Pushing the thought away, Liam stepped closer to Eric and wrapped an arm around him awkwardly. His brother didn’t lean into the touch, making Liam feel even more useless and inadequate than he already felt.
It’s your fault. Maybe Eric blames you.
His throat tight, Liam let his hand fall.
He felt even worse when Jules hugged Eric, and Eric leaned into his embrace easily enough.
Hugging his own arms, Liam looked away.
“I’ll live at the country estate,” Eric said, clearly trying to sound brave. “I didn’t want to go to those stupid balls anyway. Maybe it’s for the best.”
“You can’t hide for the rest of your life,” Liam said.
Eric shrugged, smiling crookedly. “It’s not like there’s much of a choice, is there? I made my bed.”
“There may be another option,” Westcliff said.
“Really?”
“You could leave for Kadar,” Westcliff said, his green eyes on Eric. “Haydn will take you under his wing until the scandal blows over.”
“You think it’ll help?” Jules said, touching Westcliff’s bicep.
Westcliff nodded, laying his hand over Jules’s and squeezing his fingers. “Kadarian society is less concerned about propriety. They don’t have a social season like we do. There are still social gatherings and parties, but they’re more informal. Omegas are generally given more freedom. They even work beside alphas. Kadarian society shouldn’t care much about a salacious picture like that.”
Liam nodded slowly. It did make sense. The Republic of Kadar was said to be more progressive than Pelugia, at least when it came to omega rights.
“I don’t want to be a burden to Prince Haydn,” Eric said.
Westcliff looked at him steadily. “You won’t be a burden. My brother has a bleeding heart. He’ll take good care of you, I promise.”
“Unless you don’t want to go?” Liam said, touching Eric’s arm and then removing his hand quickly. “It’s fine if you don’t want to go. You can stay here with us.”
There was indecision written all over Eric’s face for a moment before he looked at Jules, then at Liam, and his expression became resolute. “I’d like to go to Kadar.”
Westcliff gave him an approving smile. “It’s settled, then. I’ll call Haydn immediately.”
As Westcliff pulled out his phone and turned away to call his brother, Liam tried to smile, too. He should have felt relieved that they’d found an acceptable solution. This way Eric wouldn’t be confined to their country estate for years.
But he couldn’t deny that all he felt was a sense of profound loss and failure. Jules was getting married soon and moving in with Westcliff, and now Eric was leaving the country for an indefinite time—because of Liam’s mistake.
Liam was alone now.
Painfully, achingly alone.
Chapter 22
Eric left for Kadar, but it did nothing to quell the gossip, just moved its focus to Liam and Jules—mostly Liam, because no one really dared to bad-mouth their future king’s mate. Anthony, as an alpha, was obviously impervious to the scandal. Liam normally wasn’t one to complain about being an omega—he wasn’t Jules—but he had to admit that being an omega really fucking sucked sometimes. The double standards were staggering. And sickening.
It was incredibly frustrating that the social standing Liam had barely fixed after Westcliff had dumped him for Jules was in tatters once again. It was almost funny. Or would have been if Liam didn’t constantly feel like getting into his bed and not getting out, ever. But he didn’t have the luxury of doing it. If he hid at home, there would be no one to show that the gossip was inconsequential and that their family wouldn’t be so easily destroyed by it.
The only person that stuck by him despite the scandal was the Earl of Terlaine. Michael didn’t seem to care about the gossip and continued accompanying him and inviting him to dance when everyone else treated Liam as if he had the plague. Michael had become a genuine friend. Liam was grateful to him.
Gratitude wasn’t love. But it could be as strong a motivation.
A week after Eric left for Kadar, Liam decided to accept Michael’s suit. It would be good for the family. It would make people forget the scandal—or at least make it old news if he married a highly respected aristocrat like Lord Terlaine.
And never mind that the idea made his heart ache and a ball of dread settle in the pit of his stomach.
Enough, he told himself angrily. Stop being so pathetic. You aren’t going to waste away pining after an asshole who doesn’t give a shit about you. Enough. If he wanted you, he would have returned ages ago. If he cared for you, he wouldn’t have kept lying to you.
He doesn’t care.
He never cared.
He never loved you.
***
Liam had decided to tell Michael about his decision after Jules’s wedding. A wedding was supposed to symbolize new beginnings, after all. A new chapter in life, and all that.
“Are you sure about it, Li?” Ant said quietly, as they ascended the stairs leading to the ballroom where the wedding reception was being held. Jules and Westcliff had already said their vows in the royal chapel with only the closest friends and family present—even Eric had arrived for the ceremony though he was departing for Kadar again soon. Jules had been a little upset about that, but he still seemed blissfully, ridiculously happy as he and his duke said their vows. The wedding was obviously just a formality: Jules and Westcliff were already mated in every possible way. In fact, judging by the glow to Jules’s skin lately, Liam strongly suspected the royal couple was already expecting a new addition to their family.