Chapter 23

Clara

I was busy with my duties the next day. I was determined to do a great job. I barely paid attention to my surroundings.

I didn’t realize there was someone else in the hall. I thought I was alone.

An arm snaked out and caught me around the throat. I was pulled close against a strong, male body. I gasped and scratched at the arm holding me tight.

“Hold still,” a voice growled in my ear.

I knew that voice. It belonged to Prince Marcus. What did he want from me?

I squirmed against his hold. I needed to get away, but I didn’t want to draw attention.

“We need to have a talk,” Marcus whispered.

I shook my head. I didn’t want anything to do with him.

“Don’t be so stubborn,” Marcus scolded me. “I’m going to let you go, and you’re going to come with me.”

Why would I do that? I shook my head again and tugged at his arm.

“You’re going to do exactly what I say,” Marcus growled, “or I am going to drag you straight to my father, and I am going to tell him everything.”

What would he tell his father, the king? What did he know? It might be a bluff, but I couldn’t be sure.

I went still in his grip, and nodded against his arm to show I would cooperate.

“Good girl,” Marcus said.

He released my neck, and grabbed my wrist instead. He tugged me along after him. After a short walk, Marcus opened a seemingly random door and pulled me into a small, cramped room.

The room was dark, but it smelled distinctly like the laundry soap used to clean the noble’s bedding. I guessed he’d chosen a storage closet for privacy.

I wanted to ask what he thought he was doing. I couldn’t. It was too dark to sign, and anyways Marcus couldn’t understand my signs.

So I crossed my arms and waited.

“Now. Let’s talk,” Prince Marcus said. “Well, I’ll talk and you’ll listen, really.”

I couldn’t see his face but I could hear the smug little smirk in his voice. I scowled.

“Anyway. I know your dirty little secret,” Marcus said.

What was he talking about?

“I’ve been hearing rumors about you. I heard you were taken to the healer recently. I know why, too.”

How could he know? Had the healer told him? Or was he the one Nora suspected of spying on her?

“My dear brother took you to that healer because you were bleeding,” Marcus said. “But you weren’t injured, were you?”

I didn’t know why he was asking. He couldn’t see me shake my head.

“No, you weren’t injured. But Gideon was so very worried for you. Now why might that be? Oh, I know. Because he thought you might be carrying his pup. He thought you were bleeding because you had lost that pup. Isn’t that right?”

I froze. How could he possibly know about that?

“Don’t bother trying to come up with a lie. I know all about it,” Prince Marcus said. “I also know there’s no pup, is there? There never was.”

Did he believe I had faked a pregnancy?

“No, you weren’t pregnant. But you might have been.”

What did he mean?

“I know what happened between you and my brother,” Prince Marcus continued. “I know you slipped an aphrodisiac into his wine. It must have been a strong one, too. Why else would he take someone like you into his bed?” Marcus scoffed.

I couldn’t help but flinch at that. Despite everything, it hurt tht my fated mate thought I wasn’t desirable at all.

I hadn’t slipped anything into Prince Gideon’s wine. I also knew that no one would believe me so there was no point in trying to deny it.

“You seduced my brother into your bed. Then, you convinced him that you were possibly carrying his heir.” Prince Marcus paused. “And then for some reason you fled. I suppose you realized there was no pup and you wanted to get away before he discovered your deception. Or were you not the one who was supposed to be in his bed?”

What was he talking about now?

“I heard you plotting with that pathetic little mistress of Gideon’s. What’s her name again? Never mind it doesn’t matter. What matters is, I heard you. She helped you escape. Why would she do that?”

Nora helped me because she was my friend. I knew Prince Marcus wouldn’t believe that, either. Did he even have friends?

“Now, I’ve pieced things together. You didn’t mean to seduce my brother. You are ambitious, yes, but then why would you run? And how does the mistress fit in?”

Marcus continued. “No, you did drug Gideon, but it was the mistress who was supposed to take him to bed.”

Why would Nora need to drug Prince Gideon to get him to sleep with her? She was his mistress and his fated mate. All she needed to do was invite him.

“I know my brother is only humoring that wench,” Prince Marcus said. “He feels like he owes her some kind of debt. And he’s paying it back by giving her the position of mistress. But there’s nothing else between them.”

That wasn’t true! They were fated. Prince Gideon was just being cautious. He was probably taking the extra time to be sure that Nora could adapt to life as a noble.

“But she has a loyal little friend, doesn’t she?” Marcus continued. “She brought you along with her. She even convinced Gideon to save you from the lash. And you paid her back. You delivered the drugged wine and made certain that Gideon drank it. But something went wrong with your little plot. He bedded you instead of her.”

I shook my head. That wasn’t what had happened at all!

“Anyway, I’m not sure what your little escape plot was meant to accomplish. And I do not care.”

If he didn’t care, why were we in a dark storage room?

“I could take what I know to my father,” Prince Marcus said. “I’m sure the Lycan King would like to be warned about a plot to ensnare his eldest son.”

I backed away, until my shoulder slammed into a shelf. Something rattled.

“But I’m not going to do that,” Prince Marcus said.

I heard his footsteps approach, until I felt him looming over me again.

“Because I think you could be useful to me. Isn’t that a relief? As long as you’re useful, I won’t expose you and your little friend for the scheming, manipulative traitors you are.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. He would implicate Nora in all this, too?

“So. You will do what I tell you, and in return, I will keep your secrets. Do we have a bargain?”

I stared at the patch of deeper darkness that had to be Prince Marcus. How exactly did he expect me to answer?

“Oh, right. You can’t speak. Convenient. It means you can’t tell anyone about our bargain. Still, I need to know you understand me.”

I could write an answer, if I had a slate or some paper.

“I’m holding out my hand,” Marcus informed me. “Squeeze my hand once for yes, and twice for no.”

I fumbled around until I found his hand.

“Good. Do you understand?” he asked.

I squeezed his hand once.

“And you’ll obey?” he asked.

I squeezed once again.

“There. We have a bargain,” Prince Marcus said.

He lifted and lowered my hand in a mockery of a handshake.

“Now. Listen closely to what I tell you. If you get caught, you’ll be under the lash and no one will save you this time.”