The Vampire Prince graduates High School (Book 3)

Trust

Alexander's POV

"About that," Rin began.

"Oh yes," Lady Hargrave said, snapping her fingers. "This is the form you prefer instead?"

"Mother," Alexander replied.

"Brenden," she called.

The butler reappeared.

"Take Miss Borek to get fitted. We'll need to get the wardrobe ready for the ceremony."

Brenden bowed.

Alexander nodded to Rin. She gave him a small smile before standing and following the butler.

"Do you have to do this?" Alexander asked.

Lady Hargrave crossed her arms. "Do what?" she asked. "Look out for you? So, tell me. You're human. Why?"

Alexander sighed. His transformation was a guarded secret. None of the other wives knew of it.

"Does it matter?"

That wasn't the correct answer. Lady Hargrave growled.

"I am worried for my son's life, and you dare ask me if it matters?" she hissed. "You are in more danger now than you were before. Is it for her? The human? What? She'll leave you if you don't pretend to be like her?"

Alexander's jaw clenched. "Rin isn't like that. I don't appreciate -"

"Great, now I'm the bad guy."

She had always been like this. Playing the victim.

"Don't talk about Rin that way," he finished. "She's the only reason why my name was cleared. She's helped Princess Cassidy and me -"

"You mean she broke your engagement," Lady Hargrave corrected him.

"We made a treaty without an arranged marriage."

"You got shot because of her."

Alexander sat back. "You knew about that?"

"Of course, I'm your mother," she said. "To think you almost died. When I heard the news, I couldn't bear it. A mother shouldn't bury their child."

"It wasn't Rin's fault. She didn't shoot me."

"They used her to get to you. Don't you see that? And now, you're walking around as a human. Do you want to advertise how easy it is to kill you? If you die like this, there's no coming back."

Alexander had never thought about his mortality until recently. He knew how easy it was for a human to die. But worrying about it wasn't going to do him any good.

"I've accepted -"

"That'll you die at this rate. How can you put your family through that?"

"If I get to spend my time with Rin and be happy then, it'll turn out for the best. Can't you be happy for me?"

"Those Extremists did this to you, right?" she asked, ignoring him. "They turned you into human and now you believe you don't have a duty to your people."

Alexander frowned. She always liked to twist his words. Seemed that habit of her hadn't changed.

"What makes you say that?" he asked.

"I saw the video," Lady Hargrave explained.

"You believe that?"

"My son got shot by those Extremists, the officials got attacked, and now their victims are humans. Yes, I believe that."

Alexander grabbed a fruit tart from the tray and took a bite. He knew his mother had always been very informed of what happened in the palace, but this was on a whole new level. She's left the palace to "get away from the politics" and yet, it didn't seem that way.