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“It’s never stopped me before,” he frowned, thinking back to all the late nights he had spent drowning in whatever addiction would look the worst that day.
“I know. And it’s terrible,” she huffed. “The way she has forced you to keep breaking the rules and making you look bad. It’s just another way to control you.”
“What?” His belly dropped, stunned.
“It’s no wonder the tribunal kept refusing your appeals. It looks like you’re flagrantly flaunting their authority over you. Your mother is an evil mastermind, I’ll give her that.”
“How did you… know that?”
“Huh?” She focused back on him. “What do you mean?”
“I never told you.” His mouth worked up and down, trying to catch his words. “How did you know my mom was staging all of that?”
“Please. It’s obvious.”
“How?”
“I spent the majority of the last decade watching soap operas with my grandmother. You think I can’t spot when someone is setting a scene? Or I can’t pick out tiny details like the fact that your blue and green shadow is constantly dragging you through the mud? Besides,” she softened with a smile, “you don’t seem like the addict type. I’ve never seen you drink or do any kind of drug.”
“I did. At first,” he admitted, ashamed. “I was young and dumb, and it was an escape.”
“And now?”
“They… If I don’t do it voluntarily, they force it on me. So, it’s better to just do it myself. At least that way, I can control how much I consume or smoke or whatever.”
Sandy growled, her hand tightening into a fist against his chest. “I’m probably going to end up punching your mother. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Not really.”
“Good. Well, from now on, no more. If they force it on you and you have no choice, fine. But don’t consume anything else addictive from now on.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why? Thanks to her, it’s already going to be hard enough cleaning up your image. I know it sucks to go off everything cold turkey, but I need you to do this. I don’t want anyone seeing you doing even the most mild, legal of drugs or alcohol. Got it?”
“Er, yeah. Okay,” he mumbled.
“We’re also going to have to make sure we obey curfew every night. I’m going to look into some charity work. As heartless as it sounds, charity work is always good for raising someone’s image. I hate to use the unfortunate that way, but at least they’re getting something out of it in turn. Win-win is better than nothing.”
“Sandy, why are you doing all this?”
She blinked, focusing back on his face again. “It’s not obvious? I like you. I like you a lot, you big dummy. And I don’t want you to keep suffering because of her.”
“Sandy…”
“And you’re supposed to be my mate, right?” She asked softly, her cheeks turning that adorable shade of pink again. And he thought he understood why humans considered that a feminine color. “We can’t actually be mated though. Not so long as it takes away our ability to fight back. Oh! But don’t worry. I’m sure we can still be intimate somehow.”
A fire burned deep in Rane’s belly as his cock twitched. Eager to find out what ‘somehow’ meant. He smirked.
“My people mate through a bite, Sandy,” he said, trailing one of his fingers down her neck, enjoying the way she trembled under him. “Right here. Tasting your blood is what locks the bond into place for my people. So long as I don’t do that, we can do anything else.”
“Really?” She grinned wide, leaning against him. “Well, why don’t you show me exactly what-”
Someone knocked on the door. Cutting her off and making him snarl in anger. Sandy gave him a contrite smile as she leaned back, staying in his arms.
“Come in!” She yelled.
The door slid open, revealing Drevor. Rane blinked at him, surprised. He knew that Sandy said he’d been helping her, but he couldn’t quite believe that his mother’s assistant would do that. However, he was only polite as he inclined his head to her.
