"Of course I want to be with him," I said.
The words slipped out before I could stop them, and the moment they did, I felt all three of them turn their attention fully toward me. Soren straightened slightly in his chair like he had just heard the most important sentence of the night.
"Then the problem here is Kasteil," Soren said.
"Maybe, but…" I paused, staring down at the drink in my hand. The liquid inside the glass moved slowly as I tilted it back and forth, giving me something to focus on instead of their eyes. "I don't think I want to be in a relationship."
"What? Why?" they all asked at the same time.
Their reaction was so immediate it almost made me laugh, but I didn't. Instead, I shrugged, trying to look more casual than I felt.
"I mean… he's the Alpha King," I said slowly. "And I'm just… me."
"And so?" Phoenix said.
"And so?" Jamie repeated.
"And so?" Soren echoed, leaning forward like he genuinely didn't understand what I was trying to say.
