Chapter 79

Candor

Rufus found himself in his father's seat, head hung low, eyes glued to the ground, fist pressed to his lips. As the acting King until further notice, he struggled to focus on his duties.

"This is not funny at all. Where could that idiot be? Is he safe? I swear I'll lose my shit if that moth hurts him." Rufus' mind was not his own, often arrested by thoughts of his naive cousin. The more he tried to push away this sick feeling of worry, the more transparent his feelings for Arlen became. He did not like the possibility of Arlen being courted by another alpha, much less someone Arlen desired. Rufus could not take it.

But losing Arlen was not the only problem in his life. His mother's nagging was driving him crazy, and then there was the omega his father supposedly arranged for him.

"Where do you think you're going?" Basma's frown turned to astonishment as her son fled the throne room like a puppet on strings.

Rufus needed a breather, and there was one place he wanted to hide. Arl