Page 78 of Undertow
Oh. Fuck.
Sure enough, his face turned red so fast that I was worried steam would actually come out of his ears as he chuffed. Rage poured off of him as he focused on me. “Tell me this isn’t true. Tell me the dog who follows you around is—”
I was in front of him in a flash, knocking his legs out from under him so he landed hard on his ass. “Youeverspeak to or about her like that again and I will do more than knock you downso you can kneel andapologize, Kole Conley. She is Princess Treena Corbett, heir to the Bodach throne.”
“Sorry,” he bit out, knowing at least he could lose his fucking head.
Treena muttered something under her breath that I couldn’t make out, but I was pretty sure I heard “dog” and I could only guess she was saying he was the actual dog in the room. Yeah, he was.
And I decided to make things clear with witnesses. This had gone far enough and there was no coming back now.
“Yes, it’s true,” I told him with a half shrug as his eyes went wide. I leaned in, rage pouring off me as well. “And I regret ever accepting. We’re done.”
“What?” he breathed, his eyes going too wide. “You can’t end things with me.”
I stood back up and scrunched up my eyebrows. “Of course I can.” I gestured to his friends. “You justliedto a bunch of people in my home that this whole thing is fake and we’re going to be mated before the year is out. That you’re going toleak itto everyone and what the elders did. Are you insane? I’m not staying with you or—”
“It’s the right thing to do, and if you had any sense you would see that,” he yelled as he rolled to his feet. “If you weren’t so selfish and cared about what I thought or listened to me ever.”
“Why would I?” I asked him. “Why would I listen to someone who does nothing but throw fits and treats me like you do? Honestly, I was going to end this months ago, but I didn’t care enough to fly out to see you and do it face-to-face. I figured when I saw you next but—”
I saw his hand coming and was going to let him.
I was going to let him strike me with witnesses to put the final nail in the coffin.
But a hand was suddenly there to grab his wrist at the last second. I swallowed a gasp as Benson wrenched Kole’s arm behind his back and pulled him away from me.
“Secure the princesses,” he ordered. “This one goes to the dungeon before going to court for the capital crime of—”
“Stop,” I interjected before the guards could all escalate this. “Just stop.” I let out a slow breath when everyone froze. I met Benson’s gaze. “I made it physical first. Let him go. I’m not a hypocrite that would hide behind that law or being a royal after I started it.” I nodded when he still hesitated.
“As you wish, Your Highness,” he bit out and released Kole with a shove away from me.
I held Kole’s pissed-off gaze. “However, I knocked you down back to reality when you’ve elevated yourself again and again and lost your head. You were going tobitch-slapme trying to get me in line and use violence against me when I ended things. That won’t be forgotten. Ever.”
I turned to his guests and ignored when Kole snapped that we weren’t done and he wasn’t accepting a breakup. I handled things the best I could, but then Benson practically dragged me off after giving orders to the other guards.
I waved Treena off and followed him so there wasn’t another scene but didn’t hide that I wasn’t thrilled with him either. He led me down one hallway and then a few more until I was completely turned around.
He spun on his heel and squared off with me. “Why do you let him treat you like that?”
I blinked at him for several moments before I snorted. “Why do you care?” I let out a heavy breath. “No,seriously, why do you care?” I shoved him away when he leaned in closer. “Like you’ve treated meany better?”
“That’s not fair at all,” he growled. “I’ve never disrespected you.”
“That’s debatable,” I argued.
“I’ve never treated you as beneath me and a prize.”
That was fair and I gave a swift nod. “But you did make it damn clear that you don’t care about me personally, so don’t pretend like you do now. You drew the firm line between us, so don’t youdaretry to cross it.”
“I never said I didn’t care about you. I said I couldn’t care about you likethat, Sagan. Stop punishing me for it.”
I turned my face like he’d slapped me and shoved him away from me rougher than I should have. “Yeah, you treat me any better.”
“That came out harsher than I meant,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I am. I don’t—it’s not fair that you compared me to Kole. I was never mean to you. I’m allowed to have my feelings or say I don’t want more than being your friend.”
I blinked back tears but still forced myself to meet his gaze. “And I’m allowed to say that I can’t just be friends with you then. It’s not punishing you.” I snorted and took a step away from him. “We weren’t even friends. You and others say we grew up together, but I was never here. We barely know each other.”
