Hidden Away

Eighteen: Attempt on the King

I shook my head rapidly, completely and utterly confused. So confused, that I didn't even acknowledge the sparks that danced around my body from Bennett's touch. I looked up at him, becoming lost in his gray eyes. They were identical to his brother's, but something about them made me want to stare at them for eternity.

Something in me made me realize how upset I was at him. "You lied to me!" I snapped, glaring daggers at him.

"I didn't lie." He had the audacity to chuckle at me. "If you would've caught on and asked me who I really was, I would've told you the truth."

"You did lie. You didn't tell me the truth about who you were when we first met, when you told me your name," I told him, trying my best to not make it seem like I was angry in front of the crowd that was undoubtedly watching us. "Why didn't you just tell me the truth when we first met?" I asked.

"I wanted to make sure you weren't like all the other girls that went after me," he explained. My heart raced and Taryn growled within me at the mention of other girls being all over him. Bennett noticed and chuckled again. Goddess, that chuckle makes my insides churn.

"Am I one of those girls?" I asked.

"Of course not!" I nodded and a few moments later, I changed the subject.

"You fail to tell me how it is that you and Levi knew about me being both of your dates," I mentioned, making sure he doesn't forget about it. Curiosity was getting the better of me at the moment.

"Right." He spun me around and replaced his hand on my waist. His other hand intertwined once again with mine. I couldn't help but let out a laugh.

"Stop. You said you would explain," I told him in between laughs.

"Alright." He laughs along with me. "Alright," he repeats.

Flashback
Bennett

Soon after Norah and I parted ways after leaving the diner I had taken her to, I started the search around the palace for my older brother. He was the person I would tell everything to. I trusted him with my secrets, my feelings, and anything else I could think of. He wouldn't dare tell a single soul until I was ready for it to be out in the open.

"Brother," Levi greeted me as I walked into his bedroom. He sat at the small desk that was located in the corner of his room. I made my way over to him and peered over his shoulder at the paperwork he was working on.

"Shouldn't I be doing that?"

Levi looked over his shoulder and gave me a look. "You should, but you decided to go out knowing that you have things to do."

"Yeah, that was important," I said as I took some of the paperwork from him and grabbed a pen. I scanned the papers one by one before starting to fill things out.

Levi turned to me and gave me a look. "I don't think anything is more important than this. You're going to be king for crying out loud, Bennett. You have to be responsible."

"I think spending time with my mate is more important than any of this," I muttered without looking up from the sheet of paper I was working on.  The sound of my older brother's pen sliding across his paper stopped. It was only then when I decided to look up.

Levi was glaring at me, almost as if he was trying to burn a hole through my skull. "You found your mate and didn't even think to tell me!" He shouted, getting up abruptly and throwing his pen on the desk. "How are we going to break the news and get her ready for the ceremony in less than a day! I've had so much work to do and you forget to bring up this minor— this major detail. What am I supposed to—"