Page 58 of Married to the Beast

“So you alreadyknewabout Aleena Joining you for money?” she said, looking spitefully up at Bear. “But after all, it’s not like you’ll be Joined for long, right? Father told me that you’re planning on disavowing her as soon as the negotiations are finished. So I guess you’ll be making a formal announcement tonight?”

“What?”Aleena felt like all the blood in her face had suddenly drained away, leaving her pale and cold as a statue. Surely her spiteful little sister was lying! She looked up at Bear. “My husband?” she asked faintly. “This cannot be true…can it?”

To her horror, Bear didn’t at once refute the awful words.

“Well…” He cleared his throat. “Aleena, sweetheart, you have to understand?—”

“Oh my Goddess!” Aleena took a step away from him. “Sothatwas why you refused to change the color of my eyes! You’ve been planning to disavow me all this time—even though you promised not to!”

“Baby, please…” His voice took on a pleading tone. “If you’ll just let me explain?—”

Aleena held up a hand to stop him.

“Have you been planning to disavow me or not?” she demanded. “Just tell me, right now. Ineedto know!”

“Well…” Bear’s face twisted as though in agony. “Yes, but?—”

“Thank you. That’s all I need to know.” Aleena nodded stiffly at him. “Since you no longer want me, I’ll be leaving now.”

As she fled blindly through the crowd, her skirts flying out behind her, she could hear her stepmother talking.

“Of course, no one could blame you for wanting to disavow Aleena—she’s so ugly and fat! But if you’re still interested in taking a wife among our people, Faleesha is free. Sir Greggor and I will be happy to let you have her as soon as you get rid of Aleena.”

Then, mercifully, the noise of the music and the crowd drowned her stepmother out and Aleena could hear no more. She ran, dodging through the dancing couples, heedless of the spectacle she was making of herself.

Bear didn’t love her—he hadneverloved her. He had been planning to disavow her all this time—from the very beginning of their relationship! Even before their Joining he had already decided he would get rid of her as soon as he could!

Hot tears stung her eyes and made her vision blurry. She didn’t see her sister following her through the crowded dance floor or notice Faleesha nodding at two rough-looking guards standing near one of The Plaza’s many exits.

So she was taken completely by surprise when someone grabbed her by the arm and marched her away from the crowd.

“What…who…?” She looked around and saw a tall, grim-faced man holding her right arm. “Let me go!” she exclaimed, trying to pull away.

“I don’t think so.” He tightened his grip. “It’s time to leave the party now.”

“I’m not leaving with you! Whoareyou?” Aleena exclaimed. She was still overcome with grief as tears streamed down her cheeks, but fear was beginning to make its way into the mix too.

The man didn’t answer but just then another man took her other arm. Between the two of them, they started steering her towards the nearest exit.

Aleena felt a rush of fear and began to fight them in earnest.

“Help! Help me!” she shouted. But the music was too loud and everyone was looking at the dancers. Only a few heads turned and before they could say anything, Aleena had been whisked through the darkened exit door and out of The Plaza, into the night.

She had no idea what fate waited for her, but she was desperately afraid it was a dark one.

37

BEAR

“I’ve searched everywhere—I can’t find her!” Bear dragged a hand through his hair, which had long since come loose from its club at the nape of his neck. If it was possible to feel both panicked and lower than dirt, then he felt both. How could he have led Aleena on so thoughtlessly? And where had she run to? Was she safe?

“Could she have gone to be with her mother?” Sylvan asked. He had been helping to search the crowd too. Between the two of them, they’d covered the entire Plaza several times but no trace of Aleena could be found.

“I called her mother’s communications device just now and she said she hadn’t heard from her and she wasn’t there.” Bear felt like punching something—or someone. If Aleena’s sister hadn’t been a woman…

But no—he couldn’t blame the sister, though she was a cruel little bitch.Hewas the one at fault here. He should have told Aleena his true intentions from the start. He should have explained about his vow. He should have done so many things differently but now he had lost her…

“I think it’s clear she’s not in The Plaza anymore,” Sylvan said, breaking into his guilty train of thought. “Why don’t wetake my ship and scour the city. Maybe she went back to the home the two of you share.”

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