Chapter 62

When Linda said she knew enough, I knew she was referring to her blackmail. What she knew was that Nicholas and I had been campus sweetheart three years ago. Unfortunately, that was enough to get her everything what she wanted.

She picked up one of the cookbooks. “Since I know everything, I expect you to agree with my decisions here. I know best, after all. You should consider yourself fortunate to be paired with me.”

“I can help.” I started to reach for a book of my own, but she slapped my hand away.

“You can help by not screwing this up for me.”

For the rest of our hour together, I was forced to agree with all of Linda’s decisions, even the ones I knew wouldn’t make sense. No one would select three different kind of egg dishes. Where was the variety?

But when I tried to suggest it, I was immediately shut down.

“It would be such a shame for little Elva, wouldn’t it?” she said. “If her mother was tossed out on the street, destitute and publicly shamed. Absolutely tragic.”

I kept my mouth shut after that.

When we were finally allowed to separate for the day, I was worn out and eager to spend time with Elva.

Nicholas had agreed to check in on her while I was busy, so I was not surprised to find him and Mark playing cards in my bedroom while Elva took a nap.

Both Nicholas and Mark looked at me when I came through the door. Mark frowned.

Nicholas asked, “What happened?” He kept his voice soft, so as not to wake Elva.

My heart skipped a beat. How had he been able to tell something had happened with only a single glance? Mark had only grimaced, but Nicholas knew instantly, it wasn’t a sickness, nor a passing moment of anger.

He knew something bad had happened.

I walked to them and fell into one of the open chairs at the table. I held Nicholas’s gaze, before flicking a telling glance to Mark.

Nicholas, fortunately, caught my meaning. “Mark can be trusted. He knows must everything about the past, and our current… predicament.”

I nodded, relieved. “You both surely know about the newest competition.”

“Yes.”

“Then you know we girls are to work in pairs. But you might not have expected that my partner would be Linda.”

Nicholas straightened. Mark leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table.

“Has she threatened you?” Mark asked.

“Not bodily. Though she has taken charge of our challenge and refuses to accept any input from me. And some of these choices she is making… I feel as if she might be setting me up for failure.”

It would be a dangerous gamble on her part, to make us both look bad while hoping she alone would weather the storm. I suppose she had a chance of surviving it, more than I did, simply because of the importance of her pack.

Even so, it was a risk. One I wouldn’t have thought her calculating enough to make. Yet the evidence was there.

“At this rate, whether the secret of our past is out or not won’t matter. I’m going to be eliminated strictly for incompetency if Linda has her way.”

“We should do something about this,” Mark said, catching Nicholas’s eye.

“Our options are limited,” Nicholas said.

God, I really wished we could just tell the truth about our past. If we were out from under Linda’s blackmail, then she wouldn’t be able to hurt any of us. But, if we came forward ourselves, then I’d be breaking the King’s order.

Unless…

If we went public with the secrets of our past, maybe it would give me some level of protection. Surely once the truth was revealed, if I was to go missing, someone would notice the connection. The King wouldn’t be able to simply disappear me so easily.

Yet would the public questioning be enough to deter the King? I had to think so. After all, public opinion was swaying much of what happened here.

As long as I continued to earn the public’s favor, then I should be safe.

I hoped.

“I have an idea,” I said. “But there’s one thing I have to tell you first. About my private audience with the King.”

Nicholas expression was carefully neutral, but Mark’s worry was outright.

“Tell us,” Nicholas said.

I closed my eyes, hesitating for a moment. I had kept this secret from Nicholas, wanting to protect him, but if I was going to take this risk, I would need strong allies. No one was a stronger ally than the oldest prince and his Beta.

“The King knows about our past,” I said.

When I was met with silence, I peeked open my eyes. Nicholas’s brow was pulled together.

“I never told him.”

“I know. He said that,” I said. “But he… He had you followed, Nicholas. He likely had me followed too. He knew things, and I…”

“Did he know about Elva?”

“I don’t know. He didn’t say if he did. But he’s terrifying. The very walls have ears for him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew everything.”

Nicholas crumpled the cards in his hand. “He threatened you.”

I lowered my gaze.

“Piper?”

“Yes. He said if I told anyone about you and me, he would… well, the threat was clear.”

He slammed his hand down on the table. “That will not happen.”

The noise roused Elva. “Mommy?”

Nicholas immediately cooled his anger. “Sorry,” he whispered to me.

“I’m here, honey,” I called, rising from the table. I touched Nicholas’s shoulder as I passed, offering him quick forgiveness. Then I walked around the bed to help settle Elva again.

“Is Nick-lass here too?” she asked.

“He is.” I brushed some of the hair back from her face. “He’s keeping us safe. Mark, too.”

Elva nodded, easily accepting that.

“Is the garden party soon?” Someone must have told her already about the next challenge.

“A few days.”

“Will I get another pretty dress?”

“Of course.”

“Will I get lots of food?”

“Undoubtedly.”

“Will I get to ride a wolf?”

I laughed lightly. “That might be harder to provide.”

“If the princess wants to ride a wolf at the garden party, then so be it.” Nicholas approached the other side of the bed. He smiled down at me and Elva. “I’ve been thinking having more protection around wouldn’t be harmful, after all.”

I lifted a brow. “Surely the wolves wouldn’t be allowed in the palace.”

“Not all of them,” Nicholas said. “Maybe only two.”

Mark stood as well. “I will begin the arrangements at once.”

“Ask them first,” I said. I could guess the two he wanted to employ were Night and Silver, but I hated to bother them, pulling them out of the wild and into a stuffy castle, when they were meant to be free.

Nicholas nodded, and conveyed the request to Mark.

“Of course, sir. Piper.” Then Mark backed away, out of the room.

“Does this mean I get to ride Night again?” Elva asked.

“We’re asking him,” I said, before Nicholas could blindly agree. I’d learned quickly that he had trouble saying no to the little girl. He had a soft heart, through and through.

Later, when it turned to evening, and Nicholas had to go, I walked him to the door.

“You never told me your plan,” he said.

I gave him a soft smile. I felt better telling him now, knowing he knew of his father’s threats. He would protect Elva and me, of that I was certain.

If we played our cards right, the public would help, too.

So I told him, “We take charge of the narrative.”