Chapter 20 #2
“We need more help,” Sagan told Raquel. “There’s no reason someone can’t switch to being Myriam’s assistant. An assistant to the aide of the queen is a good role. Let people know it was a promotion from…”
“You weren’t educated in this part of running the castle, Your Highness,” Raquel said gently. “I understand your hesitation now. Yes, I understand. Your mother handled all of this.”
She met Raquel’s gaze. “I mean no disrespect. None at all. I want to empower the women of Thovudin. Starting in the castle and with those who have served the De la Rosa family loyally. I just don’t know without upsetting more people here. I’m asking you help me do it.”
“It would be my honor, and your mother would be so proud,” Raquel said fondly.
I watched as Sagan’s emotional armor slammed back into place as she looked back at her notes.
“Yes, well, you would know better than I would on that. Myriam has a list of positions we’re thinking we would need.
Any suggestions would be welcome. Also, we would like a list of anything you want or think needs to be updated.
We’ll be doing the same with security—I want everything audited.
Mother and Father did nothing wrong, but this is the time to do it. ”
“It won’t be all done at once, but anytime there is new management it’s smart,” Darren said firmly.
“It gives employees a feeling of security when there has been a huge change and that their needs are being met. Maybe they didn’t want to rock the boat with their ideas, but things are different—no matter how unfortunate—and a new idea could work. ”
As the meeting went on, I noticed Sagan glancing at Raquel and me several times like she was confused. Maybe like she’d never seen us before.
I swallowed loudly when I realized what it was. We both felt guilty and were being nicer to her. We were… Acting as we should be.
Raquel noticed it too, and the heartbroken look on her face that Sagan was confused when we were behaving how we should to support her—there weren’t words.
Treena cornered us after the meeting and demanded we explain why there was so much guilt coming off of both of us that her wolf wanted to bite us.
Myriam joined us moments later and was shaking, her eyes changing.
She flat-out threatened us and said if we betrayed Sagan, her family would sell us into hell.
I was glad she had such loyal friends and ignored the threats. I simply showed them.
Treena looked relieved, but Myriam snorted and glanced between us, completely unimpressed.
“It’s disgusting it took you both this long to figure out that woman is completely fake and you needed to see video evidence to believe Sagan who never lies.
She’s annoyingly virtuous and fair and you think she’s been the problem? I’d get rid of you both.”
Treena tried to hide her amusement as Myriam walked off until Raquel was wiping tears. She reached over and rubbed Raquel’s shoulder. “Myriam is missing a sensitivity chip, but she’s not wrong. I hope you’ve learned from this and will do better.”
“We will, but I don’t know what to do now,” I admitted. “I just…”
Treena nodded. “We need her frozen out. You can’t just show that to everyone. Show it to the others like you in the castle you can trust.”
Done. I showed it to all the main heads like of the stables, the garage—all the managers.
And they were all just as horrified. They all believed Elira was a good person and had just tripped up like I had.
I walked up on a conversation between Myriam and Thorn Blount, nephew of the Alpha of Starhaven…
And the man Sagan had slept with when she’d gone into heat after her parents’ funeral.
It was horrible we knew that, but there were questions whether she might have been slipped something that forced her heat to start.
“I guess you got the potion then,” I hedged as I joined them.
Myriam did a double take and nodded. “It’s smarter to do it before she becomes queen and the Alphas push everyone on her. The elders are all out, so less eyes are here since the contractors aren’t staying at the castle. And while Sagan was hesitant to bother Thorn…”
We both looked at him when he started chuffing.
Soooooo clearly, he wanted Sagan.
Asshole.
Myriam snickered. “Annnnywayssssss, he’s the one person I don’t suspect after talking with him about what happened.
My vote is if she was drugged, it was another possible candidate trying to get a leg up and Kole out because they all thought Kole was a problem. And if Sagan was caught in their bed…”
It made sense.
“Especially since someone came down the hall not two minutes after I found her and I hid her,” Thorn muttered.
“I didn’t think of it at the time or—it was all crazy.
But it could—it fits after talking to you.
They were hurrying. I couldn’t not look in on what Kole was doing and I don’t think they did. ”
“Like they were looking for someone,” I muttered.
“Exactly,” Myriam agreed before glancing at Thorn. “So we’ll try for tonight if Sagan’s schedule stays on track. Thanks for flying back.”
“My uncle had questions, so he’s going to need an excuse or reason,” Thorn warned her. “He’ll talk to other Alphas and know their candidates weren’t brought here before everything really started. He won’t keep to the terms of what he signed, and he… I warned the princess.”
“She told me. We’ll handle it,” Myriam promised, nodding to him before walking off.
“Warned her of what?” I asked him.
He studied me a moment but then gave a slight shrug.
“The princess can tell you if she thinks you should know.” He chuckled at whatever my reaction was and leaned in.
“I knew there were feelings on her side, but I wasn’t sure about you.
Now I know.” He eyed me over with contempt and snorted. “Now I know.”
I had to swallow my reaction as he walked away. Smug fucker. Seriously.
But he wasn’t wrong, and when I knew he was having Sagan’s perfect body… I was in my shower using my hand thinking of how much I wanted to be the one with her. My life was amazing like that.
Sure it was.