Chapter 28

King Ashton

"Go back to Jadeisles, Ashton. Now! The royal council demands it."

The phone felt like a block of ice against my ear, numbing me with each word my father spoke. His voice was sharp, cutting through the peaceful buzz of the coffee shop.

"Why now?"

"Because they question your absence," he replied sharply. "They believe you're shirking responsibilities for pleasure and wanderlust."

"It's not like that. I need Aliyah to come with me."

There was a pause before a low chuckle resonated from the other end. "Your fake mate? Why bother making it official?"

"Because it's not fake. Our bond is real, Dad. It's time everyone accepted that."

"Remember what the Connors have done," he hissed. "Theon's hands were stained with your mother's blood."

"I haven't forgotten," I spat back, trying to control my voice as I didn't want to cause a scene in the coffee shop. "But Aliyah is not a pawn in our vengeance."

"Use her to—"

"Enough, Dad." I hung up the phone, rejecting his distorted proposal. H