“You realize this is beneath you.” I stared at my mother. She hadn’t softened in the years since she left Freychon.

“It’s certainly beneath you,” she snapped. “She’s not crown material. You know that. She will disgrace your father’s legacy.”

I leaned toward her as if I was going to kiss her cheek and smiled. “I am my father’s legacy. And I have chosen her.”

“American?” I heard the disdain in her voice. “Not an ounce of royal blood. And worse—she’s full human. You think she can handle royal cubs? Doubtful.”

“That’s not your decision to make.” I gritted my teeth. “I’m the alpha king.”

“And look at what you’re doing with that privilege,” she hissed. “Does she even know? Does she know what kind of monster you are?”

I glared at her.

A quick laugh escaped my mother’s lips. “Ah-ha! She doesn’t have a clue who you are. You’re just like your father. Secrets and deception. You think she’ll still love you when she finds out you’re a beast?”

“That’s enough.”

I took a step back. There were too many ears in the vicinity. Too many bullshitters who would eavesdrop and gloat over our family squabble. Happy that we were broken since my father died. One more sign the House of Marquis should hand over the royal reins to another family. I didn’t want to hear the vile things my mother said. She was bitter and angry. I couldn’t let that invade what I had with Eden.

My mother clicked her tongue. “Looks like Russel has the same taste you do.”

I rotated in time to see LeRoy’s hand land on Eden’s wrist. She tried to shake him off. What in the hell was he doing? He couldn’t touch her.

I cut through the dancefloor, ready to rip the head from his neck. I had to suppress the instinct to roar in front of everyone.

“Get your hands off her, Russel.”

Eden’s face was horror-stricken. “A-Alaric, wait.”

I barely heard her. I gritted my teeth at LeRoy.

“Your Majesty.” He smirked. He let go of Eden’s wrist knowing that if he didn’t I would punch him in the teeth.

“Do you want to tell me what the fuck you’re doing?”

“Having a conversation with my tally.”

Eden tried to explain. “I was only trying to tell him—”

I narrowed in on LeRoy, pushing Eden out of the way. “That was settled at the gala.” I didn’t believe he had the balls or the stupidity to bring that up here. She was never his tally. “You’re drunk, Russel. Go home.”

He laughed. “Not your tally.”

“He’s talking about me.” I noticed the girl next to Eden. “Hi.”

“Alaric, this is my best friend, Bonnie. The one I told you about.” She pressed the information with her eyes.

Russel puffed his chest. “That’s the problem. What is she doing here?”

My anger started to dissolve and I realized the problem. LeRoy had no interest in Eden.

“Who let the tallies in here?” he asked. “They shouldn’t be allowed at balls. And not in the prestigious blue ball room,” he mocked. He was definitely drunk.

No one else seemed to notice our discussion. “Shut up, LeRoy. No one knows. There’s no reason for you to announce it.”

“Francois is here. You don’t think he’s going to realize the new Royal Consort is a tally?”

I wasn’t comfortable with where he was going with the conversation. He needed to shut his fucking mouth.

“I’ll leave. I’ll just go,” Eden’s friend offered. “I don’t want to ruin your night, Eden.”

“No. You’re not leaving.” Eden spoke up. “You’re my guest. You have every right to be here.”

LeRoy laughed as if he heard a hilarious joke. There was nothing funny about this. The fucker liked trouble.

“Guest?”

“Russel, please,” Bonnie pleaded. “I’ll go. I’m sorry.”

Eden looked at me frantically. We both knew things were escalating. I still had no idea what LeRoy’s problem was with Bonnie.

“Out here,” I ordered.

We hurried through one of the side ballroom doors. We maybe had five minutes before our absence was a problem. They followed me to one of the sitting rooms women used to use during balls. It had been aired out for tonight. There were fresh bouquets of flowers. There were crystal dishes with House of Marquis chocolates and mints on the tables. I locked the doors behind us.

“Ok. What the fuck is going on?” I turned to them. “And I don’t want to hear your bullshit, LeRoy. The truth.”

Eden put an arm around her friend. She was visibly shaken.

“She shouldn’t be here.” He pointed at Bonnie.

“Stop being a dick,” I snarled.

He glared at me. “You think this is going to work out? You realize you have to pay an exit fee.”

I shoved my hands in my pockets. “I know.”

Eden’s eyes darted back and forth. “What is he talking about?”

I shook my head. “I’ll explain later. We have about two minutes before we have to get back to the ballroom. I need to know that the secrecy of the gala is safe between us. Whatever happened between you two is your business until it interferes with me, then it becomes mine. You are walking a fine line right now with that distinction.”

LeRoy’s eyebrows knitted together. “You bastard. You get everything you want. Even her.”

“Eden hasn’t done anything to you. And I doubt Bonnie has either. You’re being a royal ass. If you don’t want to be here, leave. Nothing is keeping you here.”

“Except Carina,” he retorted.

Eden looked confused. “Who is Carina?”

“His wife,” Bonnie answered. “Lady LeRoy.”

“You’re married?” It was as if a small explosive had been detonated in the middle of us.

“Don’t look at me like that. It was an arranged marriage. Royal convenience,” he explained.

There was no rule in the society that members had to be single. With only a one-night commitment, it didn’t matter, but something had happened between Russel and Bonnie. Carina was apparently a problem.

“Is that why you didn’t want to talk about it?” Eden asked her friend. “You didn’t want me to know he was married?”

“I couldn’t. We agreed. And it was complicated.” Her eyes darted to Russel.

He stepped in front of me, separating the girls. He slipped a hand around Bonnie’s waist, tugging her toward him. “I can’t help it. I can’t get the other night out of my head. And then tonight I saw you by the staircase. Do you know I almost left Carina right then?”

“I can’t either forget it either, but …”

“But nothing.” Russel pressed his forehead to hers.

Damn it.

I interrupted. “LeRoy, you can’t leave Carina. And this can’t happen.”

“I know that,” he hissed. “Some of us can’t write laws and grant positions for women we love.”

“I’m not married,” I corrected him. “You would lose your title. Carina will destroy you. Her family will come after you with everything.”

“Don’t you think I fucking know that?”

“You are the reason Francois has contracts in place. This is why he has to protect the society. What have you done?”

“Me? You brought a tally into the palace.”

I backed up. I realized he was mad at his situation. Pissed at the world. I received the brunt of it because I had Eden. In his eyes I had won something he couldn’t have. Personal happiness. He had no idea what he was talking about. Eden was the only light I had. She was going to be my mate. It was something I couldn’t explain to anyone here.

“Can’t we do something?” Eden asked.

I shook my head. “My hands are tied. I granted the marriage. I joined two royal households.”

“But what about the modern monarchy,” she pleaded.

Tonight was supposed to be about many things. Celebrating the cabinet’s vote. Introducing Eden to my family. Sharing our modern relationship with the country. It was not supposed to be about Russel’s affair with Eden’s best friend. It wasn’t going to cloud everything I’d accomplished.

I turned to the doomed pair.

“You two have less than a minute to figure this out. Eden and I are going to the ball. But the gala stays intact and I’ll discuss my membership with Francois. Leave me out of your problems, LeRoy. Handle this like a duke, not a college sweetheart.”

I beckoned Eden to follow me. She was hesitant to leave Bonnie.

“Come, we’ll give them a minute.”

We stepped into the hall.

She searched my eyes for an answer. “What is going to happen? I didn’t know he was married. God, Bonnie looks devastated. This is awful.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know, love. I’m just glad that’s not us.”

“I think I should wait for her, in case she needs me.”

“Unfortunately, that’s not an option.” I guided her to the side door. “We have guests to speak to and a waltz to dance.”

“I can’t dance right now. Bonnie is my friend. This is terrible.”

I tipped her chin forward, staring into her brilliant blue eyes. “There’s nothing you can do. LeRoy knew what he was getting into when he agreed to marry Carina.”

“But Bonnie didn’t. What if that had been me? Our tenders could easily have been reversed and tonight you’d be presenting Bonnie to your family while I had to watch LeRoy and his wife from across the room. What if she feels about him, like I do about you?”

I brushed my thumb along her bottom lip. “And exactly how do you feel about me?” I challenged her. I wanted to see if she would say it.

We could hear the music through the doors. The crowd chattered on the other side. The champagne flowed from the celebration.

She sighed. “Like I’m falling in love.”

My chest tightened. My cock twitched. I’d never wanted to take her to bed as badly as I did now.

My lips crashed against hers. “I’m granting your first request as Royal Consort.”

“What is that?”

“We’re leaving the party,” I whispered.

“But I thought …”

I silenced her with another kiss. “Andre will announce that we’re leaving and then I’m taking you upstairs.” If I had learned anything tonight, it was that time was fleeting. I didn’t want to waste a second of it arguing about someone else’s life when we had an enchanted future ahead of us, and a bed that was calling her name.

“Everyone will know what we’re doing.” She blushed.

I grabbed her ass, and squeezed it as we walked into the ballroom, slipping back into the crowd. I leaned to her ear. “After tonight, no one is going to doubt us again.”