Chapter 48

I’m still starring, slack jawed, when they realize that I’m in the room. Beau curses under his breath which causes Angela to finally stop moving and turn around. She yelps when she sees me and rolls off Beau, pulling the sheets over her chest and burying herself in the bed.

“Ohmygods, ohmygods, ohmygods,” Angela repeats over and over. Her head disappears under the covers and then she appears out of the side. The sheets pull off the bed. Beau is completely naked underneath them. There’s just enough fabric left to cover his bits but I can see the well-defined line between his abdomen and thigh. My mouth waters.

Angela turns to run off and Beau sits up. He grabs her by the rest and she stops. She looks at him with panic in her eyes.

“Wait,” he says. “Explain to her. Maybe she’ll understand.”

They both look at me and I’m well aware my jaw has not left the floor. I snap my mouth shut. Angela slowly moves to fall back into the bed. The sheet is still covering her chest. Beau sits up against the headboard. He raises an eyebrow at me.

“I don’t know how I will understand this—” I wave at the bed’s general direction. “But I’d love for you to try.”

Angela looks at Beau. I can tell she’s warning him this is a bad idea. His face stays neutral and he motions back at me. Angela sighs.

“You know I’m the daughter of a warrior,” Angela says. “Which comes with a lot of politics. Everything is always for the good of the family. To get in the good graces of someone else. To further the family into the hierarchy of the territory.”

“I don’t see what any of this has to do with sleeping with your boyfriend’s brother,” I say plainly.

Angela’s eyes go wide. Then they soften and she sighs again. “No offense, but you wouldn’t,” she goes on. “You’ve led a life relatively safe from the ruling class. I envy you.”

“Right,” I snort. “Get to the point.”

“My first week at Moonriver, my father came to town,” she says. “He’d just gotten in trouble with Alpha Hayes for making a move on a rival territory that wasn’t authorized. Alpha Hayes was furious and was in talks to remove him from the Warrior council. But then, he got word that the eldest Hayes was at Moonriver with me.” She fidgets, clearly uncomfortable. “He told me I had to seduce Neil, to win him over. For the family’s sake. I tried to refuse and told him that was not who I was. He told me it was all I’d ever do for the family and that was that.”

She gives me a sad smile. “You’d do anything to help your family name wouldn’t you?”

“I don’t see what this has to do with cheating on Neil,” I raise an eyebrow.

“Angela’s relationship with Neil is fake,” Beau says. “She doesn’t love Neil.”

I look back over at Angela. She looks very solemn, toying with her finger that lay in the sheet over her lap. I frown at her.

“Is this true?”

Another sad smile and she nods. “Unfortunately,” she says. Her voice is quiet. “I’m not strong like you, Chloe. The most I’d ever amass to is being a lady of society. I’d do nothing for my family name. This was my way to help. To get the Archival name back to where it belonged.” She bites down on her lip and shakes her head. She turns to look at me. “To fix my father’s fuck up.”

I sit with this information for a moment. It’s pretty fucked up to be in a fake relationship with someone. I think about Neil for a second and how unassuming he is. Then I think about the conversation we just had. How cowardly he was to his father. I wonder if maybe he deserves the deception. Then I look at Beau. His face is neutral. Maybe Neil deserves the deception, but from his own brother? I’m not so sure.

“So where do you come in?” I ask Beau.

“I was here so often,” Angela says softly. “And was so miserable for the first year. Then Beau and Archer started school.” She places a gentle hand on his thigh and smiles. “We got along well. It made the time I spent her less horrible. Yes I was playing Neil, but with Beau it was honest from the start.”

I furrow my eyebrows. “So you’re in love with Beau?”

Beau barks a laugh and shakes his head. “We’re friends,” he says with a look to Angela. Her smile gets brighter. “Who tend to fuck from time to time when needed.”

I scoff. “You have a revolving door of women in here,” I say. “When is it ‘needed’?”

“Sex doesn’t have to have a reason,” Beau says. “Sometimes it’s just fun.”

My head is spinning at that point. I don’t get any of what is unfolding in front of me. Sure, I understood that sex didn’t have to have feelings in it. But something between Beau and Angela felt like more than that and I couldn’t put words to it.

The whole thing was whack. I felt for Angela though, knowing I’d do anything to help my mom. I admired the lengths she went to save her family’s name. The Archivals were so close to Alpha King Hayes. Being tossed aside by the Alpha King would mean ruin for the family. I think about my own mom and how vehemently I’ve tried to protect her name.

I look back at Angela. She’s looking up at me with wide eyes, begging me to understand. I flicker my gaze to Beau. He’s looking at Angela. There’s something in his eyes. Not love, not lust but this kind of longing that poet’s write about.

“Okay,” I say quietly. “I don’t really get this. But I don’t feel the need to blow up your spot about it.” I smile directly at Angela. “I genuinely did enjoy lunch the other day. Plus, I’m severely lacking in friends here.”

Beau snorts. Angela shoots him a look. She then turns back to me and smiles.

“I did too,” she says. “I’d love to be your friend. As long as you don’t think too poorly of me.”

I shrug. “I get the family thing,” I say. “Trust me.”

“Great,” Beau claps his hands together. “Glad were all besties again. I have a proposition.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “If you say threesome—”

“Chloe,” Beau rolls his eyes. “Not everything is about sex.”

Angela nudges him. “With you it is.”

“This isn’t,” Beau says. He looks at me. “Angela is in need of some combat help. I’ve seen you in action. Plus, I heard Coach White’s up your ass.”

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” I say gently.

“Right, whatever,” Beau goes on. He looks at Angela. “Chloe needs some lessons on the high society.”

“I do not!” I say.

Both Angela and Beau give me a once over. My eyes are red and puffy from my earlier emotional burst. My sweater is untucked from my slacks. I’m still wearing my beat up Doctor Martens. I look down at myself and feel a flush in my cheeks.

“Okay, maybe a little,” I mumble.

“This could be a good trade off,” Beau says. “If you both agree.”

I think about this for a second. On one hand, I hate the high society bullshit. On the other hand, the more I act like these people, the less they have to make fun of me for. Plus, additional combat training never hurts. No matter the opponent. It would be beneficial for us both.

I lock eyes with Angela. She nods once and I nod back. I look to Beau.

“Deal,” I say.

Beau smirks. “Lovely.”