Page 26 of The Alpha’s Heir

I took a step back. “Me?”

“Yes,” she said. “I thought you were Helen’s son.”

Her words from earlier today came back, and it dawned on me. “I can see the confusion.”

“Good.” She nodded. “Then you’ll understand why I can’t do this. I can’t marry that man in there.”

“But you’d marry me. A complete stranger?” I was confused, albeit a little flattered that I hadn’t been the one to make her run from the room in disgust. “That’s the councilwoman’s son. He’ll give you everything you could ever want. Trust me, you’re getting the better deal.”

“You don’t understand.” She blew out a frustrated breath. “You and me. We—”

“Listen, I know he’s throwing a tantrum now, but you need to get to know him before you cast judgement. He really isn’t so bad.” I felt like I was betraying someone as I said this, but I couldn’t tell you who. How many times had I spoken up on Justus’s behalf? It was almost second-nature now.

“Who is he to you?” Meg whispered.

I shrugged. “My oldest friend. And he won’t hurt you. This whole marriage scam might be a sacrifice, but with him, you’ll want for nothing.”

“Marriage scam?” Her brow creased. “You don’t believe it will work?”

I forced my face into a mask of stone, trying to hide my mistake. “That isn’t my place to question. The council and your people have made a plan.”

“And do you ever… think for yourself?” Her voice was soft, non-combative.

I didn’t bother to answer the question.

“They’re not normally so dramatic in front of company,” I said, remembering my place. “Helen Troy is a good woman. She stands by her word.”

I thought of the years she’d helped. All she did for my father, even long after he’d gotten too sick to keep working as her late husband’s valet.

“You admire her.” Again, not a question. There was something like defeat in Meg’s tone.

“She feeds me,” I said, trying to make light of a dark situation.

Meg sighed. “Where I come from, that isn’t food.”

“I don’t much care for it either.” I tried to smile. “But like everything else here, it’ll grow on you.”

There was a silence that stretched between us, made louder by the vast and empty space. I could tell she wanted to say more, but I couldn’t trust myself to keep talking. Something about her made me want to speak out of turn. To assure her things wouldn’t be so bad. To tell her stories about—

What was I even doing out here? It wasn’t my place to meddle in the councils’ affairs.

“Give it a chance, is all I’m saying.” I turned to leave. “Goodnight, Megaera.”

For the second time tonight, I felt that tight squeeze in my chest when I heard her whisper, “Goodnight, Roman.”

8

Meg

I didn’t want to wake up or face reality yet, so I lay on the soft bed that smelled of too many chemicals, pretending to still be asleep. Because in my dreams, Roman had chased me up the stairs last night and demanded we leave this place, refusing to let me marry another.

Groaning, I buried my face in the pillow.

I needed to lay off the romance novels.

And I really needed a plan to untangle the web I’d somehow landed in. If Roman didn’t live here, if we wouldn’t be seeing each other every day, the moonsickness might kick in.

It was a safety feature of our mating rituals. Nature’s way of ensuring love had a chance to bloom before we accepted or rejected the bond.