A Lover and A Liar

A Fake Deal

"She is... gorgeous. The most beautiful female I have ever seen," Alina couldn't help but say what was on her mind. The elf, who she had just found out had been the last Queen this Kingdom had had, and Julian's father second wife, was simply out-of-this-world beautiful.

Julian hummed, however, when she expected his eyes to be on the portrait, they were only on her, studying her, observing her, as if they couldn't help themselves but be drawn to her only.

Alina felt a shiver ran down her spine. No one had ever looked at her like that.

Absolutely no one.

Was he even aware of what his expression told her without spoken words?

Julian shook his head lightly, realizing that he had been caught staring at her for longer than necessary. "Yes. Yes she is gorgeous, I know."

"How did she happen to be your stepmother when she looks so young?" Alina questioned, sincerely curious. There were many things she couldn't figure out when it came to his family. And somehow she wanted to get to know all about her mate. At least for the little time she had with him, no matter how selfish and maybe even hypocrite that was.

"The marriage was forced from my father," Julian hesitated, and something told her he didn't want to talk about this. About his father specifically. "It's complicated, actually."

Giving a small smile, Alina moved to the other painting, this one having the whole royal family, years ago. Her eyes found little Julian immediately, and she smiled when she realized how handsome he looked even back then.

"You look a lot like your mother," she observed. "Even your eyes."

"I get that a lot." Julian nodded. "And I am happy about that."

Here it was, another thing implying that Julian was happy he hadn't taken from his father instead.

"Who is the artist behind these? I cannot imagine how talented they must be." Her fingers traced the corner of the painting lightly, before she pulled her hand back abruptly. They were pieces of art. Not at all where Alina had grown up to, but she realized it was probably disrespectful to touch them.

There were so many things, rules, she didn't know about this place.

The entire time, Julian didn't take his eyes off of her. "That will have to be my brother," he told her.

"Brother?! Luis?" Alina frowned, and that seemed to take a chuckle out of him. Or maybe it was her words. She couldn't tell.

"No, that's my older brother, Arthmael. He's the artist of this family... And the warrior, which seems odd when you place them together but if you get to know him, it makes sense, believe me."

With every word he said, Alina found herself desperately falling a bit deeper, convinced as the minutes with him passed by that there was no way out of it. No way escaping his sweet, loving nature, no way she couldn't get drowned in those warm emerald eyes.

He talked about his loved ones so dearly. Would he ever talk about Alina like that too? Or would he hate her for the rest of his life if he ever found out the truth?

The idea of being hated by him caused a piercing pain in the middle of her chest. Something told her her dear mate loved people deeply, but if they hurt him, he wasn't capable of forgiving easily. And that thought shattered her heart a little bit more.

"Alina?" His voice brought her back to reality.

"Yeah, I just got... lost. I'm sorry." She took a deep breathing trying to relax her scared heart. "What about your sister? I haven't seen her around. I remember she was so sweet and beautiful, no one could stop staring at her when she danced."

The thought of his sister put another, softer expression on his face. "That's because she doesn't live here anymore," he said. "She lives with her mate and husband, King of Elfland."

Alina gasped. "She's a Queen now?!"

Offering her his hand, charmingly, he expected for her to place her palm on it before he nodded. "Yes, she is. And she has a little daughter too, Erica, who has our mother's name."

Alina followed his steps, and the entire time she wondered if he could feel the little sparks coming their connected hands. It felt like she belonged there, by his side, so bad, it made her feel suddenly desperate.

"Julian." The male voice that called his name was attractively deep and rough, and when Alina turned to look at him, her eyes widened in shock.

Where all males this damn good-looking here? The man was tall and built, had dark hair that barely reached his shoulders, a dark beard, and black eyes that you could right through you. They zeroed on the hands intertwined together, before he gave Julian a questioning look.

"And this is exactly my brother, Alina," Julian told her, but his eyes never left his brother. "Arthmael, this is Lady Alina, Katherine's... and my friend."

She didn't know how to feel about being called his friend. One part of her was glad he considered her that, at least, that he liked her enough for that, and the other, the other that felt the bond deep on her bones knew that this would never be enough.

"Your Highness." Alina remembered to bow down to him, slowly pulling her hand away from Julian's touch. It felt cold instantly, like it was half without him.

"That's not necessary, my Lady." He shook his head. "I don't consider myself a royal."

Alina couldn't understand why, she couldn't understand a thing, but she didn't dare to ask. Somehow, she was afraid she hadn't made a good expression to his older brother. Apparently, walking around holding the Alpha King's hand was not an usual thing.

"Alina was admiring your paintings, actually," Julian told him. "I think Evelyn's one was her favorite."

Surprisingly, his hard, handsome face split in a wolfish grin, confusing Alina even more. "That makes two of us, my Lady." Then he turned his attention at Julian. "Just wanted to tell you I'm going home earlier today, brother. Dominic has the warriors' training covered."

"One of these days, you'll find yourself a commoner, Arthmael. Tell Evelyn I'm warning you," Julian teased, making his brother laugh.

"I will if I remember that when I get home." Arthmael winked at him, with a swift motion shifting from human to wolf and running, as if that was the most normal thing one could do, leaving lots of pieces of clothes behind.

It was so strange, living with wolves.

"I don't understand," Alina said. "Are we talking about the same Evelyn here?! The former Queen?!"

Obviously, her questions were entertaining him, but she couldn't understand why. "The one and only."

"He's married with his stepmother?!"

Julian tsked. "Don't say that when he is around, Alina." He crossed his arms on his chest and leaned against the wall. The move made his muscles jump upwards, and her breath get caught on her throat all at the same time. "They are fated mates."

Understand washed right through her. "He couldn't wait to go back to her," Alina observed. "He seemed to love her."

"Love her?!" Julian chuckled. "Lovely, he is obsessed. Evelyn and their children are his entire world." 

Her heart made a little dance inside her chest. If he kept calling her that, Alina was afraid she would do something stupid.

Julian sighed, not aware of how much his endearment affected her. "They are happy. Really happy."

"What about you, Julian?" Alina realized she shouldn't have asked that as soon as the words left her mouth, and Julian's eyes widened, the flirting grin all gone now. But she had to know. At least she had to know this. In what level she had actually ruined his life, she had to face it bravely. "Are you happy with her? Katherine?"

It took Julian a few long heartbeats in which they stayed silent, only staring at each other, to answer. "Yes, of course." His eyes moved from Alina to the portrait of Katherine, hang up on the wall, as if he could find the answer there. "She was made for me, of course I am happy."

Her lips trembled, and she had to close her eyes to hold back the tears that blurred the beautiful vision of her mate in front of her.

He sounded confused, no matter the words.

It was overwhelming.

Everything was overwhelming.

"Alina?"

"I'm sorry, Julian, I have to go." She turned on her heels abruptly. "I just..." Her voice shook, so she had to take another deep breath to steady it. "I just forgot I had to meet up with Katherine so we would have some tea and talk. But I'm happy for you two, I really am."

"But―" 

Alina didn't stop. She didn't stop even to knock when she was in front of the door Julian had named as Katherine's chambers; instead she flew the door open, walking inside, too hurt and furious to even care of the consequences.

"You can go to hell, Katherine, because I'm never going to do that to him again―" Instead of Katherine, there was a man in front of her. A big man, noble-looking, that openly studied her without a worry on his face.

Alina didn't know what it was about him, but he looked somehow... dark. Clever. Like he could see right through you without you having to say a word.

"You must be Alina," he said.

Alina swallowed down hard. This was bad.

"How can you walk inside here without knocking?" Even Katherine's annoying, high-pitched voice didn't draw her attention from the older man in front of her.

"I'm Katherine's father, Vincent," he introduced himself.

Her eyes widened. Of course it was him. Alina had never seen him before, but something told her he was someone important, with lots of influence in this Court.

When she didn't talk, he kept going, "You were saying you would never do something like that to him, am I right, Alina?"

Alina faced him defiantly, despite the intensity of his gaze.

"She knows the consequences if she doesn't!"

"Shut up, Katherine," the man growled, "I'm the one speaking now."

Alina's hands turn into fists, and her nails had already started to dig on her skin.

"You do know the consequences, don't you, Alina? Katherine has already explained things to you."

Once more, she did not answer.

"But what you don't know is that there aren't only consequences, there are benefits as well," he suggested. "For example I could find you the best healer for your sick, magicless grandmother, so she could have a few more years to live. And gold. You can have lots of gold to buy a better house than that, and have a better job, one that includes your rare, beautiful powers in it. Wouldn't you like that?"

Alina had never felt more dirty, more cheap in her life, not even when countless of males had harassed her throughout the years. It made her feel sick, how she had ended up in this mess that hurt no other but her mate, the one she should have been cherishing right now.

This was all so sick, but instead of refusing, Alina nodded just once. "All right," she told him, raising her chin, and looking right through his dark eyes. "If you promise to heal my grandmother fully, and for the King to never, ever find out what I did to him, then all right, I will cast another spell to him. I will make him mark Katherine. And she'll be pregnant the first night they spend together. But I need more time, these are powerful spells that need all my effort and energy."

If Vincent was pleased at the answer, he didn't let it show in his face. Instead, he remained stoic, making Alina doubt if what she was doing was the right thing.

"I have given you two weeks!" Katherine complained.

"You can have more if you need to," Vincent dismissed his daughter completely.

"Alright." Alina simply nodded. "It's a deal then."

With that, she realized there was nothing more to discuss. But with all her heart, she only wished to had fooled them―him. To had convinced Vincent she was working for him as she worked to find a reversing spell for Julian, to lift the spell she had once pulled on him.

And to reveal them, and their true intentions to him.

She didn't know how she was going to do all this without putting her grandmother in risk more than she already was, but at the same time, Alina knew she wasn't going to leave Julian here, with these people.

Perhaps he deserved a better mate than her, but Alina was going to leave that choice in his hands.