Sold to the Alpha With Silver Eyes - Chapter 48: Chapter 48

It’s awkward, standing in front of a cold slab of marble, reading his name and inscription over and over. I look over my shoulder at Topher, who is entertaining himself by watching me at a distance. He sends me a stern scowl and I look forward, rubbing my eyes.
“Idiot.” I mutter about Topher before I chuckle and look back at Hastings’ headstone. “Well, this is weird. Talking to no one in order to get Topher off my back.”
The wind answers me instead of Hastings, a light breeze blowing through as it has been since we arrived here. The trees rustle and there is an eerie peace surrounding me, my body shivering as if I am suddenly cold.
“He thinks I should be spilling all my secrets to you,” I snort, shaking my head with a smile. “As if talking to the dead ever yielded anyone anything but silence.”
I look at the gray stone and my smile drops.
“Wish you were here, man. If I’m being honest, shit has gotten real complicated since you left us. Hell, even Leoni is overbearing despite ignoring me, except where it is necessary.” My hand reaches up and I scratch the back of my neck.
The words seem to want to fall from me as I exhale, my eyes closed, and I force myself to imagine I am talking to Hastings in his kitchen like usual. What would Hastings say? How would he respond to all of this?
“Good news is, turns out you can break a breeder’s bond pretty easily.” I shrug.
“Though now that it is broken, everything has become far more complicated. I keep thinking back and regretting breaking the bond. I should have just kept it and dealt with it any other way. And I know what you would say. You would say some shit about ‘Why wouldn’t you regret meeting Eden in the first place? That’s where the problems all started.’ and you wouldn’t be wrong but…”
I pause and then chuckle.
“Turns out that last mission as the Execution director…that was her family. I robbed her of that and saved her so she could suffer the fate I saved her from. She, uh, shit dude, she is my true mate and I swear the bond came back somehow. I don’t know how to explain it, but…”
I clear my throat, slowing my words down as I scan around the area like someone other than Topher may be listening.
“I don’t know if I can give her up. It’s the best thing to do for her, which is why I have tried like hell to avoid her. Let her be. How the hell can I fight for her when I am the fucking demon that is between us?”
My legs grow antsy as it becomes easier to talk to the no one here, and I pace around Hastings’ gravesite.
“You want to know the best part about all of this? Minnie is back, My Uncle has decided he wants to give my throne, my title to Nate and the only reason he can’t do that yet is he agreed to the blood promise that Minnie would be mated to the future lycan king. She is the only fucking thing standing between Nate and the throne. Minnie insists that she will only mate with me, meaning my uncle can not change that.”
The breeze picks up, tousling my hair and I smirk. It’s asinine to think it is Hastings showing he is listening, but that desperate bit of me believes it and I can’t help but laugh.
“Oh, and Minnie? Yeah, her best friend that she begged us to save or she would kill herself? Yep, that best friend is none other than my Eden. Who I had rejected back in the pack.”
I spin around looking back at his headstone swearing I can hear his laughter and even if it is in my head it eases a part of me, somehow a little weight shifting from my shoulders and allowing me to breathe easier.
“And now…there is the doubt I have with my uncle. I know you and Leoni had similar views on him, which, by the way, assholes move to keep those from me and leave it to your mate to tell me. But then again, I probably would have been mad at you about it and not listened until it was too late.” I admit to myself.
“I heard some things…from Nate, when he didn’t think I was around or listening. Paxton knew so much more about me, about what all is going on and I could have gotten so much information out of him, but I couldn’t help but kill him. I was so fucking angry and my lycan just…We couldn’t stop ourselves. I needed to see him suffer the way he made Eden suffer. Turns out I was just a pawn that day, used by him and my uncle. They gave me false power only to take it from me and see how I would handle it.”
“Best part is I would have never suspected Nate being in on any of it, but when he was talking to Paxton…he was different. I could hardly recognize the anger and hatred that masked his voice. And now I am stuck, trying to figure out how to fake a mating ceremony so I can have my title and get to the bottom of all the shit my uncle may have done. Which still feels like I am betraying him and the crown.”
“It’s a complicated situation, indeed.” Leoni’s voice says from behind the headstone. I frown as she leans out, giving me a sheepish smile before she stands and dusts herself off. I can tell she is wearing a scent inhibitor as the air swirls around her and nothing changes scent wise.
“Sorry,” Topher says, patting me on the shoulder. “It’s not that I didn’t want you to talk it all out with Hastings’ ghost, but I figured Leoni is the closest you would ever get to having a real conversation with Hastings again, and though I listened to everything you said…”
“I figured you would,” I smirk at him and he gives me a playful grin.
“What you need is more than just a vent session. You need real advice and a plan. And plans require more than one person.” Topher says.
“Where is Eden?” I ask, butterflies fluttering around in my chest.
“She is home, sleeping. I noticed you still have people on watch so I figured it would be okay to come finally get the chance to really talk to you.” Leoni gives me a worried look. “Eden is my friend, Dev, but so are you. Hell, you are more like family. The annoying brother-in-law who always stays at my house without asking.”
I crack a smile at her joke, feeling hopeful for the first time since everything began to weigh down on me.
“So, what is the plan, then? Are we faking a mating ceremony? Plotting a take over?” Topher asks, rubbing his hands together. “Because I am in for all of it.”
“I don’t even know where to start, all I want to do is fix things with Eden but…” I look at Leoni hoping she will give me the encouragement to do it, but she frowns and looks at the ground.
“It is probably best we table anything to do with Eden for now. She needs time, Dev, and even then, I am not certain time will be enough.”
It tears me in two, hearing the words I knew she was going to say. My hands tremble as I shove them in my pocket and nod in agreement in silence. Having her at my side would make everything easier, much less confusing, and allow me to remain calm. But what she needs is vastly different, and I am done being selfish when it comes to Eden. I want her, love her, but I refuse to keep hurting her. And the only way I know how to not hurt her is to remain out of her life and let her go.
“Then let’s start first with how my uncle has done nothing to fix the breeder’s auctions since we returned.” I say, and Leoni’s eyes flare wide.
“What?” she asks.
“I picked the warriors to replace us, and according to Topher, they were never sent. I have felt a shift within my uncle this time at home. Like he is not ready to give up the throne. He is trying to work me out and give it to Nate, and he has made that clear. What I don’t understand is why?”
“Maybe Nate just wants Jasmine?” Leoni asks, and I shake my head. It was a thought I had as well for a quick moment, but there was no sign of jealousy or even an attempt to get near Jasmine at the engagement meeting.
“No, it has to be more than that…something has been wrong for a while, but I can’t seem to trace things back as I was gone so often…” Then it dawns on me.
I wasn’t just gone often, but I was gone on orders from him. He said it was to help me understand what a king does and how they act. A way to work my way up through the ranks so I would be a better leader, but what if it was always just a way to keep me out of the pack and oblivious?
Suddenly the Alpha’s in the woods make sense, attacking us and claiming my uncle’s name for their benefit. Did he direct them here for the attack on the pack, or were they upset enough to try to exact revenge?
“Dev…” Leoni says, trying to get my attention.
“Mmm, yeah?” I say absent-mindedly.
“Before we get any further…I have to know this for myself…but it may seem inappropriate for me to ask.”
“Just ask. I will tell you the truth. I have already seen the discord lies sow.”
“Why did you abandon Eden the night of the attack?” She asks, and I press my lips together and drop my head.
“I was Alpha ordered by Uncle Cedric to stay in the center of the city and protect Minnie and her family. I tried to mind link you, but I wasn’t able to get through, so I reached out to Killian. He was the only person I could get through the mind link.” I tell her, only realizing now that I have said it out loud, how fucking idiotic I have been. My uncle was intentionally trying to keep me from Eden and keep me from saving her.