Surrogate for the Alpha Prince in a Coma novel Chapter 77

Chapter 77

I was instantly confused, and just as quickly on guard.

“What have I ever done to earn your praise?” I asked, the bitterness of my past disappointments flooded through me, giving me strength, anger fueling me.

This man had plenty of chances to be the father I wanted and needed. Instead, he had ignored me, eventually giving me away, having me brought here, believing it would kill me. He never cared, not about my life, not about

“Why, your acting, of course,” my father said. “You have everyone fooled. Such a loving mate, so giving, always there for your mate, even when he was a vegetable.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about,” I snapped. “You sent me here to die.”

He huffed, then waved that off. “What does that matter now? You’ve been selected. You have been chosen as the Luna Princess, and that only means good things for us. All you have to do is keep earning Prince Grayson’s favor.

Just as I opened my mouth to dismiss my father and his ridiculous claims, I spotted Grayson standing near the other side of the tent. Had he followed me? Had he heard?

Of course he had heard. His Alpha hearing could a hear pin drop on the other side of the forest.

I swallowed hard. “Grayson, I can explain,” I said.

My father, turning, apparently did not reach the same conclusion as me, that Grayson had overheard. A bright smile light up his face as he waddled toward the prince.

“My prince! How good it is to see you up and about! We had all been so worried about you. I, personally, have been praying for your speedy recovery. For your sake, and my daughter’s, of course.”

Grayson’s eyes were a blizzard as he looked at my father, not saying a word, in reply. Then, that same ice cold gaze slid to me. It did not thaw.

In an effort to appease him, to convince him that not was not as it seemed, I rushed forward and placed my hand

on his arm.

He looked down at it and, sharply, said, “Remove your hand from my person.”

Stunned, I pulled back.

His gaze lifted to me. He looked at me like I was nothing. Not even as worthy as the dirt under his heel.

“Do not touch me,” he said. Then, he turned without so much as a glance back at my father, and walked away, using his cane.

The onlookers’ whispers began again as soon as he left me.

“Seems her position isn’t as secure as we thought,” someone snickered.

My father shoved me back into the corner, fire in his eyes.

“Blow this for us, and I will never forgive you,” he growled. “Pleasing that man, staying in his good graces, is your only life’s purpose now.”

“I don’t take orders from you,” I snapped, my heart aching for the rejection Grayson had just shown me.

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Chapter 77

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“You will,” my father growled. “Or I’ll never help you with Ronan.”

1 glared at him, the use of Ronan’s name making my anger spike. “You don’t care about him.”

“I care about what he can do for me,” my father said. “That’s what children are for.”

“You disgust me.”

“I will even worse when you discover that I was the one who poisoned Ronan. It took a long time, not just weeks. but years, a little bit at a time.”

The anger subsided and a kind of abject horror took its place. “How could you? He’s just a child!” Ronan was his son. An innocent. And father didn’t care.

“He’s a pawn, and always has been. But he means something to you, doesn’t he?”

“You are a monster,” I spat at him.

“Think whatever you want,” my father said. “But if you want that boy to survive, then you are going to need my help. And if you want that, then I demand your total obedience.”

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