Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 255(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 255(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
"My apologies, Fina—-"
"Your Highness." The spymaster's tone was tight, and Lysander stiffened as he belatedly noticed the look of vexation on the older woman's face. "I've just received word from our scouts, and they say Lyccan spies have been spotted in the area." Fina showed the photos in her phone, saying, "We've reason to believe that the wolves intend to interfere, perhaps even sabotage—-"
"What?" Estrella was incredulous. What did Fina think she was insinuating? "Domenico wouldn't do that!"
But the spymaster didn't even glance her way and continued to act as if Estrella hadn't spoken a word. "They couldn't have known about this unless they have a spy among us." She saw Aluin throw a look of contempt in her direction at her words, but she ignored this. These days, neither she nor the twins bothered to conceal their mutual animosity, and that was just fine with her.
"Take care with your words, spy," Aluin snarled. "They're bordering dangerously close to treason—-"
"It's not treason when it's the truth," she snapped. "Ask the princess yourself if you wish." She thrust her phone at the twins. "Ask them if they recognize her."
Alain shook his head when he saw the princess reach for the phone. "You do not need to—-" He stopped speaking when he saw the way the princess suddenly paled, and a sudden silence swept over them, so heavy one could've heard a pin drop.
Estrella couldn't believe what she was seeing. She almost asked if it was possible for the photos to be edited, but she knew someone else would've long brought it up if that had been the case. "I don't understand," she whispered shakily. "These men are from my pack, but—-" She saw Lysander's face harden, and her heart dropped to her stomach. "Lysander, I truly have no idea—-" She instinctively reached out to him, but he jerked away, and her heart lurched in pain. Everything was happening too fast, and she didn't know even where or how to start untangling the pile of misunderstandings that now threatened to drive them apart. "Lysander, please—-"
"I told you never to lie to me again." Lysander could feel himself growing cold with every word he spoke. "And you promised." She fucking promised, and she had broken it. It was almost like a repeat of all the mistakes they had made during the Great War, with people making and breaking promises to his race like their lives didn't mean a fucking thing.
Estrella wanted to cry at the look of betrayal in Lysander's gaze. "I swear I didn't. Please believe me—-"
"I did believe you," Lysander said tonelessly, "but you clearly fucking didn't." His whole world had come crashing down, and the only way to keep himself sane was to distance himself from everything.
"My own wife—-"
And this time, Estrella could no longer stop the tears. Wife. The word that used to make her squeal and feel like her heart was about to burst with joy. Wife. But this time, the word only tore her into pieces.
Because the way he was looking at her...
"My own wife didn't believe in me enough so she went behind my back to ask for fucking help."
Because the way he was talking to her...
"And of all the people you could've asked to help, it goddamn had to be Domenico Moretti—-"
It was as if he no longer thought of her as one.
She dropped to her knees and bowed her head in a formal gesture of appeal. "I swear it, Lysander, I swear I didn't tell Domenico a single thing—-"
"The princess speaks the truth."
All eyes snapped to Alain, and even Fina was privately stunned. The truth was, when she had overheard the two Lyccan soldiers talking at the ball, they had specifically mentioned about the princess not having any clue about their secret mission. While Fina naturally kept that little fact to herself, she had wondered but never suspected the oh-so-righteous Alain to be the one in talks with Domenico Moretti.
"I was the one who spoke to the Moretti heir," Alain acknowledged flatly.
Aluin jerked in shock. "Brother?" What the fuck was his twin saying? Was he doing this merely to protect the princess? Or had he truly gone ahead and defied their prince's wishes?
"The princess has no part—-"
"I commend you for trying to protect the princess with your well-meaning lies," Lysander interrupted coldly, "but it's not going to work."
Alain bit back a curse when he realized how convinced the prince was of his wife's act of betrayal. "Your Highness, I—-"
"Enough, goddammit." Lysander was done fucking listening to lies. "Aluin, help the princess up and escort her to our room. From hereon, nothing about tonight's offensive shall be relayed to her, and anyone who dares disobey will be immediately dismissed from service."
Estrella stared up at her husband, stricken. "Lysander—-"
But the prince didn't even turn her way and instead addressed the spymaster. "The twins will not be joining us tonight—-"