Page 120 of A Crown Without Mercy

“Why do I have to leave?”“Go Mira,” Alaric stated firmly.

“Fine!” she snarked.

Calista closed the door and turned to Sylvana. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

“What the fuck took place last night?” Alaric snapped.

“I don’t know where to start?” she replied.

“At the beginning,” Calista stated.

“They know who I am,” Sylvana admitted.

“No shit,” Alaric replied, as he sat in a chair and crossed one leg over his knee.

“What your ‘bedmates’ put Mira and Laurent through last night is unacceptable,” Calista snapped.

“I agree,” Sylvana replied.

“I told you all along this was going to be a fucking disaster,” Alaric said.

“It’s not as bad as you think—”

Calista cut her off mid-sentence. “Not as bad as we think? Are you kidding me? They kidnapped Mira and Laurent, an advisor and a half dozen Guards showed up at our manor first thing this morning and told us we were to move in here. Father has no idea what is going on, and I had to stay with the bitch Enatta last night!”

“Calista, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

“I fucking told you to stay away from them,” Alaric scolded.

Calista walked over to the bureau, filled two cups with ale, and took a large drink as she handed one to Alaric. “Why are you here still? More importantly, why are we here?” Calista asked.

“What the fuck have you done, Sylvana?” Alaric interjected as he took the cup from Calista.

“I—I’m not sure how to tell you—”

“Sylvana, spit it out,” Calista demanded.

“I agreed to let Riordan, Nicolai, and Kieran take me as their mate last night,” she blurted out.

The dead silence and the expressions crossing their faces made her feel as though she had betrayed them in the worst possible way. “Say something,” Sylvana mumbled.

Alaric stood, paced back and forth, and ran his hand down his face while Calista simply stared at her as if in shock.

“Why the fuck would you mate them?” Alaric bellowed after a few heart pounding moments of silence.

“I’m in love with them,” she admitted.

Alaric laughed aloud. “‘In love with them’? You are not in love with them. You have been masterfully manipulated by three of the most cunning and lethal lords in the kingdom!”

“Alaric, they have done nothing but show me kindness and they brought the three of you here to protect you!” Sylvana barked.

“Protect us? My god, Sylvana, I have never taken you for a fool, but this—this is—I don’t even fucking know what this is?” Alaric stammered.

Calista looked at Sylvana’s eyes as they glossed over and knew she was truly in love with them. “Alaric, calm down and let her explain.”

“There is nothing to explain. What has been done can never be undone. And now we are all at their mercy, not to mention their fucking beck and call!”

Calista walked over and wrapped her arms around her. “I get it, Sylvana. I knew this was going to happen.”

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