The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 336

Callum’s POV

I left the training room in a hurry, running my hands through my hair.

That was a mistake.

Yet another fucking mistake.

I shouldn’t have let it get that far. I never should have entered that room and practiced with her. Hell, I never should have stopped walking when I heard those sounds.

But I had. And now it was all falling apart.

The thing was, I didn’t even regret it. That was the issue; the first kiss when we’d been camping had been a mistake that I told myself I regretted, that I didn’t want it and it had been Liora who kissed me. The second in that haunted house was another mistake; I’d gotten mixed up in the dark, that was all.

But this… This was different.

I’d been fully conscious of what I was doing when I pressed myself to Liora’s body and lost control. I was fully aware of what was happening, and I was the one instigating it, and I fucking loved it.

That was the problem. And it wasn’t something I could just take back or get over.

The fact of the matter was that I wanted Liora. More than anyone I’d ever wanted before.

And I could not let it happen again.

In a strange way, I felt the need to repent almost, like a sinner kneeling at a pulpit. I didn’t want to see Bianca, but I knew I needed to. As if, by forcing myself to look into her face, I could force myself to stop feeling the things I did. As if I could remind myself of my true purpose, my duty, and renew my strength in my conviction.

I went straight to Bianca’s room, even though my wolf howled, pulling me in the opposite direction.

“Bianca—”

“Princess,” the letter read, “I wanted to reach out to discuss the dowry we talked about during your visit. While the amount is very generous, we were hoping to consider a larger sum. Write back to me if you would be interested in negotiating.”

I lowered the letter, staring out the window.

Dowry? Why was my mother asking Bianca about a dowry? We’d never discussed such a thing before; my family was incredibly wealthy and had no need for such things. The engagement with the princess was based on power and prestige, not on paltry sums of cash.

Something about this set me off, although I wasn’t quite sure what.

I went home the next day.

The letter had eaten away at me all night, completely blocking out all thoughts of my… incident with Liora. Maybe I was using it as a distraction, but I didn’t care. I needed to know more.

My parents were out when I arrived, which was exactly what I wanted. I quietly slipped into the house, smiling perfunctorily at the butler, and beelined for my father’s study.