Chapter 85

“Anton!” I gasp, spinning to give my handmaid a glare that’s half shock, half appalled anger.

“He’s full of shit, June!” Anton growls, casting out a hand towards my fiancé.

“Why are you even hanging out with this jerk, Juniper?” Blythe growls, attempting to wrap a protective arm around me that passes right through my body, chilling me as it steals some of my life away.

“Because,” Anton says, taking an aggressive step towards us. “The Goddess chose me to help her in this damned Competition. You and me? We died the same day – so clearly, the Goddess had a choice, and she chose me. Because you suck.”

“Don’t listen to him, Juniper,” Blythe says, turning his face away from Anton to frown down at me. “Whatever he’s said to you? It’s a lie. I love you – for eternity, I love you. And no one else.”

“Such a fucking line,” Orion growls.

I snarl, turning to glare at Orion too. Because – okay – I mean, it wasn’t the most original thing to say. But the sentiment is right, and Orion’s just jealous. “You all need to back off,” I say, spreading my arms out as if to block Blythe from them. “Blythe has every right to express himself in whatever way feels best!”

“He hasn’t even asked if you’re okay, June!” Anton bites out, glaring at me now and crossing his arms over his chest. “He’s just been all ‘I love you I love you – hey can you get me out of here!?’”

“He hasn’t had a great deal of time,” Laila says, her voice soft.

“So, that’s what you want us to believe,” Orion says, frowning at Blythe and focusing solely on him. “That you truly love Juniper, that you want to marry her out of love alone, and that you have her best interests at heart?”

“Of course I do,” Blythe says, his voice low and offended. “She is the love of my life. I’d give everything for her. I want to spend the rest of my days with her the moment I get out of here!” I look up at him, my eyes again filling with tears. “You are the most precious thing in the world to me, Juniper. I am so grateful to have you.”

“Well then why did you keep it a secret?” Anton asks, his cold voice breaking through the sentimental moment. “Why didn’t you ask her father for her hand? Why didn’t you even tell her family that you’re in a relationship with her? It’s not like you didn’t have the chance.”

“First, because you all fucking hate me,” Blythe snarls in return. “For absolutely no reason, I might add. And then – I did try to tell Ariel, but she shot me in the trial before I had a chance to bond with her –“

“Ariel shot you?” I gasp.

“It was a mock battle, my love,” he purrs, looking sweetly down into my face, shaking his head.

“Oh, as if that was your only chance,” Anton bites out. “And Rafe and Jesse? Never had the balls to tell them?”

“Again, they had already turned themselves against me. Besides, it’s Juniper’s family – it was her choice on when to tell everyone.”

I turn to Anton then, biting my lip, not knowing what to say. Because, quite frankly, all of these answers sound legitimate to me. And it’s true – I did choose to elope, to not tell my family. And part of that was at Blythe’s urging, but ultimately it had been my choice…I mean, he was right, they wouldn’t have let it happen…

“Juniper, please don’t fall for this,” Anton begs, his voice cracking. “He’s a sycophant and a manipulator – he only wants you for your connections, for the power you can give him –“

“Juniper, don’t let him turn you against me,” Blythe says, looking down at me with his clear, beautiful eyes. “You want to talk about a low life who wormed his way in with the royals? The true culprit is right there.” He nods towards Anton even as he looks at me.

Frantic, I look between Anton and Blythe, not knowing what to believe. Because Anton I’m sure of – there’s no way he has anything but good intentions for me. But why wouldn’t I believe the same of Blythe!? My breath starts to come fast, my heart pounding.

“Juniper, I love you,” Blythe says, looking seriously into my eyes. “You’re the only one I’ll ever love. Please, don’t listen to them. Get me out of here so that we can start our life together – the one we promised each other.”

I stare up at him, not knowing what to say because…do I even want that life anymore?

“All right, enough of this,” Faiza snaps. “Time to call some cosmic bullshit on this guy.”

As one, we all turn to her.

I just stare open-mouthed at his woman who is Professor, Priestess, and professional pain in my damn ass.

Because…what?

“I think it’s time,” she says with a gleeful sigh, holding out her hand to the side. “For some receipts.”

To my shock, a phone appears in her hand.

Behind me, Blythe stills.

“Recognize this?” Faiza says, holding it out towards him.

Blythe makes a grab for it and I step away from him, turning to stare up into his face, which is now twisted with anger.

“Give me that,” Blythe snarls.

“No way, my beige transparent friend,” Faiza says on a laugh, wiggling it back and forth between her fingers. “I think Princess Sinclair is going to be very curious about some of the contents of this device. What’s your password?”

“Don’t listen to her, Juniper,” Blythe says all in a rush. Anton squawks in protest but Orion grabs him, pulling him close and smacking a hand over his mouth, murmuring something about letting me handle this. Laila stands tense at their side.

“What’s on the phone, Blythe?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest and frowning up at him.

“Seriously, is this the kind of couple you want to be?” he asks, stepping towards me a little too aggressively for my liking. “The kind of couple who polices each other’s actions, always looking at each other’s phone? Because I would rather live in an atmosphere of trust and privacy.”

“You’re dead, jackass,” I seethe, nodding to Faiza, indicating I want to see. “Your right to privacy went to the grave with you. Now give her your damn password.”

“No need!” Faiza sings out, turning the phone towards her and tapping on it with a single finger, sending the lock screen away. “Temporary Goddess powers, after all. I love these.”

I go still as Faiza holds the phone out to me.

“Juniper, don’t –“ Blythe begs.

“Oh, back off, you slug,” Faiza snarls, glaring at Blythe as she passes the phone into my hands. “I think you’ll find that email on the screen…particularly interesting.”

I glance down at the email from a publishing company before flicking my eyes back up to Faiza, dread coiling in me, my wolf pacing in my soul, her teeth bared. “Is this for real? Are you…did you make any of this up? Plant this phone?”

“Look, kid,” Faiza says on a sigh. “Life and I have very few reasons to fuck with you on this.”

“Except to convince me to marry him,” I snarl, tilting my head sharply towards Orion.

“You’re going to marry him!?” Blythe gasps, appalled.

Everyone ignores him.

“Oddly enough,” Faiza says, turning a smirking smile Orion’s way. “We don’t actually ship the Prince of Death in the lovematch of your life. But I get that you would see it that way. If it’s helpful at all,” she turns back to me with a shrug, “I do swear that I haven’t meddled with the phone. But I think you will see,” she says, turning to nod at Blythe, “that his face tells you everything you need to know.”

I snap my head to the side to indeed see Blythe looking ashen and terrified.

“Please,” he begs. “Don’t read it, Juniper. If you do I’ll never get out of here –“

“So, our love isn’t the issue anymore?” I ask, my voice quite grave. “It’s all about getting out of here?”

Slowly Blythe closes his mouth and shakes his head. But Faiza is right, the guilt is written all over him.

I hastily turn my head back to the phone, tears filling my eyes.

“Oh, Juniper,” Laila whispers, quickly dashing to my side and wrapping an arm around my back, concern all over her face. “Oh, darling…”

I just shake my head, continuing to scroll through the phone, taking in the details of a publishing contract that he signed five days after meeting me. A publishing contract for a biography of his life entitled The Love of a Princess, focused in particular on our whirlwind romance.

My lower lip starts to shake and tears fall from my eyes as I read the publisher’s notes about a chapter that holds particular interest – the very romantic one in which he takes my virginity.

“Seriously, Blythe?” I whisper, raising my head and looking him in the eye. Blythe – he certainly looks devastated, but I can’t says he looks sorry. “We never even slept together.”

“It’s not what you think, Juniper,” he says, a last-ditch effort. “We – we needed to be financially independent -”

A muffled shout of protest comes from Anton, Orion’s hand still pressed over his mouth.

“No,” I sigh, letting the phone fall to my side, devastated. “No, we didn’t. At least, not this way.”

Blythe doesn’t say anything else to me, instead turning away and cursing low under his breath, pissed off that he’s lost his golden goose – the youngest Sinclair. And apparently the easiest to fool.

Anger begins to sweep through me, as intense as my embarrassment and sadness, my deep grief at being such a fool, and for bothering to love him at all. Because I did – I loved him.

And the whole time, it was a lie.

“Come on, Junie,” Laila whispers, giving me a squeeze. “Let’s go back to the palace – let’s…let’s just leave this all behind.”

“No,” I snarl, my voice thick and tears still streaking down my face even as I sniff hard and try to stop them. “I’m not quite done here. Not yet.”

And then I raise my eyes, glaring hard at the ghost of my ex-fiance, rage pulsing in my veins.

Blythe turns towards me at the sudden silence and then takes a step away, his eyes going wide with shock and fear when he sees the expression on my face.