23 #3
“Fair,” I accepted. “But there’s no reason you shouldn’t have been at the coronation supporting Sagan like any other relative. You should be at her first ball—support her charities like you do any other.”
“I would like that,” she accepted after a moment. “Especially this female education one I hear she’s started. Well done.”
“She’s amazing and our family is losing out by not knowing her,” I said, trying to keep tears out of my voice.
I let out a slow breath. “I’m not saying we just all go to the castle and say hi.
But we have influence, and people are saying she overreacted by killing the elder and his family who tried to kill her.
That’s too far. We have to help her because I promise you, Thovudin needs her. ”
My knees almost went weak when they all agreed, apparently several of the family elders having discussed that specifically with Father.
“I need him removed from here and we can figure out the rest later,” I warned them as my dragon started chuffing badly. “He punished his own granddaughter—he didn’t care if she died because of what he saw as Amelia’s betrayal—I need him away from me.”
“He was such a bright boy,” someone sighed. “Such a shame he turned into such a selfish monster.”
Others dragged Father away and I got into more specific details with the right people… Not the ones who wanted them so they could cause problems for me later. My phone vibrated a few times and I received some disapproving looks, but I reminded them of my position and all I controlled.
That shut them up real fast.
But then it was rapid-fire and I excused myself, realizing something was serious.
“You need to fly back,” Maple said the moment the call connected.
“What happened?” I demanded, my blood running cold.
“I don’t know, but Sagan is saying she doesn’t have any family anymore and ordered guards to kick us out of the castle,” she rasped, obviously trying to hold back tears. “And Treena is demanding to know who Eloise is.”
“What?” I breathed, my heart beating in my ears.
“Something broke Sagan, Darren,” she choked out.
“She was fine after the meetings and then a guard showed up saying the queen had ordered any De la Rosa to be removed from the castle. I said I wouldn’t unless I heard it from her directly and I wasn’t stupid to fall for some lame coup with some Alphas in the castle still. ”
“And?”
“She wouldn’t see me or Fraser, but I heard her yelling from her suite that she didn’t have family anymore and she was done pretending when they hated her. Then Treena pulled us off to the side demanding to know who Eloise was and why Sagan had different colored streaks in her hair.”
“How could this—”
“I think Sagan found out Rhys was trying to replace her,” Maple blurted.
“She—he was what?” I bellowed.
“I didn’t know. Not until I found Belinda. I don’t—I don’t know anything anymore, Darren. I don’t know how to help her or if we can save her this time.”
“I’m on my way,” I told her and hung up the phone. I barely called over to the family elders that there was an emergency and I had to go.
One of them stopped me. “This is not the time to choose her over your family.”
I bared my teeth at him. “She is my family—she has always been our family and that’s what all of you have missed.
And she is dying under the weight of what she carries alone because Father ordered you all to abandon her and you listened to him.
I will not do the same. I can be the head of the Gurren family and be her family too! ”
By the gods I would or fucking die trying because I would not give up on Sagan. Ever.
Especially not after learning that even her own father really did.
The End
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