Page 48 of Undertow
The more he talked, the higher my blood pressure rose. Honestly, it wasn’t just my dragon chuffing, but my eye was fucking twitching.
“Oh yeah, so in the bag she told Vex publicly to submit another candidate,” I drawled.
“She was being petty and letting her hurt that she thought I was with another woman get the best of her.”
I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. Vex looking at Kole as if he was stupid set me off all over again.
“Do you evenknowyour own girlfriend?” I asked Kole, honestly wondering how dumb he was. “She’s known as having the best poker face in the nation. ‘The mask that never cracks’ is what the media refers to her as all of the time. She kept perfect composure during her parents’funeraland a fucking coup, but you think she was throwing a fit?”
“I raised a moron,” Vex grumbled, shaking his head. He couldn’t even hide his disappointment in Kole. “Apparently, the only reason you’ve dated her this long is because youaren’taround her often.Apparently, I know her better than you because that wasn’t her throwing a fit. She was making it clear your ass is being pushed out the door.”
Kole scoffed at us. “It was just—”
Vex grabbed him by the front of his jacket and chuffed in his face. “No, it wasn’t, and you fuckinghumiliatedour family and area. So you get your shit together and treat ourqueenas she deserves or end it. I won’t have you ruining the alliance we have, Kole. I won’t risk that. Not even for you. Hear me or I will put someone else in as a prospective mating candidate.”
“You’re my dad,” he whispered, betrayal all over his face.
“I’m also Alpha of Applerest and aloyalsubject of my future queen. You’re a shit son if you force me to choose when you should be a better man and understand you’re completely wrong here. Completely. I’ve never been more disappointed in you.”
He shoved away from Vex and his nostrils flared like he was feeling too much and couldn’t deal with it all. “I can’t believe you’re not even on my side when they’re going to throw sixteen men at her and ruin everything I’ve worked for.”
I moved faster than Vex could stop and launched Kole across the room. “She’s not a fuckingprojectyou’ve investedtime into so you could become prince, Kole! She’s aperson. A woman you’re supposed to love and want to mate. You’re—” I spun away before I went for him again and saw that Vex heard the same thing I did.
Maybe this was finally pulling back the curtain for him that Kole wasn’t just a bit bratty but still a good kid. He wasn’t. Kole was a fucking asshole who honestly didn’t have any redeeming qualities from what I ever saw.
Why was she even with such a damn loser?
“You cannot let him represent our family, Vex. You can’t. It will blow all the goodwill—”
“I’m not a fucking sports player that can be traded out,” Kole snapped as he jumped to his feet. “She loves me and I’m in her bed.”
I snorted but kept Vex’s gaze. “She’s not stupid. She’ll see how he doesn’t loveherand just wants to be prince. Now that they’re around each other, she’ll see and—”
And that was when Kole made the final mistake and stepped right into my trap. He grabbed my arm and tried to spin me to face him, yanking himself forward instead because he didn’t have the strength to move me.
“She won’t see anything,” Kole growled. “I know how to behave and handle Sagan. I’ll be prince and knock all of those other fuckers out of the running.”
“You disgust me,” Vex bit out, barely controlling his dragon. “Get out of here before I fucking end you. I’m—get out, Kole.”
I smirked at Kole as horror filled his face and he realized what he’d admitted in his anger. I snorted when retribution filled his eyes and then he stormed out of there.
At least he had enough self-preservation to know when not to push his father and risk being dismembered.
“You cannot do this to Sagan,” I muttered when we were alone. “You can’t, Vex. He doesn’t deserve her and this is about more than Kole. She’s going to be—you saw the madness in that meeting. A fucking coup attempt? Youknowthere’s more that we don’t even know about.”
“I know, Onyx,” he snapped and then let out a shaky breath. “I know, okay? Give me a fucking minute to deal with the fact my son is a fucking…”
I moved my hand to his shoulder and squeezed it as Vex moved his hand over his face. “He’s still got a chance. He’s lost his way and—get him away from whoever is whispering this shit in his ear maybe. Those friends? I don’t know them, but all he cares about—you can still save him, Vex. Time to be a dad or he won’t even be able to inherit.”
“What a fucking mess,” he rasped and turned away. “I don’t even know what to do.”
“I want to be the candidate.” I didn’t flinch when he turned and gave me a dirty look. His annoyance drained away and the shock that bloomed would have been almost amusing if the topic wasn’t so serious. “I’ve never asked you for anything, Brother. I’ve doneeverythingyou’ve ever asked ofme. No matter how over the line.”
He flinched. “I did—”
“What was best for you and your position. I know. And I loved you enough to do it. Leave home when my dragon was growing too strong even though I was a kid? Done. You were the oldest and it was your spot. Travel and find my own way like a fucking outcast so no one even looked at me like a contender for Alpha? I did it without bitching.”
“You can’t be serious,” he whispered, studying me. Then he flinched. “You want her.”
