Surrogate for the Alpha Prince in a Coma novel Chapter 359

Chapter 359

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Chapter 359

Josephine’s POV

When Reginald moved toward me, Grayson stepped in his way. But I touched Grayson’s shoulder and urged him out of the way. He was tense, his body like a live wire.

“I’ll be alright,” I said.

“Josie.”

“Grayson,” I replied, just as tersely.

He chuffed, but stepped out of the way, his glare trained on Reginald.

I didn’t want to be hit, especially by Reginald, but if Grayson were to attack Reginald in my defense, Odette was right, the kingdoms would go to war and facilitate their own ruin.

Maybe she was right about something else too. I needed this one-sided crush on Reginald to end, and nothing would do that faster than being hit, even if he was being controlled.

With Grayson out of the way, I could see Reginald clearly. The hard line of his jaw. His prominent cheekbones. His handsome face.

His features lacking expression wasn’t entirely unusual. Reginald didn’t often or easily show what he was thinking on his face. Usually his eyes were the gateway to the true feelings he kept within himself.

Right now, they were without light, without life. Was he even there at all?

“Reggie,” I whispered.

He walked right up to me, and his body tensed. The aura of malice flooded the air, and I braced myself.

A second passed. Then two. Then three and four.

Reginald was still as a statue, but his eyes flashed. Yes, he was still there, trapped inside of himself.

And he was fighting.

“Reggie,” I said again, stronger. “Why are you doing this? Why are you listening to her? Marrying her? I thought … you and I… When I heard you had invited me, I thought you meant to pursue a courtship. I feel so foolish to come here just to be rejected.”

He accepted the scolding without a word, which only spiked my anger and frustration. Not just with him, but with all of this.

“Why can’t you say anything?” I asked.

He looked at me, and I prayed he would come back to himself, if only for a moment, so that I knew all hope

wasn’t lost, that he was still in there somewhere. That I could find him again, and have him again. Maybe we could right all of this and it would be like nothing happened.

But he just looked at me.

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Chapter 359

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“Reginald, please,” I said.

“What are you waiting for?” Odette snapped from behind him. “Strike her.”

He tensed again, his hands curling into fists. He even lifted an arm, drawing back his hand…

But then he stopped again. He lowered his hand, turned, and walked off. He trudged through the middle of the garden party, heading into the palace without looking back.

Odette cursed under her breath, and chased after him.

Lillian rushed to me at once. “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” I told her.

“We have to get out of here,” Grayson said.

The party guests were still not moving or talking. They stared at us, trailing our every movement with their gaze.

Grayson ushered both Lillian and I out of the palace. I worried some of the palace guards might stop us, but no one did.

None of us were able to relax until we were back at the motel, though even then things remained tense. More of the rooms had been booked and people were milling about. But unlike the regulars I had spoken to before, these people seemed of their own minds.

They were already complaining to each other when we entered the parking lot.

“What the hell is going on with everyone? I leave town for one week, and it’s like the whole of the kingdom has lost their marbles.”

Two men were talking by one of the outdoor picnic tables. They were older, non-threatening, wearing familiar colors and clothes of traveling merchants.

“Things at the palace are even worse,” said the other merchant. “Last week, they ordered a shipment of silks so expensive that I traveled with it all the way here to hand deliver it to the King myself, only for his new fiancé to tell me she wants satin instead?”

“Don’t get me started on this fiancé of his,” said the first merchant. “Wasn’t Odette disgraced? Now she’s back with no explanation, and everyone is acting like she is the Goddess’s gift! I’ll tell you what, friend, I’m leaving in the morning. Getting the hell out of the Lycan Kingdom until all this calms down. I feel like I’ve entered crazy town.”

“I might be with you,” the other merchant said. “The money would be good, but even if I could produce satin out of silk, I’m sure Miss Odette would find something wrong with it. It’s not worth it – at all.”

At least the influence of whatever Odette was doing didn’t seem to extend beyond the borders of the kingdom, and those that came and went kept their own minds.

That gave some hope. Maybe she couldn’t control as many people as she thought. Thought the Lycan kingdom was by no means small…

Grayson would fight the whole of the world to protect Lillian. He’d start a war. He might even harm innocents,

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Chapter 359

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though he would hate himself for it.

I looked over to them, where the couple stood near the entrance to their room, quietly talking. Lillian looked very worried, and Grayson seemed grim. But they bowed toward each other like they were being sucked into each other’s orbit. I doubted they were even thinking about it.

I wanted that kind of love with someone. With Reginald.

Swallowing down that feeling, I moved closer to them, wanting to tell them what I overheard from the merchants, when I started to make out their soft argument.

“You should go back to the kingdom,” Grayson said. “This is far too dangerous, and she’s going to use you against me.”

“I already told you, I can’t leave Reginald to this fate.”

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