Page 186 of Their Rejected Queen

The prospects are as dizzying as they are unbelievable.

And every word he speaks is written plainly in the contract with no strings attached.

I squirm in my brother’s grip, but I can’t take my eyes off the words of the deal.

All the promises are there.

Immortality.

The well-being of my sponsors.

And the restoration of my body, including the ability to have children.

“In exchange for what?” I breathe.

“The same thing I gave him.” Edward shrugs. “Your soul. You don’t really need it anyway.”

I freeze.

He grabs my chin and forces me to look into his stormy blue eyes. So many women have succumbed to his charm and his promises. I never thought I’d be at risk for falling under his spell. “You don’t have to live in the shadows any longer, sister.”

Maybe he’s right.

This is a life I’ve always wanted.

My new mates can live.

I can be given the ability to have children.

I can finally be worthy.

“You’re already worthy,” Ze’ev says inside my head, jerking me out of the cloud of confusion my brother has put me in. Ze’ev’s words are scratchy and diluted, but I hear him.

“Your soul belongs to us.”

Snapping my gaze to his, I watch his expression battle some force from within as his jaw flexes.

“What about my twin?” I ask, turning toward King Njord. “She needs to be included in the contract, too.”

The king and my brother share a look, then a pen appears in thin air.

It scribbles an addendum to the parchment in black ink.

Any daughters born from Duchess Rinhold shall be furthermore unharmed.

I frown at the text. That’s a strange way to word the terms. And I’m not sure if it quite encompasses everything it should. “I need to see her,” I demand.

What if she was already harmed? What if this is a trick?

I’ve never met my sister, and when King Njord bows and swirls his hand, I don’t expect the young child who stumbles through the dark portal that closes behind her.

Not to mention… something is off about her. I can’t put my finger on it.

Her gaze lands on me. Long eyelashes drape over amber-green eyes that look exactly like mine. A smile lights on her face, like I’m looking at myself in a warped mirror, until her attention turns to the nightmare all around us. Terror overtakes her features before King Njord waves his hand, and she slumps over into his arms, asleep.

I gasp and reach for her, but King Njord holds up a hand.

“It’s better if she sleeps,” he says, hoisting her against him like she’s a treasure he never lets out of his sight. “You’ve seen her. Sign the contract.”