Zevran #2
“I caught it,” Sagan told me as she stood and stretched. “It was wild, but good on her. There are rumors she’s going to get fired.”
I snorted. “Sounds like fun for Darren’s attorney to start a wrongful termination lawsuit.
” I smiled when amusement danced in her eyes, clearly already planning the same.
“I think some of the people who were there at the attack should go on the record and talk about what it was like. Not details, but how it felt to be there in that moment and how real it was.”
I went on a bit more but frowned as she kept glancing behind me. I checked and saw it was Thorn… And he was practically eye-fucking Sagan.
Who was just as into it.
I moved so her view was completely blocked since I was so much taller and made it clear that I didn’t like what was going on.
But she gave me the same look back and I shrank away from her with just that look. She really was queen and the boss of us all. The annoyance in her aura made me cringe and back down.
“I hear what you’re saying and it’s an interesting idea to bring up to Toni,” she said, moving on and not focusing on what I’d done. “But you can’t just push people—you don’t know what it was like for the people there and they could feel pressured to—”
“I was there, Your Majesty,” I chuffed, upset for some reason. A few even. My dragon was too.
She blinked at me but then sighed, somewhat dismissively… While holding up her hand to the left.
I glanced over and winced when I saw guards were closer to us than before.
“You can’t just fucking chuff at the queen,” Thorn growled, suddenly there and blocking Sagan.
“I don’t need your help, thank you,” she grumbled and shoved him a step over so I could see them both.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted and rubbed the back of my neck. “I’m not even sure why I did. My dragon is…”
“He’s hurt I didn’t acknowledge whatever he did?” Sagan muttered, studying me in a funny way. Her eyes flashed power and she seemed settled with what she’d said. “What did he do?”
“I was working with the police—you gave me one of the first dragons to set down safely,” I answered and gave a half shrug.
“I’m not trained to fight and I knew I would just get in the way or someone could get hurt trying to save me.
I dropped out of the way but then saw the problem and came up to help with the bodies. ”
I swallowed loudly and looked away, flinching when someone touched me.
Sagan had worry in her pretty eyes. “You did the right thing—the smart thing, Zev. It takes a wise person to know when they’re in over their head and not make things worse. Thank you. I didn’t—I don’t know your dragons.”
I checked with mine and nodded. “Yeah, that’s why. He had your back and you didn’t even know he helped.” I gave a half shrug. We were all from Alpha families and prideful idiots.
I mentally winced as I thought about how much harder it would make things for Sagan. He settled when she praised him again and said if I wanted to talk to Toni about my experiences that day, she had no objections and appreciated that I wanted to help
But then was completely focused on Thorn again, especially when he flicked off his lifting belt.
Yeah, I pouted.
It didn’t help when I got a call a few days later from my dad. I rolled my eyes since I was going to see him tomorrow at the Alpha meeting. Things had gotten messed up with the next one after the coronation because of… A lot.
A lot of shit had happened and then they pushed for her to have introductions with us. Lori drugged her. Kole’s shit. Now the attack.
Yeah, the monthly Alpha meeting kept getting pushed back.
Shocker.
But he called for an update and asked if I’d bedded “the stupid bitch yet.” I didn’t even understand why he was so pissed or what was going on, but I reminded him I was inside the castle with their security, so could he not lose his shit over whatever?
Yeah, wrong thing to say because he went off even worse. He finally hung up when I didn’t say anything with a threat of us “talking” when he saw me tomorrow and I had better get back in line.
Like always, my mother called two minutes later to smooth things over.
“Your father doesn’t mean what he says and is—”
“Yeah, he does, Mom, and you deserve better than he treats you,” I cut in, finally saying what I’d wanted to for a while. “He’s demeaning and abuses you.”
“Your father has never hit me or—”
“That’s not the only type of abuse,” I said firmly. “He’s emotionally abusive and treats you like a fucking broodmare, not a partner. He’s so sexist that—”
“That’s enough, Zevran Yousif,” she snapped, trying to use my full name like that would make me feel like a little boy in trouble.
“It is, and I’m disappointed you’re not stronger and able to see it.
The lines that he never hits you or you’re treated better than other women in your generation—it’s all bullshit, Mom.
Love yourself more, okay? Because you just enable him.
You show the women in our family that unacceptable behavior is fine.
It’s not. He wants me to treat Sagan that way. It’s gross.”
And for the first time ever, I hung up on one of my parents. I stared at my phone for a few good minutes in shock.
Then I was just proud of myself.
Maybe I can hide behind Sagan when he comes tomorrow and wants to beat my ass?