“You realize this is beneath you.” I stared at my mother. She hadn’t softened 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.”

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 Sauvage should hand over the royal reins to another family.

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

I rotated in time to see Roux’s hand land on Molly’s wrist. She tried to shake him off.

I cut through the dancefloor.

“Get your hands off her, Sebastian.”

Molly’s face was horror-stricken. “D-Damon, wait.”

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

“Your majesty.” He smirked. He let go of Molly’s wrist before I punched him in the teeth.

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

“Having a conversation with my tally.”

I narrowed in on him. “That was settled at the gala.”

He laughed. “Not your tally.”

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

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

Sebastian puffed his chest. “What is she doing here?”

My anger started to dissolve and I realized the problem.

“Who let the tallies in here?” he asked.

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

“Lesage 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.

“I’ll leave. I’ll just go,” Molly’s friend offered.

“No. You’re not leaving.” Molly spoke up. “You’re my guest.”

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

“Guest?”

“Sebastian, please,” Brooklyn pleaded. “I’ll go.”

Molly looked at me frantically. We both knew things were escalating.

“Out here,” I ordered.

We hurried out of 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. 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, Roux. The truth.”

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

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

“Stop being a dick.”

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.”

Molly’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.”

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

“Molly hasn’t done anything to you. And I doubt Brooklyn 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.

Molly looked confused. “Who is Carina?”

“His wife,” Brooklyn answered.

“You’re married?”

“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 Sebastian and Brooklyn. Carina was apparently a problem.

“Is that why you didn’t want to talk about it?” Molly asked her friend.

“I couldn’t. We agreed.”

Sebastian stepped in front of me, separating the girls. He slipped a hand around Brooklyn’s waist. “I can’t help it. I can’t get the other night out of my head.”

“I can’t either, but …”

“But nothing.”

I interrupted. “Roux, you can’t leave Carina.”

“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.”

I backed up. I realized he was mad at his situation. Pissed at the world. I received the brunt of it because I had Molly. In his eyes I had won something he couldn’t have. Personal happiness. He had no idea what he was talking about. Molly was the only light I had.

“You two have less than a minute to figure this out. Molly and I are going to the ball. But the gala stays intact and I’ll discuss my membership with Lesage. Leave me out of your problems, Roux.”

I beckoned Molly to follow me. She was hesitant to leave Brooklyn.

“Come, we’ll give them a minute.”

We stepped into the hall.

“What is going to happen? I didn’t know he was married. God, Brooklyn 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 dance to dance.”

“I can’t dance right now.”

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

“But Brooklyn didn’t. What if that had been me? Our tenders could easily have been reversed and tonight you’d be presenting Brooklyn to your family while I had to watch Roux 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. “We’re leaving the party,” I whispered.

“But I thought …”

I silenced her with another kiss. “MC will announce that we’re leaving and then I’m taking you upstairs.”

“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.”