She raises a brow. “If I don’t step down?”
“Then I will allow this story to circulate, which will weaken the faction as a whole.”
“You don’t think a queen who is Bride to a Raider and a Paine brother would weaken our faction?” Her gaze flicks over my shoulder to Broderick.
My earlier fury returns full force. I love my mother. I have no doubt that she loves me. But that does not mean that she’s infallible, and she facilitated harm on a scale that leaves me breathless. “She was a child. We protect our children. You have fed me that line over and over again, have bolstered my belief that the way we value our children sets us apart from the rest of the city—the country, even. All this time, you have been the biggest fucking hypocrite.”
My voice breaks, but I power through. “So, yes, I will commit a little harm to our faction in order to set the tone for my reign. It’s a small price to pay to reassure our people that their children are safe under my rule. That is my priority. I will deal with both Raider and Mystic factions as required.”
My mother’s mouth goes tight, but she finally rises. “I suppose you’re set on this route.”
“I am.”
“Very well.” Her lips curve, the first indication that I’ve played right into her hands. “I’ll step down immediately. Long live the queen.”
Behind me, I don’t think Shiloh or Broderick draw breath. Neither of them expected this, and I allow myself a beat of sorrow to mourn the loss of them. It’s going to hurt so fucking much when they walk away, but if I’m going to avoid being the hypocrite my mother is, I can’t let my own personal feelings get in the way of my people’s safety.
Even if it breaks my heart in the process.
Chapter 31
Shiloh
Things happen quickly after that. Monroe is swept away. The dead Mystic is taken from us. Broderick and I are politely but resolutely guided out of the building and back to the truck. Neither of us speaks as we drive back over the river, not even when a convoy of other Raider vehicles surrounds us and escort us back to the compound.
Broderick parks and looks at me. “I’m sorry.” He makes no move to get out of the car despite Abel and the others who provided our escort through Raider territory waiting.
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” My throat feels like it’s on fire, and I can’t tell if that’s an aftereffect of the poison or the fact that we just drove away from the woman I love. I can already feel the dynamic shifting between Broderick and I, both of us too tentative without Monroe here to urge us forward.
Well, I’ll have to be the one to be assertive this time.
I clear my throat and wince. “We made the wrong call.”
“What?” He catches Abel’s gaze through the windshield and waves his brother off. After the barest hesitation, Abel leads his group toward the main building, though he lingers outside after the rest of them have dispersed.
“We shouldn’t have left her there.”
“Shiloh, we didn’t have much choice.”
I twist to face him. “Yes, we did. We could have fought for her. She’s fighting for me right now, and we just turned around and let them shove us out.”
“You heard her. She’s going to be queen.”
“I heard.” I press a shaking hand to my chest. “Broderick, I love her. And I love you. I know it’s not the same for you, but—”
He curses. “I’m falling for her, too. Have already fallen, if I’m going to be honest. It’s not convenient, and I want to shove her out a window half the time, but I’m self-aware enough to recognize the feeling.” He drags his hand over his face. “What do you want from me, Shiloh? I don’t know how to make this work. It’s all happening too fast. I thought we’d have more time.”
My brain still feels fuzzy, but I try to focus. There’s a way through this. There has to be. “Do you want us? To be a throuple in a permanent way?”
He hesitates, his hands flexing on the steering wheel. “Yeah. I do.”
“Me, too.” I shift on the seat. This next part is more difficult. “She’s still your Bride. They can’t deny access to you.”
“She won’t come back here as queen. There’s no fucking way. It would never work.”
“You’re right. She won’t.”
It doesn’t take him long to connect the dots. He curses. “You’re really willing to live among the Amazons again after everything? I can’t ask that of you. Monroe sure as fuck won’t.”
The idea isn’t exactly comfortable, but the alternative is a thousand times worse. I take a slow breath. “It wasn’t the entire Amazon faction responsible for what happened to me. The people who hurt me have been punished. Gods, Broderick, she went after her own mother on my behalf. If the other Amazons are like Monroe, I think we’ll do just fine.”