Chapter 285
Chapter 285
“Thank you for taking care of me,” she whispered.
“Of course.” I opened the car door for her and helped her inside. Then, I walked around to the driver’s side and got in.
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The next day, I arranged another date. This time, I picked a restaurant in town. Somewhere quiet and intimate, with dim lighting and an expensive wine menu.
Deirdre lit up when I told her where we were going. She spent hours getting ready, primping and preening in front of the mirror. By the time she came downstairs, she was wearing a red dress that clung to her curves and heels so high I was surprised she could even walk in them.
“You look beautiful,” I said. That was a lie.
She beamed and grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my bicep. “Thank you p>
I drove us to the restaurant and requested a table in the back corner. I wanted a private spot, somewhere that wouldn’t cause too much of a commotion once I struck. The waiter brought us our menus and a bottle of top shelf wine, which I had pre-ordered.
“This is wonderful,” Deirdre said. She reached across the table and placed her hand on mine. “I’ve missed this. Missed us p>
I smiled and poured her a glass of wine. Them, I poured one for myself. I gave myself slightly less.
We ordered our food and made small talk while we waited. Deirdre drank her wine quickly, and I refilled her glass before she was completely finished. Then, I refilled it again. And again. Always ensuring she had an endless supply of wine. Meanwhile, I barely sipped mine. She didn’t seem to notice, too focused on her own greed to pay attention to what I was doing.
Good. That was my intention,
By the time our entrees arrived, her cheeks were flushed and her words were starting to slur.
“You know,” she said, leaning forward, “I really did miss you. When I was at that awful camp p>
“Tell me about it,” I said. I cut into my steak, feigning innocent interest. She couldn’t know that this was going to turn into an interrogation. “The camp. What
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Chapter 285
“Avery,” it read, “I intercepted the letter you sent to your mother. I’m not sure what you were thinking, trying to contact her, but you need to stop. She’s not going to help you. No one is. I took her as my slave after I found out what you did. She’s mine now, just like Deirdre. Speaking of which, Deirdre and I are getting married. She’s the one I should have chosen from the start. You were a mistake. A duty. I only agreed to marry you because you were my fated mate, not because I loved you. I never loved you. So stop reaching out. You belong to the Rogue King now. Accept it. -Gideon”
The letter slipped from my hands and fluttered to the ground.
My chest felt hollow all of a sudden, like someone had reached inside and ripped my heart clean out. My wolf howled in anguish, but I couldn’t hear her over the roaring of blood in my ears.
He never loved me.
He took my mother as a slave.
He was marrying Deirdre.
I sank onto my knees, staring at the letter on the floor. My vision blurred with tears. I tried to blink them away, but one fell anyway, rolling down my cheek and plopping onto the carpet.
“Avery.” Asher’s voice was surprisingly soft He stood, walking over, then knelt in front of me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry p>
I wanted to shove him away as he reached for me, but I didn’t. I just sat there, numb, as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest.
“You deserve better than him,” he murmured into my hair. “I’ll give you everything he never could. You’ll see p>
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Mostly because now I knew I really had no allies, and if I wanted to get out of here, I had to be even smarter. If I said the vile things that came to mind as Asher held me, it might ruin everything. So I kept my mouth shut.
Asher helped me to my feet, then gently guided me over to his throne. He sat me down. The wolf pelt was surprisingly plush, and I ran my fingers through the fur as he crossed over to his desk. I heard the clinking of glass, and when he returned, he was holding something small.
“Here,” he said softly. Plastic crinkled as he unwrapped it. “A little sugar can smooth over some of the most painful heartbreaks p>
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