12 #3
Onyx let me go so fast I almost fell over. He looked horrified as he glanced between the two of us. “I’m nothing like him. I would—I didn’t—I couldn’t—” He turned and walked away.
“Low blow,” I said to Ayao when Onyx was far enough away.
“Yeah, it was, but you were shaking and I can’t take him,” he muttered. “And right now, the last thing you need is people talking about two of us getting into a fight. Like seriously, the last fucking thing.”
He definitely wasn’t wrong there and I said as much.
“You good?” he asked quietly.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I can’t…” I swallowed loudly, forgetting that I was supposed to be denying what he’d learned.
He let out a slow breath. “This is going to sound crass given how your parents died, but it’s the only analogy I know that works here.
” He waited until I looked at him. “Even on a flight they tell you to put your oxygen on before anyone else’s.
You cannot help anyone else if you can’t breathe.
I know that well. It’s why I can’t offer anyone what I can’t give. ”
I nodded and let out another shaky breath. One more and I wiped my eyes. “You gotta tell him later that you only said that because you wanted him to back off. You have no idea how bad his family has been to him too.”
He blew a harsh breath. “Fine, but if he decks me, you’re getting me cognac legally. Or maybe some bootleg cigars I heard Myriam saying she missed.”
“Deal.” I snorted. “Those cigars are awesome. She sent me a case after I helped her.” I frowned. “I only had one. Father confiscated them and chewed me out. I found out later he smoked them with others. Fucking hypocrite.”
He slowly blinked at me. “Gonna take me a minute to readjust to it all.”
“You know nothing,” I reminded him.
“Nope.”
Then I realized there was something I should tell him. So I did about what Modren said and planning to work with him. My eyes went wide when he was suddenly kneeling like his legs just gave out.
“I had no one to ask. I knew it wasn’t like what we learned but…” He wiped his eyes. “Father mocked me saying it was because I killed my mother and if I told others they would hate me. I just…”
“I’m sorry.”
He covered his face and let out a wordless bellow. It took him another minute to calm down before scrubbing his face and looking up at me. “Family really fucking sucks.”
“Yeah, big time,” I agreed.
“Okay, moving on,” he grumbled as he stood.
“To answer your earlier question, I would make them sign something that if the truth about Wilder gets leaked that they confess they all knew and begged you to handle it this way. I don’t trust one of them won’t use this to burn you or even Nevelyn and Jade Creek later. ”
“Good. And?”
“He shouldn’t just get to walk away clean,” he chuffed, clearly annoyed at it. “Anyone else would be in the dungeon if they talked to you like that. He just fucking walked out of here and they’re hiding it. He lied and blew the chance for Nevelyn—forgive the phrasing.”
I sighed, but I knew what he meant. “Agreed. Thanks.”
He stopped me before we reached the door to enter the main castle where others would be around. “Anyone who remotely knows Thorn and has a brain would know he took this chance to get you on his side and get his position back. His uncle is fucking stupid to have sent him.”
Well, there was no point in even trying to deny it to him.
“Honestly, if he wasn’t corrupt as fuck most wouldn’t do it.
My position is too shaky to risk for one screwed-over guy who should have been Alpha over a decade ago and the now-Alpha is powerful and popular.
His uncle probably thought to get Thorn locked in so he couldn’t take it over once I got more power. ”
“Shit, I didn’t think of that. It would make him really dangerous.” Ayao adjusted his neck when I frowned. “The more popular you become, the more you could take him on and help Thorn. He’d want you weak, Sagan. He’d be a good ally then and you’re cornered with him.”
I nodded, not having thought of it exactly that way but knowing it would tie me to a snake if I didn’t get him out first. Ayao did me another solid, so I did the same when I was alone after breakfast and called his uncle.
“You’re wasting his potential,” I said in way of greeting.
“Good morning?” Dray sighed.
“If we don’t work out, you’re wasting his potential mating him as a stud horse for an alliance for the family,” I elaborated, continuing when he didn’t say anything. “He’d make a perfect Beta. He’s smart and he doesn’t want the position of Alpha. He should be your son’s right hand.”
“It’s complicated,” he mumbled.
“You mean your brother’s a fucking asshole,” I said plainly, not waiting for a response. “Here are my conditions that Ayao came up with and then go ahead with the plan.”
And then I told him exactly what Ayao had suggested and I agreed. I had a lot listed of Wilder’s punishment since he wouldn’t be in my dungeons and was saved the embarrassment and I was glad when Dray agreed.
Now if I could just trust it would get done as planned and Alphas didn’t try to pull a fast one on me later.