Surrogate for the Alpha Prince in a Coma novel Chapter 75

Chapter 75

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Chapter 75

“You refused tea with her,” he said.

His eyes narrowed, suspicious. “Why? You said you forgave her.”

“I did. I do.”

“Then…?”

He waited for an answer. I didn’t want to give it, exactly, but with Grayson staring at me so intently, I didn’t see that I had much choice.

My heart started racing, unneeded adrenalin coursing through me. Lifting my hand, I placed a hand over my heart, hoping to soothe it.

“Explain,” Grayson pressed.

“Every time I leave this room, something bad seems to happen,” I finally admitted.

Some of his irritation slipped away, the tension in his shoulders disappearing. “You can’t hide forever. Josie is your friend, and what about your brother. He expects your visits.”

“He’s unconscious,” I said. “I’m not sure he even senses me anymore.”

“He does,” Grayson said, making it sound so definitive. “Your visits are part of his care.”

“One of these days, I’m going to go visit him and he’s not going to be there anymore.”

“That isn’t going to change if you hide in here.”

“Maybe,” I said. I knew he was right, but I felt safe here, like I could hide away in this protective bubble forever and nothing bad would ever happen. That wasn’t realistic, of course. But…

“This isn’t like you,” Grayson said. “You are bold. Stronger than this. You are not a coward.”

Hearing him think so made me start to feel it was true, but… “I’m scared.”

He stepped closer. “You have nothing to fear. Not while I breathe. Do you understand?”

I looked into his eyes, uncertain about what I was seeing there. A spark of… something, I was afraid to give it a

name.

He held my gaze for a long moment, then said, “There is a hunt tomorrow, You and I will attend.”

“You shouldn’t be hunting,” I said. “It will give too much away

“We will both be observers,” he said,

“I don’t know…”

“This isn’t a request, Lillian,” he said. “This is a command.”

Lowering my head, I knew I didn’t have a choice.

The next morning, Grayson held out his arm for me, and I took his. He walked with a cane, pretending to need it far more than he did. I kept with his slow pace, moving beside him as we ventured out of the palace and to the grassy grounds far in the back by the tree line.

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Chapter 75

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Tents had been set up, some dedicated to food, others to selling wares. There was a medical tent, and one to give out weapons to the participants. I’d already seen the inside of that one before, when I had been given faulty weaponry. Someone new was the armorer now.

Grayson led me toward the seating arranged for the royal family and honored guests. As we slowly made our way there, I could feel the piercing stares of all the onlookers. This might have been a hunt, but Grayson and I were being gawked at like this was a zoo.

My hand tightened on Grayson’s arm.

He must have been able to hear their whispers and feel their stares even more keenly than I could with his Alpha senses. He must have been choosing to ignore them. He surely had more practice than me at such a thing, as he was a prince.

I tried to be strong, ignoring them too.

Until I heard one loud whisper.

“The prince has always been ruthless, callous toward those he brings to his bed,” whispered a female voice, I couldn’t locate the source of. “Now we are to believe that he would care about some randomly appointed Luna? He didn’t even pick her himself.”

“Not so loud,” whispered one of her friends.

“I’m not the only one who thinks so,” said the woman. “Everyone’s been saying it. It won’t be long until he drops her. I’m shocked it’s made it even this far.”

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