Page 51 of The Princess and the Pack

“Fine,” I say with a shrug meant to disarm my brother. It won’t work. Aspen is too perceptive. But if I can stonewall him enough over breakfast, perhaps he’ll get bored and move on. “Lead the way, brother.”

“You’ve been a very difficult person to track down, Ivy dear,” Aspen drawls.

He’s hardly touched his breakfast, despite his insistence we dine together with our sister Lily. There’s something mischievous about his mood today. It’s in the smirk upon his lips, the way he watches me as though I’m about to give away all my secrets.

I shouldn’t be surprised, as my brother is up to no good more often than not. Today, however, I’m particularly on edge, given what occurred last night. I can’t be sure of Aspen’s motives or what he’ll be able to gather from any response I offer. He’s very adept at reading between the lines others draw, so I’ll need to tread lightly.

“Have I?” I sip from my glass. Appearing unaffected by my own anxieties is an exercise in control, but I’m not ready to divulge anything to my brother yet. Not until I can work certain things out for myself—like where I stand with two particular alphas and what this bond between all of us means.

He arches a brow, scrutinizing my deflection, no doubt. “I looked for you all of yesterday and not a single soul could tell me where you ran off to. Then I found you this morning, freshly bitten with a strange alpha in your bedchamber.”

His tone is more curious than accusatory, but I’m on guard. Surely, my brother is notsoperceptive he’d be able to parse the precise nature of my situation that easily.

“Should I have run to you after the king claimed me, brother? I wasn’t aware my bonding was an appropriate subject for show-and-tell.”

I hate the lie as it leaves my lips. But no one outside of myself and my alphas can know the truth. So much uncertainty surrounds our situation and I’ve yet to even inform my husband about this new development. I can only hope he’ll be smart enough to play along if the news reaches before I do.

When I awoke this morning, I knew the brand-new bond mark on my throat would cause quite the stir. While I hadn’t intended on letting Sloan bite me, our instincts overcame us. My impending heat was likely the culprit that triggered his rut.

But I don’t regret it. I couldn’t when the constant presence of his contentment caresses me through our connection. Even when he’s not near, my alpha’s affection radiates through our connection. His heart is stunning in its surety of me. With every beat, with every breath he takes, this budding romance builds and I’m in awe of the ease of it all.

After one night together, I already feel as though Sloan is an essential part of me. He is grounding in a way that brings comfort to my omega nature, and a delightful distraction from all the turmoil I experienced when I learned of Cillian’s lies.

Sloan may have also kept secrets from me, but the circumstances far differ. I can understand his inability to address our connection before now. Only yesterday, he was a stranger to me, and such an admission might not have gone over well. I’d like to believe I would have handled it gracefully, but I’m not confident that’s the truth.

With Cillian, I don’t understand the choices he made. He had so many opportunities to tell me over the past year. Even disclosing to me on our wedding night would have been preferential to this. I want to believe the king and Oran had their reasons, but I’m finding it difficult to bury the hurt my heart has endured because of their omissions.

“With a bond so new, I find it quite odd the king wasn’t attached to your side this morning,” Aspen chimes in again.

It seems my snark and deflection are no match for his curiosity.

“What do you know of bonding, Pen?” I let my utensils fall against the table, exasperated by the continued intrusion. The question comes out a bit harsher than I intended, but really, must he continue to stick his nose where it doesn’t belong?

His brows rise, a bit taken aback by my outburst. It’s not often I get cross with him. Or any of my siblings for that matter.

Lily clears her throat, making herself known for the first time in the conversation. “Are you well, Ivy?”

Our sister, like Aspen, is painfully perceptive. The only difference is, she’s not as pushy. In fact, Lily often keeps her thoughts and feelings close to her chest—only speaking when she feels it’s important to do so. If she is calling my irritability to attention, I must have overstepped.

With a sigh, I decide certain truths can be shared with my siblings. “My heat is coming. Likely in the next few days.”

Aspen’s eyes are round as saucers, a flush high on his cheeks. “Gods, Ivy. I don’t—ah, fuck,” my brother sputters. “I suppose congratulations are in order?”

“Charming.” I laugh. Even though I’m married and getting ready to have my first heat, my brother still views me as a child. The same can be said for Hawthorn and Sage as well. They were equally embarrassed when Rose had her first heat last year, and so very clueless about what to say.

“How lovely.” Lily smiles, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. “A wedding, a scent match, and your heat, all so close together. There’s much to be thankful for.”

“Don’t forget her coronation.” Aspen seems to have recovered from his brief mental lapse, smiling at both of us fondly. “Prince Ciaran has been working very hard to make sure it will be a beautiful event.”

Is that pride I detect in his voice? Perhaps some stars in his eyes when he speaks of my mate’s brother? I know Aspen has had his fair share of paramours, but never have I seen him so decidedly smitten.

“From what I hear, that’s notallPrince Ciaran has been doing.” I can’t help myself. After all his prying earlier, it’s the very least he deserves.

Lily covers her mouth, trying to smother her giggles as the blush deepens on our brother’s cheeks. Briefly, I wonder if a pack would not similarly suit Aspen. Given his obvious feelings for Ciaran, who’s to say what could come from their romance? Wilder things have happened; my situation is proof of that.

“Lily, darling sister.” Aspen’s grin is wicked. “All this talk and we’ve not heard how you’ve been spending your time in Namara.”

My little sister’s usually calm demeanor is swiftly shaken: her trembling hands nearly drop her teacup. “Just…reading,” she murmurs.

---