*Rafe*
After leaving the feeders’ quarters, I head upstairs toward Ainslee’s room, but I don’t make it that far. I’m about one staircase away from her floor when I see Riley coming at me. I wonder if she’s demanded the staff let her know when they see me coming. They all hate her, so they wouldn’t do it unless they had no choice. If she didn’t treat them like shit, perhaps they’d be more accommodating.
“Oh, Rafey, there you are.” She has tears in her eyes, but the streaks on her cheeks look like she’s simply wiped some of her makeup off. Like most things about Riley, it all seems fake.
And I fucking hate it when she calls me Rafey.
“Riley.” I let out a sigh, and we both pause on the landing. “What the hell happened?”
She reaches for me, placing a hand on my chest and leaning her head toward my neck. I want to step aside, but she’s already got me in a grip, and there are people around. I recall the fact that her father wants me to marry her. I see no reason to shatter his illusion at this juncture.
“It was just awful, Rafey. That woman berated me in the breakfast nook. I’d gone into the kitchen to get some warm blood, and she was sitting there, wolfing down an entire omelet. She’d made the servants get her more food after you left. It’s no wonder she’s so fat.” She lifts her head and wipes away her tears, and I wonder what planet this woman lives on that she is so delusional. “Anyway, she told me if I so much as lay a finger on you ever again, she’ll kill me in my sleep. She said she’d snuck a wooden stake into the house with her. I told her I didn’t know what she was told, but that you and I are to be married soon. She got in my face and cussed me out and said the only way I’d ever marry you is over her dead body. Then she added that she didn’t even like you but she just wants power.” For dramatic effect, Riley whips up a few more tears. “Hold me, baby,” she insists and flings her head down to my shoulder, wrapping her arms around my waist.
It takes me a moment to absorb this ridiculous story. The problem is, for Riley’s entire life, she’s been making up outlandish stories such as this one, and her father has believed her. Or at the very least, he’s acted as if he did because he doesn’t want to upset her. The man has spent nearly four hundred years trying to make up for what he did to his daughters, and part of that has included spoiling this one beyond any sort of possibility of reform.
The truth of the matter is that she knew I’d taken Ainslee to the nook, so she waited for me to leave and then went in there to scare her. Ainslee probably did cuss her out and tell her where to stick it, but I’m certain she wasn’t the aggressor. She has absolutely no reason to be mad at Riley.
Well, no reason she was aware of before Riley apparently told her.
Now, I can imagine Ainslee is mad at Riley.
And probably hates me again.
That’s nothing unusual, though. At least once a day I do something to make Ainslee hate my guts and wish I was dead.
“Riley, I think you just need to stay away from one another. Princess Ainslee likely won’t be at dinner any time soon, so there’s no reason for you to see her at all.” I push Riley back so that she isn’t laying on me anymore.
Her eyes are bloodshot, and her brows are nearly touching, but I don’t think it has much to do with the fake crying. “Did you say, ‘Princess’?”
“That’s right. Your father has decided that’s what we should call her. Hadn’t you heard?’
She presses her lips together in a thin line but doesn’t answer my question. Instead, she simply says, “That woman does not deserve to be called a princess!”
“That’s true, she doesn’t.” For once Riley and I can agree. A satisfied smile forms on her lips. “She is a Luna Queen, after all.”
Riley’s smile drops. “We are not calling her that!” she shouts at me.
I use it as an opportunity to step away. “Your father agreed upon ‘Princess,’ so that’s what we are calling her. Riley, stay away from her, and please remember the rule regarding baring your fangs.”
“I never—” she begins, her eyes wide with shock that I would accuse her of such a thing.
“There were a lot of witnesses that say otherwise, Riley. I haven’t even spoken to Princess Ainslee yet, so I don’t know her side of the story, but I did interview several staff members via telepathy on my way here, and many of them said they saw your fangs.”
“Maybe they saw Ainslee’s fangs,” she retorts, her hands on her hips.
“Not possible. She doesn’t have any.” I turn to head toward Ainslee’s room.
“She’s a wolf! Wolves have fangs!” she argues, shouting after me.
“Not old enough,” I say over my shoulder, hoping she’ll let it go.
“She’s insane!” This is her only defense. Deflect. “Deranged! She’s a lunatic!”
Since she’s so far away from me now, I decide not to yell and use telepathy instead. “Stay away from her, Riley. I mean it. She’s here for political reasons you cannot understand, and if something happens to her because of your jealousy, it’ll be your fault the kingdom goes to hell. Then, you’ll have nothing to be queen over.”
“Fine,” she says back. “But she came after me. And I will be queen. Not her!”
I don’t even turn to look at her, but I resolve at that moment that there has to be another way to make King Axel feel as if he’s fixed the situation with his daughters other than making Riley my queen.
There also has to be a reason why I can’t marry her, one that is better for the kingdom, but I’m still coming up with the reasons for that one.
I find Ainslee’s door closed, which isn’t surprising. So I knock on it, and there’s no answer. I turn the knob, and it’s locked.
Zoey appears at my side having come out of her own room next door. “She’s asleep,” she explains.
I nod and pull my keys out of my pocket. I need to make sure she’s all right. She pretends to be much stronger than she really is, and that run in with Riley probably left her more shaken than anyone knows.
Besides, as usual, I have some explaining to do.