Lucianne’s eyes met her brother''s, and she dered, “Betrayal.”
The room started to simmer down. Lucianne knew that word better
than anyone else there. Every bond-snap before she met Xandar was
excruciating. She felt the anguish from the rejections and the betrayal
from two of her past mates. She also felt betrayed by the Moon
Goddess, who was not supposed to hurt her if she didn’t do anything
wrong, and who was not supposed to bond her to creatures who would
hurt her. On many nights, she wished that she would just wake up
dead. It was no secret that it took her many weeks and even months
before she started being okay again. 1
Every creature in the room was really listening now. Lucianne went on,
“Torture and death are merely a consequence of betrayal. W e punish
criminals because they betrayed the system and its people. We take
care of creatures who disy loyalty to defend the system and the
people in it.”
With suppressed anger, Christian noted, "Greg doesn''t fit into the
second category, my Queen’
“Are you saying he fits perfectly well into the first, Christian?” Lucianne
asked
Like Xandar, Christian averted his eyes from her because he couldn''t
deny that Greg had been helping them. After taking a deep breath, he
stared at the table and asked, “So, what do we do? What should we put
in the monarchy’''s rmendation?”
Lucianne''s voice tumed soft and doubtful when she uttered, “I don''t
know. But there''s no way he should be let-off scot free.”
Toby then suggested, “Lower prison sentence? Maybe lighter
punishments, too? You know, less whippingpared to the rest?”
“We could also strip him of his dukedom.” Xandar said, and when all
eyes fell on him, he only locked his onyx orbs on his mate and
exined, “No royal member in history has ever had their title stripped
from them. The punishment is severe enough to make up for what he
did.”
“And what''s the bncing factor?” Lucianne asked
Xandar responded, “Lower sentencing?”
“How low?” Lucianne’s eyes burned into his when she detected that he
had no intention to bnce things out.
Xandar breathed heavily in jealousy before his murderous onyx eyes
fixed on Lucianne as he asked in a slow, low voice, “Why are you
defending him?”
Registering his jealousy, Lucianne emitted a low, angered growl and
dered, “Because it''s what''s right. He helped us. Throwing him under
the bus does NOT serve the Kingdom in the long-run. If you even
THINK that I''m doing this because I am in love with him, I''d suggest
you check the mark on your neck AND mine, your Highness.”
His hand immediately moved to gently push her hair to the back, and
his fingers traced the mark he made on the most beautiful and amazing
creature in the Kingdom. She was his. Only his. The sight calmed him,
and the sensation he made on her skin calmed
her
Between his cmity, he felt something else. Hurt. But that wasn''t his
emotion. When his partially lc eyes returned to Lucianne''s teary orbs,
she spoke in a whisper, “How could you not trust me to stay with you?
How could you even think that I would want someone else? We''ve
marked each other. Should I be worried that you would want someone
else despite what I did on your neck?”
He instantly pressed her into his chest and uttered, “No. Never. There''ll
only ever be you.” After nting a deep kiss on her hairline, he
muttered, “I''m sorry, baby, I''m so sorry.” Her hurt cut right through him,
and his animal was having a hard time coping with their mate''s pain
knowing that they were the ones who caused it.
After a few quiet, awkward moments, Annie''s voice rang through the
room, “Stripping the dukedom may be taking it too far” Her statement
even made her own mate surprised, Annie went on to say, “It''s like Lucy
said. He helped us. He did a lot of unforgivable things in the past but
what he has been doing recently...changes things. The severity of our
rmendation should probably weigh in how sorry he feels about
everything he did.
Christian pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke to his Duchess as
gently as he could to avoid starting a scene like his cousin,” How are we
supposed to assess how sorty one is, Annie? There''s no scale for that.”
Annie then challenged her husband, “Do you mean there''s no scale, or
that you don''t want to believe that there is one?”
That hit Christian Like Xandar, he didn''t want anything but the worst for
Greg, The Duke sighed, and pecked a kiss on his Duchess''s temple
before reluctantly asking, “What''s the scale?”
Annie answered without hesitation, “His demeanor. By watching the
way Greg speaks about everything he has done, we''ll be able t 0 know
if he''s being sincere, or if this is just a tactical move.” She locked eyes
with Lucianne, and suggested, “Maybe you should
talk to him, Lucy.”
“NO F*CKING WAY!" Xandar eximed, and instinctively wrapped
Lucianne even tighter in his chest, like someone would snatch her away
if he didn''t hold her close enough.
Lucianne’s rage returned when she tried to loosen his grip as she asked
her mate, “Why?! Because I''ll leave you once I see him?!"
Christian answered before his cousin could, “Because there are other
people who can do that, my Queen!”
“Like who?!” Annie challenged
Christian responded to his wife in haste, “ME! AND HIM!" He motioned
at Xandar.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Toby muttered to himself, “That n is
doomed to failure.”
“I have the King''s Authority, Toby. I can make him answer anything I
want.” Xandar dered.
Juan spoke, “That''s the problem, Xandar.” When all eyes were on the
Alpha, Juan exined, “Assuming that the King''s Authority is like the
Alpha''s Authority, emotions are a key element in emitting and
maneuvering the power. Given how much you loathe that other Duke,
your anger may suppress any apologetic statement that Greg w may
make.”
Xandar looked at Juan in disbelief and asked, “You''re taking my cousin''s
side over your sister''s? After everything that he’s done to her?”
“I''m on my sister''s side. And from whatever we''ve leamed from this,” he
lifted up the report before cing it back on the table and said, “I''d say
the only thing he did to Lucy of his own ord was piss her off in the
dining hall and on the training ground. Although I was pushing for him
to be punished because he gave Sasha Cummings ess to the rogues,
Lucy has convinced me that...Cummings may have been able to find an
alternative way to contact them. And Greg''s intentions seemed to have
changedter on, especially when this report said that he attacked
Helena Tanner in her own house after the Oleander de she ordered
hurt Lucy, albeit unintentionally.”
When a short moment of silence followed, Juan added, “This in no way
makes me forgive him for his involvement in the Jewel . Pack attack. All
I''m saying is that a bnced indictment is...fair. And to see how far we
should tip the scale in his favor, we should see whether he''ll return to
his old ways if and when he is released from prison.”
“And you propose that your sister be the one to talk to him?” Xandar
asked in dissatisfaction
Juan uttered, “Yes, not just because her emotions would be in check
should she need to use the Queen''s Authority but also because your
cousin seems to only want to tell her anything. Theputer chip for
the corruption, the location of the founders of Wu Bi Corp...he
addressed the messages to HER.”Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.
“Because...he’s in love with her.” Xandar''s onyx eyes were a shade
darker when he said what everyone else was afraid of saying. Everyone
read the report, which had transcripts of recorded conversations in the
Kyltons'' residence, and the gossip confirmed Greg''s feelings for the
future Queen.
Juan knew that wasing, and before his sister could throw a fit
again, he said, “I''m not going to lie, Xandar. If it were Hale, I may be
reacting much worse than you are right now. But I know Hale wouldn''t
love anyone else the way she loves me, so with...probably a lot of
persuasion from her, I would let her see Greg on the condition that I go
with her. I would want to witness the entire exchange with my own eyes
and listen to the way they speak to each other with my own ears. If he
puts a w out of line, I''ll tear him to shreds.”
“That''s true.” Hale muttered with a smile by his side.
Xandar''s eyes moved to Lucianne, and after staring into her hopeful
orbs and pondering for a long moment, he nted a deep kiss o n her
forehead that sent a shower of sparks through Lucianne’s being before
he repeated Juan''s words in a low voice, “If he puts a w out of line,
I''ll tear him to shreds.”