Queen Raya sighs. “Jayden told us. After the party on your eighteenth birthday.”
Alys’s jaw drops. “And you never said anything!?”
The queen raises her eyebrow. “Hello, pot, I’m kettle.”
Alys shuts her mouth but can’t help glaring at her mother, stewing over it for a while before quietly asking “Did Dad use the alpha king command on him? Is that why Jayden wouldn’t accept our bond?”
Raya clears her throat. “Your father made his thoughts on the matter very clear but no, Alys, your father wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t, in any case. The fated bond is sacred, and no alpha command can influence Jayden’s feelings or force him to do anything he didn’t want to with regards to the fated bond. Your dad was hoping you’d—and I quote—come to your senses on your own and reject Jayden yourself once y
