Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Either way, he was a lot less freaked out about it than he probably should have been.
The sound of a phone’s ringtone broke the silence.
Royce hauled himself into a sitting position and pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Cleghorn speaking.” He ran a hand over his face. “It’s my PR manager,” he said, glancing back at Haydn as he got to his feet and zipped up his pants. It did nothing to fix his wonderfully disheveled look.
Haydn tried not to stare. Something about seeing Royce so disheveled and relaxed after sex made his stomach clench. “Go talk to her,” Haydn murmured. Royce probably needed to discuss with his PR manager how they were going to let the news of Royce’s late presentation hit the media.
Royce shot him a look Haydn couldn’t quite read and left.
As the door shut behind him, Haydn breathed out, some of the fog clearing from his mind. He couldn’t fucking think when Royce was all over his personal space.
It was probably a problem.
Probably?
Haydn laughed.
Chapter Fourteen
Royce suppressed a scowl as he eyed the crowd of journalists in the room.
“Aren’t we popular…” Haydn murmured beside him.
Royce carefully didn’t look his way. He still felt agitated ever since his rut—especially since yesterday—so he didn’t trust himself to keep a cool head where his husband was concerned.
His husband. Royce wasn’t sure when the word had stopped feeling like a mockery. Haydn was his husband. His husband. His.
Cutting off that train of thought, Royce turned on his microphone.
Immediately, the crowd hushed.
“Thank you all for coming. You’re probably wondering why we’re holding this press conference. Some of you can probably already guess.” He looked at the journalists in the front row. They all wore confused expressions as they stared at him. “Some of you can probably smell it. So we wanted to just announce it instead of letting rumors run wild: I presented as an alpha two days ago.”
The room erupted.
Royce waited for the noise to die down before speaking again. “My doctor hypothesized that my close cohabitation with another alpha simply activated the dormant alpha genes I had. Although it’s rare, apparently it does happen.” He smiled wryly. “I’m living proof of it.”
There was another murmur among the journalists before a young woman in the front row spoke up. “But Senator Cleghorn, does it mean your marriage to Prince Haydn is going to be dissolved?”
“No,” Haydn said before Royce could. His calm, clear voice drew everyone’s attention to him, Royce’s included.
Royce’s stomach tightened as he stared at Haydn’s mobile, pink lips—the lips that had been stretched around his cock just a few days ago. He looked away.
“…I fully support Royce, and his late presentation wouldn’t change anything,” Haydn was saying as Royce finally managed to focus on his words.
“But alphas don’t marry alphas,” someone in the crowd shouted.
“It’s not against the law,” Royce said.
The same young woman spoke again. “With all due respect, Senator, but that’s because everyone knows a law isn’t needed: it’s impossible for two alphas to sustain a romantic relationship.”
“Is it?” Haydn said mildly.
“It is,” the woman said, lifting her chin stubbornly. An alpha. Her body language was that of an alpha. Her sharp scent was that of an alpha, too. It was strong enough for Royce to smell it despite the distance. It rubbed him the wrong way.
Laying a hand over Haydn’s on the table, Royce said, looking at the woman, “We are lawfully wed, and we have full intention of keeping our marriage vows.”
The alpha raised her eyebrows and noted something in her tablet, not bothering to hide her skepticism.
It set Royce’s teeth on edge.
Before he could say anything, Haydn turned his hand under Royce’s and entwined their fingers. He squeezed them.
When Royce looked at him, he found Haydn gazing at him with an expression that seemed to be asking for something. Trust me? Play along?
Royce didn’t know what he intended, but he nodded all the same.
Haydn’s neutral smile widened into something cocky as he looked at the woman. “I understand your skepticism, but I assure you our marriage has never been stronger. Royce’s presentation didn’t change anything. Truth be told, I didn’t expect to be as happy in my marriage as I am.”
Royce could sense that Haydn’s words didn’t convince their audience at all. Most people in the room looked skeptical—at best. Most of them seemed dismissive.
Royce grimaced on the inside. He could already see the articles talking about how the peace between the two countries was on the verge of collapse, just like their marriage. Damn it all.
Haydn squeezed his fingers again.
Royce looked back at him and went still. Haydn had his head cocked slightly, baring his throat in such a way that the teeth marks on his neck peeked out of the collar of his shirt.
Swallowing, Royce looked into Haydn’s eyes, to make sure he was understanding him correctly.