Page 42 of Secretly Mated To My Monster Alien Boss
Carol had a point. It was neither Kiara or Leyra’s fault Deryg had done this. Even after his own brother had told Kiara the truth, she still had a hard time believing it. She’s seen the two of them leaving the party together, but…
Deryg? Her Deryg? Who put his life on the line to save others?
He’s notyourDeryg. He’s Leyra’s, a cold voice hissed in her mind.
“What doesche-atmean?” Leyra asked, completely nonplussed, while Kiara was dying inside. This was a conversation she never wished to have had. Ever.
“It’s when someone is in a committed relationship with someone, but decides to fuck around,” Carol said. Kiara almost choked on her own saliva at hearing her say that word. This was the woman who’d carried her at her baptism. “Or send those dirty little messages. Or goes on a date. Or kisses someone else. To be honest, there are so many ways to cheat nowadays, I can’t keep track.”
Leyra looked even more confused.
“Cheating is when someone betrays the person they are committed or mated to, in a romantic capacity. With someoneelse,” Kiara said. That was about as plainly as she could put it, especially under Leyra’s detached gaze.
“I understand,” Leyra said. “Then Deryg did not cheat. We are not mated. Or betrothed.”
Kiara went very, very still. “What?”
“Wewerebetrothed, for two days, without knowing each other. But he broke our unwanted betrothal right before he came to Earth.”
“But…” Kiara fell back on her heels, all the anger and resentment seeping out of her body. “His brother told me–”
“Rexan doesn’t want to accept reality. But reality does not bend to his will.”
“But I saw you two leaving the party together. You camehere, galaxies away.”
“Deryg didn’t know I was coming. I wanted to see him and prove that we have both made an effort to make it work. But it will not. And cannot. Neither of us want this match, it was a deal our families made without consulting us. Rexan signed the contract in Deryg’s name, which is why he is so adamant his brother keep the promise he himself has made. A promise made…”
“Is a promise kept,” Kiara whispered, her thoughts going a mile a minute.
Deryg hadn’t lied.
Deryg wasn’t engaged or betrothed or whatever.
He hadn’t told her about Leyra, but Kiata hadn’t told him all about her ex-boyfriends. Come to think of it, was Leyra an ex-girlfriend? Did it matter?
He hadn’t lied.
He hadn’t been sneaking around and cheating with Kiara.
What this the story he wanted to save for their date?
She’d doubted him–and now she felt awful for it. But the guilt paled in comparison with the absolute relief coursing through her veins.
Deryg hadn’t betrayed her. That thought pierced the fear, the desperation, the horror of hiding in a nook between the walls so she wouldn’t get shot.
Because she had renewed hope.
Deryg would find her, like he’d promised.
“I’m going to kill Rexan,” she said. Well, she wouldtry. To him, her murderous attempts would probably feel like a light breeze, but Kiara was too mad at him to think about that now.
She didn’t even know the dude and she already despised him. Why lie and ruin people’s lives like that?
“I think you will have to wait until after Deryg kills him when he finds out about this,” Leyra said.
First, they had to make sure they would still be alive for said killing.
“We need to keep moving.” With renewed vigor, Kiara stood and helped Leyra to her feet. “Find Darcy and a safe space to hunker down in.”
