Page 85 of Rule

“Do you?” he snapped.

“Yes,” I said. “I do.”

“Why should I believe you.” He pushed awayand glared at me as his tail wacked the floor.

“What is going on?” Bran walked into theroom, and he stared at the stiff posture of Court’s body before stepping infront of me protectively. “Stop it, Court, you are frightening her.”

“He isn’t.” I touched Bran’s back. “I’mnot afraid.”

“Why did you bring Evie into your room?”Bran said to Court.

Court’s nostrils flared. “Why do you think?”

“You would act so childish as to have sexwith our female without me?” Bran said.

“You had no problem fucking Dana without mearound,” Court snarled.

“You have fucked females without me as well,”Bran snarled back. “What is your problem?”

“I have never fucked a female without you!”Court’s voice was low but thick with fury. “You may have been fine throwing awayour friendship for a female, but I was not.”

“What are you talking about?” Bran said. “NeitherDana nor I asked you to leave. You made that decision.”

“I left because I knew Dana did not love meand did not want me in the house.” Court stalked back and forth, his tail whippingacross the air like an angry snake. “My presence upset her, and when wediscovered she was with child, I did not want her to lose the baby because ofher emotional state.”

He stopped, his gaze flickering to mine brieflybefore he turned back to Bran. “You always wanted Dana just for yourself anyway,and now you want Evelyn for you and only you. You cannot have her, Bran! Iwill not give her up just because you want her.”

“You are being ridiculous,” Bran said. “Evelynis not mine nor is she yours and she never will be. She belongs to the king, andyou must control your emotions.”

Court’s hands clenched into fists and Istepped around Bran, ready to move between them.

“Perhaps,” Court said, “if you had shown moreemotion, Dana would not have left, and Bella would not be without a mother.”

I gasped and grabbed Bran’s arm when hestaggered back a step. His face had gone a pale green and he looked like he’d takena punch to the kidneys. Without speaking to either of us, he pulled away frommy grip and stumbled out of Court’s room.

I faced Court. His body slumped and his taildrooped at the look on my face. “Evelyn, I did not mean -”

“No,” I said. “Don’t say anything else. Ineed to talk to Bran, to make sure he’s okay and then we’ll talk about what youjust said.”

I turned to leave, and Court said, “Evie,please.”

The sorrow and regret in his voice made me returnto him. Hating how upset and defeated he looked, I put my arms around him and huggedhim hard. He buried his face in my neck and I kissed his broad shoulder.

“I am sorry.” His voice was muffledagainst my skin.

“I know, honey.” I kissed his shoulder again.“I need to check on Bran. I’ll come back in a bit, okay?”

He nodded and when he let go of me, Icupped his face and tugged his head down so I could press a kiss against hismouth. “It’ll be okay, honey. We’ll fix this, all right?”

He nodded again, and I gave him a finalkiss before leaving his room and heading to Bran’s. He was sitting on the sideof the bed and I sat next to him, putting my arm around his waist and kissinghis upper arm. “Are you all right, Bran?”

“He is wrong,” Bran said. “I did not wantDana for myself. I hated that she did not love Court.”

He took a shuddering breath and checked theempty doorway before saying, “I would never tell Court this, but Dana told meonce right before she left that she had never loved Court. That she onlyagreed to be with him because she knew it was the only way to be with me.”

“I’m so sorry, honey,” I said. “That was aterrible thing for her to do and say.”

“She turned cold toward him only a fewmoons after she moved in with us. She stopped letting him into her pussy andwould only let him fuck her ass. She said it was because we had decided thatour first child would be fathered by me and she did not want to risk the condombreaking. But only a moon or so after that, she would no longer allow him totouch her at all. Court tried to be patient with her, and he tried everythinghe could think of to make our mate want him again, but she refused to let himjoin us in the bed.”

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