Eero's perspective
If only I could roll my eyes at him, I would have done it already. I sighed and maintained my composure.
“Please tell me that you didn't give him every single thing that he asked from you,” I said and opened my eyes. Codrus looked away from him to devour his steak, and I knew what his silence meant.
“The shares. How much did he ask from you?”
“Twenty percent.”
“How much do you own?” I followed up.
“Seventy percent in total. The twenty went to him. I have twenty-seven under my name, and my lawyers are now working to transfer the twenty-three percent under your name. Once I resigned, you'll have all fifty percent—”
“You, Claudius and I are the major stockholders of the companies?”
“Yes.”
“That wasn't a question that I asked because I wanted to hear you confirm it. I asked you that in an attempt to enlighten you, you handed him a power over the company.”
“Did you know what else could he do with those power that he now has?” I asked him again.
The Alpha King put down his utensil, and then he glanced at me.
“This is not the right place for us to talk about business. I had tried my best to pacify him in order to protect you,” he said out loud, which earned a meaningful look from shifters at our table, so he slowed down a bit and lowered his voice.
“I made you my heir. I gave you half of my companies. It's about time you prove yourself to me. Make me feel that I didn't make the wrong decision of allowing a woman to be the next Alpha and ruler of the realm,” he spat at me.
And then the reality hit me. A heavy burden of responsibility awaits me now, and while I carry all of it, I must watch my back and protect myself from shifters like Claudius.
Claudius stood up from his seat and he offered me his hand.
“Everyone else is dancing. Give me the honor of being the first man to dance you tonight, your grace,” he said.
I didn't bother looking at Codrus for permission. I gave Claudius my hand and I let him take me to the dance floor, where Aelice was already dancing.
“You are not allowed to look at me like that, Eero. Your adoptive father didn't know that I am your second chance mate, right?” He asked. Claudius placed my hand back on his shoulder after my hold on it loosened.
He smirked at me.
“I guess the old woman from the outskirt of Thorne was right.” I followed his footsteps as he took the lead and we danced.
“I was born with no right over the Regulus, and the realm is for no men to rule because the next in line was you.”
I remained silent.
“It all makes sense now, Eero. Why you have an ability to heal or why your wolf become a powerful one, or why at times you're ruthless. It was because of the blood that runs in your vein.”
Claudius guided me to twirl and once I was back on his arm, he placed his hand on my waist, that I tried to push.
I couldn't let his touches distract me. This man is my enemy now. If there's someone that I must protect myself from. It's him.
“I'll never know what it's like, so will you tell me?”
“Huh?”
“What it's like to be born in a family that all the Gods adores?”
“I don't know what is it that you're talking about—”
“I know that you are a Xerxes. I realized it late, but you can't fool me into believing that you are not,” he said.
Not knowing what to tell him or how to deny the truth about my real identity, I kept my hand to myself and stood in front of him when all of a sudden, we heard noises of plates and tables shattering on the floor and screams.
“A rogue,” Claudius said.
“Protrect the Alpha King and the heir!” Beta Octavio shouted as the chaos caused by the rogues breaking in.
“Come with me,” Claudius demanded, and before I even knew it, I was running away from the hall with him taking the lead.
I was nearly out of breath after we got inside of a room far from where the chaos was happening.
I shrieked as he pinned me on the door.
“I can't believe that you really went with me even when you were aware of things that I could do to you,” he said while I only looked straight into his eyes.
“The epsilon will soon look for me after they realize that you and I went missing. Codrus doesn't trust you, just like how I don't trust you. I knew it! You didn't mean it when you swore your loyalty to me!” I said with gritted teeth.
“Kill me. You lured me into this room to do that, didn't you? Because I stole what you thought what's yours.”
Claudius placed his finger against my lips. My lips parted after he pressed his body against mine.
“It always turns me on when you're feisty towards me. I did lure you in this room. I took the chance that everyone was distracted by the attack that's happening.” Claudius tugged the ribbon of my gown.
“Not because I want to kill you, but because I want you and the warmth of your body.” Claudius crashed his lips with mine, owning and devouring it harshly.
My wolf who missed and yearned for his touches, momentarily turned a blind eye to every wrongdoing that he committed against me.
I pushed him away, and it caught him off-guard.
“No. I shouldn't be doing this to you. I just don't have the power to reject you as my mate because it was your wolf who took me as your mate, and you must be the one to reject me, but if I can, I would have done it,” I said.
Claudius pinned me back on the wall, moving his face closer to mine.
“I hate you, you and your true mate.”
“So, the reason you did all of this was because you're mad at me that I cheated on you?” He mocked.
“What?”
“You know that I had built my life around this one goal of claiming back the Regulus Pack, but you stole it from me, all because you wanted to hurt me?”
“What the fuck are you saying?" I asked him, but Claudius kissed me again and I responded this time.