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“Something I now regret,” I grumble under my breath. I turn to fully face Sophia. “Were you guys serious about the cousins being jealous of me?”
She nods. “Absolutely. You wouldn’t believe how jealous they are. Violet and Olivia are absolutelyfuming. They’ve been in a funk ever since your prince turned them down. Violet even made a profile on a vampire dating app.”
I snort. “Good luck to the guys she matches with.”
“Right.” Sophia takes a sip of her water. “I still can’t quite believe this. You, a princess of the vampires. Who would’ve thought?”
I lean back in my chair. “I know. It’s still wild to think that I’m the spare. Though, when I marry Damek, Julien will go back to being the spare. Since Damek is the crown prince, I won’t be eligible to take over for my dad’s clan.”
“But your older brother is missing, so aren’t you technically the heir,” she asks.
“Technically.” I lean closer to her. “But don’t tell the other three.” I glance to where they are hanging onto Julien’s everyword while. “I think Julien would be even more popular if they knew.”
Sophia giggles. “Your brother is good looking.”
I wrinkle my nose.
She swats a hand at me. “Obviously not to you. But trust me when I say that he’s ababe. If you weren’t related, you would see it.”
I look at my younger brother and shrug. “He definitely thinks he’s all that. He’s constantly reminding me that we look alike and because of that, I’m also gorgeous.”
“You are,” she says and takes a bite of her food.
She’s so casual about it. I don’t think she realizes just how strange it is for me to hear a succubus admit that to me.
“Why do you look surprised?” Sophia asks once she swallows her food.
“I’ve never felt pretty—not when I’m the only hybrid living among full blooded succubi,” I admit. “I’m not as charming or as charismatic as the rest of you. It’s like Henry, Violet, and Olivia always reminded me—I’m the ugly cousin.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “You know they only said that because they’re jealous, right?”
I stop with a bite halfway to my mouth. “Jealous because I’m marrying a vampire prince?”
“No.” She pauses. “Well, yes. They are jealous of the fact that you’re marrying a vampire prince, but they’re more jealous of the fact that Damek adores you. But that’s not what I’m talking about. You’re a hybrid, which somehow enhances your succubus half. You’re more charming than all of us, that’s why no incubus would ask you out on a date. You intimidated them.”
My mouth falls open. “No. No way.”
“Yes way,” she says. “I promise I’m not lying. This is the truth, Madeline. Nobody thought you were ugly. You’re the mostbeautiful of us all. I thought you knew or I would’ve told you sooner.”
She thought I knew?
I sit back in my chair, feeling stunned at her words.
Could it be possible that she’s right? That all of my cousins hated me, not because I was ugly, but because they thought I was prettier than them?
“No.” I shake my head. “Olivia and Violet and gorgeous. There is no way I’m prettier than them.”
“Believe what you want,” she says. “But it’s the truth.”
I contemplate her words as I watch my younger brother flirt with my cousins.
This is too weird to even contemplate right now. But if she’s right…
Well, it doesn’t matter anymore. Because I live with the vampires now. And vampires have never felt the need to put me down to make themselves feel better. So it doesn’t change anything. But I am glad to know it.
“Thank you, Sophia. That means a lot to me.” My throat closes up at the emotions. “I’ve always felt like an outsider, but I’m glad to know that’s not the case.”
She smiles softly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I tried not to get in on the teasing because I knew it bothered you, but I don’t think I realized just how much it affects you.”
