This was what he deserved in the end, after lying like he did.

Shoving the papers aside, he stands up, turning to pace along the windowed wall of his room. As he’s peering out the window, he noticed Mia strolling along in the plaza.

Finally!

Alaric burst from his room, sprinting as fast as he could down to the plaza, relieved when he saw Mia in the same place she had been.

“Mia!” he called out, and she startled at his quick approach.

“Alaric,” she purred, her eyes twinkling. She knew she was in trouble.

“Why are you spreading engagement rumors? I could have you detained for that, you know.”

“I’m well aware, and I know you wouldn’t actually do that.” She let out a boastful laugh, so sure of her place at the palace. “Your uncle wouldn’t allow it anyway.”

“I cannot believe I ever loved you.” Alaric was disgusted with himself, turning to walk back into the palace. Mia followed like a lost little puppy, trailing him in desperation.

“You know our union would be good for you. Together, we could take your uncle down and start this place anew.” She reached out, grabbing for his wrist, but he shoved her away.

“Which side are you actually on?” Alaric scowled, keeping his distance from her. A few people strolled by in the halls, eyeing them with curiosity.

“My own,” Mia shrugged, placing her hand on her hip, her signature power move.

“Looks like my uncle rubbed off on you.” Alaric couldn’t believe this — now he was going to have to announce that he wasn’t engaged, nor was he looking to be.

“I’m the only one in charge of what I do.” Mia had always exuded confidence, but this was almost too much.

“I won’t be marrying you. For a time, I thought I would.” Mia’s eyes lit up, quick to fall again as he continued.

Alaric took a short breath in, admitting a truth from long ago. “I thought you were the love of my life, Mia. I dreamed of coming back to find you, to be with you.”

Her smile grew again.

“But now I see you’re a terrible person. Whether you were shaped wrongly by those around you, I don’t know — whatever it is, it’s not something I want to involve myself in.”

“Alaric, I’m still the same girl you always knew — ” The sickly sweet tone of her voice only made him cringe, and he flinched away from her touch as she reached towards him.

“Don’t.” Alaric held up his hand, forcing her back.

“We could make this work!” Mia was losing her cool, finally starting to crack. Hopelessness was weaving its way into her mind the more times Alaric rejected her.

“No, we cannot, and we will not.” Alaric started using the voice he’d come to call his prince voice, the one that people always folded to.

That made Mia stop, her eyes falling to the tiled floor.

“Don’t ever make up lies again, Mia, or there will be consequences.” He was about to turn, her next words making him pause.

“Sienna and Lucius have really been buddying up lately.” She was reaching for any little strand she could grab onto, anything to convince him to take her.

It was sad.

“That means nothing to me now. Sienna is done with me, and her business is her own.” Alaric felt the briefest flashes of pity for Mia, replaced soon by the usual irritation.

“You don’t care?” Mia whimpered, out of ideas to torment him with.

“It’s not that I don’t care — it’s that it doesn’t matter. Your feeble attempts to upset me are in vain.” Alaric couldn’t help but chuckle, seeing Mia finally stumble.

When he walked away, there was the slightest bit of weight lifted from his shoulders. Any weight off of him was a relief at this point, considering all the other problems waiting in the shadows.

Alaric didn’t look back at Mia, because he knew this wasn’t the end of the trouble with her. She might back down for a few days, maybe a month, but she’d be back after she plotted out some new plan.

By then, though, Alaric would have taken down his uncle — with no help needed from Mia — and gotten his rightful place on the throne back. He had his trusted circle, and they had planned day in and day out for this takedown.

He would not fail. Soon, the palace would be his, and his uncle would be entirely out of the picture.