Chapter 3 The Confession

• Romain
• "This is completely unacceptable!" Alpha Denver yells. "I see no reason why this...this boy needed to put his hands on my son!"
• The living room is filled with a shocked silence at what I did, but I couldn't care less. I shoot a glare at Soren's father, and then my gaze shifts to Soren himself, who's staring at me like he wants to strangle me. Nothing gives me more satisfaction than seeing his left eye swollen shut.
• He deserved more, and I would've beaten him to a pulp if Cade hadn't succeeded in pulling me off him.
• "This has to be punished!" Alpha Denver shouts, spittle flying from his mouth. "Who does that boy think he is!?"
• "Alpha Denver," Father says, "I understand your anger, and I promise you that the situation will be dealt with immediately. I'll make sure this doesn't happen again."
• "That's not good enough, Alpha Roger," Soren interjects in a calm voice. "I feel very disrespected, and as your guest and Emmalee's future husband, I demand immediate action."
• My gaze intensifies, and at this moment, I could close the distance between us and punch him again in front of everyone. I don't care. I've never cared about any consequence.
• I've only ever cared about things that concerned Emmalee. She's my only priority, and he risked her life. I have a problem with that.
• "Romain," Father says to me. His eyes are hard as he studies me. "Perhaps you can tell Alpha Denver and Soren how sorry you are for what you've done, and maybe they'll accept your apology and allow this to be forgotten."
• From the corner of my eye, I see Emmalee shifting uncomfortably in her seat. When my eyes land on her, I see that her own eyes are wide and pleading. She wants me to apologize to this asshole, but I know her. She just wants it to end. She doesn't believe that Soren deserves an apology. In fact, nobody here does. Father is doing the same thing because when I told him that Soren made Emmalee fall from the motorcycle, he became visibly upset.
• They want me to cooperate. Because it's what people in my position do.
• I take a deep breath, sigh, then say, "No, I can't do that."
• A heavy silence falls upon the room. I keep my head straight and look right at Soren when I add, "From a young age, I've been taught to protect Emmalee and Cade because they're younger than me. I deemed him a threat, and I'm not going to turn back or apologize for doing my job as an...as an older brother."
• Soren's teeth are clenched, and he's staring at me like he wants to kill me. I stare back at him calmly to let him know that I'm not intimidated by him.
• I'm enjoying myself.
• "Alpha Roger, this can't do!" his mother says, her voice shrill. "I understand that this boy is someone who you consider family, but the truth of the matter is that he doesn't share the same rank with Soren, so his act was very disrespectful indeed. We demand action, and this time, we'll have to insist."
• Emmalee shifts uncomfortably in her seat, even though she doesn't look at me. I square my shoulders and stare at Father. I'm determined to take any punishment they send my way.
• It wouldn't be the first time, anyway.
• "If you insist, then perhaps you can tell us what you think a fitting punishment is," Father says to Alpha Denver.
• "A whipping," Soren replies.
• Emmalee gasps, but the sound is too low for anyone else to hear. Father starts to protest, but I'm tired of this back and forth that won't lead anywhere, so I interrupt them and say, "I'll take it. I'll take that as a punishment."
• The room falls silent, and this time, Emmalee looks at me. My eyes are straight ahead at Soren, though. Let him have his punishment. It doesn't bother me.
• The point is that I taught him a lesson he'll never forget.
• Father sighs. "As you wish."
• We head outside, and from the corner of my eye, I see Emmalee standing up. She turns to her father, but I don't see what happens.
• Once outside, all eyes are on me. All the people who work on the estate are watching me as I head to the fountain. It's right in front of the house, so it's the only place I can think of.
• Behind me, I hear Father giving orders to tie me up to the railings of the fountain. I don't look back at them as one of the employees, Justus, walks over to me with a length of rope. As I get on my knees, he asks me, "What did you get yourself into, kid?"
• "Just tie me up," I retort.
• When he's done, he steps back. I hear movement behind me, and my mind unfocuses until the first crack of the whip bites into my back. I clench my jaw and try not to move or make a sound. It hurts like a bitch, but I won't give the Cimmerians the pleasure of watching me break.
• Especially Soren.
• I find myself clinging to the image of his bruised, swollen face. I hold onto that, letting the sting fuel my satisfaction. With each crack of the whip, I remember Emmalee's look of disbelief when they mentioned the whipping, and how she'd stepped in for me when Soren was humiliating me. How dare he hurt her? How dare he not be careful with the most precious thing in the world?
• I'd do it again. I'd suffer twice as much for her.
• "Enough," I hear Father say.
• My wrists are unbound, and I stand up by myself, even though my knees are shaky. Justus gives me this look when he tries to help me, but I ignore it, causing him to shake his head. I turn on my heel. It's only Soren and Cade who are left behind, and in Soren's face, I see way too much satisfaction for my liking. I walk toward him, my eyes on his face, and then I stop.
• "Is that all you've got?" I ask him quietly.
• The triumphant look slips from his face, and I smile to myself as I make my way around the estate to where my room is, close to the stables. I'm trying to stay strong just until I get there, but I'm dizzy, and I can feel my blood running down my back. It'll heal up quickly, but for now, the pain is unimaginable and crippling.
• When I reach my room, I open the door and practically throw myself into it, but the sight of a crying Emmalee standing close to my bed makes me halt.
• "Emmalee?" I say her name.
• "Romain," she says breathily before making her way to my side. She grabs my arm and helps me toward the bed. "Why did you accept the whipping? Are you crazy!? Look what they've done to you!"
• "I'm fine," I grit out before collapsing on the bed, on my front. It's a relief to be lying down, but all the blood seems to be rushing to my head, and I get dizzy.
• "There could've been a better way to handle all this!" she sobs.
• "Like what? Your precious little fiancé wouldn't have been happy with anything else," I remind her. "You were there. You saw how much they insisted."
• "Don't call him that," she pleads in a voice barely above a whisper.
• I twist my body around despite the pain to get a good look at her face. Her dark eyes are peering at me, and her lashes are wet with tears.
• "Isn't that what he is?" I ask, pushing her.
• "He's a horrible person," she states. "I could never be with someone like him, Romain. Not ever."
• "You don't have a choice," I remind her.
• Her eyes grow hard, and so does her voice. "Everyone has a choice."
• Shit, why is my heart beating so damn fast? "What's that supposed to mean?"
• "It means I'd rather die than marry him!" she concludes. "I don't care, Romain. I don't care about any of this."
• I stare at her in confusion even as my heart leaps in my fucking chest. I try to turn my body more, but I feel a sharp pain that makes me lie back down, and Emmalee gets on her knees beside my bed and places her hand over my cheek. "Don't move, you'll only hurt yourself more. I'll help you clean it up."
• She moves to stand, but I grab her wrist to stop her, and her eyes fall on me again. I ask her, "What do you mean, you won't marry him?"
• "I won't," she says.
• "Because of this?"
• "Of course," she replies like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "You're one of the most important people in the world to me, Romain, and he didn't show you respect. Just for that, I can't have him. I don't care what Dad says."
• "You've never been known to be a rebel," I remind her again, even though I want to smile like an idiot. She was too good for him, and now she's realized it, a day into the whole introduction thing.
• "I don't care," she repeats. Her voice is much lower, and her face is moving closer to mine, or am I imagining it? "You're the only person who's ever understood me, Romain. All these years, you've been by my side, and it's always been you. No one else. It's like you see parts of me no one else even knows are there."
• I swallow hard, my heart thudding in my chest. "Emmalee—"
• "I mean it," she says, her voice trembling just slightly. "I don't want anyone else. I never have. It's always been you, Romain. I love you. I've always loved you."
• The words hit me like a storm, knocking the breath right out of me. I can feel the truth in her words, raw and real, and it takes everything I have to keep myself grounded. Her fingers trail down, resting against my neck, her touch electrifying.
• "Emmalee," I breathe, struggling to find the right words. "I don't deserve that. I don't deserve you."
• She shakes her head, a fierce look in her eyes. "Don't say that. Don't even think it. You're everything to me, Romain."
• Before I can respond, her lips brush against mine, soft and hesitant. Right now, I don't care about the pain. I raise my head and kiss her back steadily. My heart's going to explode. I know it.
• It's a kiss filled with years of things left unsaid, and it drowns out everything else—the doubts, the complications, and even the pain. She loves me back. Emmalee, the girl I've always loved.
• Finally, she can be mine.
• This certainty fills me right then and there, and I know that there isn't anything in this world that will ever keep me apart from her.
• Not anything.