The King's Queen

Chapter 45

"His duty will be to the Angeles family," she answered. "Dominic is currently the most eligible bachelor in Origin society. Seeing as the Angeles family has become dangerously under populated, we need to take measures to make sure the Angeles bloodline is preserved. I have selected Dominic to be your mate."

*°*

A million thoughts raced across my mind so fast I barely had time to process more than a few fleeting words.

Damaris. Selected. Your Mate.

As the weight of her words settled like an anchor, my blood began to boil. A mate. She was selecting a mate. For me.

"Have you lost your mind?" My voice was barely audible as I tried to keep my steadily rising anger at bay. "I've told you multiple times that I have a soulmate and no matter what you say, I have no intention of leaving him."

"Elizabeth-"

"I don't want to hear it," I dismissed, pushing the file back in her direction. "I'm not a puppet that you can control. You don't get to decide my future."

"Well someone has to! If something so important is left up to you, you'll run us all under. You're unable to think clearly when your mind is occupied by that damn boy."

"Is everything all right in here?"

I turned to see Ezra who had silently entered the room and was leaning in the doorway, his brow arched in our direction. He took in my enraged expression and immediately transferred his suspicious gaze to Rosaline who, despite my words, still somehow managed to retain her stone cold demeanor.

"Luca could have had a child with an Origin, especially a Damaris," she hissed, "but instead he chose a human. Now look at all of the problems you are causing, Elizabeth. If you ever interfere with our plans again, I promise I'll get rid of you."

The blood pounded in my ears now and I clenched my hands into fists, not even flinching when my nails bit into my palms. Who did she think she was? She might be a Damaris, but that still gave her no right to speak to me the way she did.

I didn't get a chance to respond to her obvious threat as Ezra leaned off the doorframe, his eyes growing inimical as he looked at her.

"You are speaking to Elizabeth Angeles, heiress to the very name you claim to serve. Luca treasures his daughter more than violence. You must serve her, and serve her with respect."

"As I said before, you're too soft on her Ezra Gaignory. Are you going to stand there and watch from the sidelines while she single handedly tears the Angeles family down? Do you think that's what Luca wants?"

"Luca does not need you to act on his behalf," he reprimanded her. His voice rang out with authority and I could see why he was Luca's right hand man. "Luca can handle his family's affairs without you sticking your meddling nose in." At his next words, his voice took on a hostile edge I'd never heard from him before. A shiver almost crept up my spine. "Threaten her again and you will regret it. If you are against Elizabeth, then you are an enemy of the Angeles and I will show no mercy to our enemies."

Rosaline closed her eyes and it seemed to take every bit of patience she'd cultivated in her over two hundred years on Earth to keep her expression neutral as she turned to me once more.

"Dominic will arrive in two days' time. I've already made him aware of the agreement that he is to be your mate."

"I never agreed to this!" I glared at her. "I'm refuse to mate with him."

The air seemed to seep from the room as Rosaline's eyes turned hateful. Cyrena was frozen by her easel, the painting long forgotten as she clasped the paintbrush in her hands. Her face was pale. She'd been acting a bit strangely ever since I'd woken up.