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"I won’t ain" The words sounded stupid and stubborn, but she couldn’t give in They deserved good lives with someone less broken, with so after her, intent on ruining her life--and everyone around her

"Did you or did you not sleep with these h she was certain he knew the answer

Alea knew i This was the Royal Sheikh of Bezakistan addressing her as the head of her faain

"I don’t see that it ain"

She felt her fists clench "This isn’t fair It’s not like you, Rafe, and Kade were pure on your irl the three of you shared"

"This isn’t about us, cousin This is about you You gave your body and, I believe, your heart to Dane, and yet you will not do hirace and not worthy of the wouess you don’t knowless than the truth, but her heart broke at the thought

Tal sighed, a weary sound "Please, Lea Don’t make me turn them out"

"It’s for the best" God, she felt the burn of Dane’s furious stare all over her and wanted this to be over so she could lock herself in her rooms and scream and cry and start to mourn them

Tal turned to Dane "I am sorry, old friend I cannot force her to my will This scandal will pass The family will survive The press will turn around when the new baby is born"

Dane had gone cold as ice, his whole body perfectly still His voice was frigid "Are you talking about your child, sheikh, or mine?"

Alea felt like sout She turned to Dane, her feet unsteady Oh, god, she’d thought about it, but it was like a little whisper in the back of her nant How one by? She’d lost count Time see up like a carnival ride It was ry red "My cousin is pregnant?"

Alea shook her head "No I’m not"

Was she?

Dane’s s hand when everyone had thought he was played out "We were on the island for over a od She hadn’t even thought of that until now

"Perhaps you didn’t notice," Tal tried

"I was inside her every day, sheikh I would have noticed We didn’t use protection She’s pregnant by one of us, but I assure you, ill all claim the child We believed she loved us and had pure intentions We always intended to marry her with full respect to her culture I understand that you shouldn’t have been placed in this position, sheikh, but you should understand that I have no intention of allowing roithout his fathers If you choose not to honor nated her, then Cooper, Landon, and I will be forced to petition your courts to have our rights recognized Since she was in a relationship with the three of us, according to your lae all have rights to the child"

Alea felt sick She , his voice rough "If the doctors confire will take place as soon as possible We’ll keep it private, but afterward, ill announce the union to the press In a few nancy" Tal turned to her "I have no choice You were right about our people We could handle an affair The heat would be on us for a few months, but ould survive the scandal We cannot handle a princess with an illegitiland or America where people just accept royalty and celebrities as hu my family It eaken my position Did they rape you?"

Honesty would be her death knell Alea knew it Yet she couldn’t lie "Of course not"

"Then you made your bed, cousin, and you will lie in it I know it’s not fair, but there are conservative factions in this country that would do anything to topple my throne and set us all back a thousand years I cannot allow that to happen In this, I must be the sheikh and not your cousin I have to keep my throne stable for everyone in Bezakistan You will nant I would offer to allow you to marry someone of your choice and pay off these ht"

"Not for anything, sheikh," Dane confirrim but resolute "We will not back down and we are united in this"

"As brothers should be" Tal reached out and shook Dane’s hand "We’ll sit down and talk about all the details this evening after dinner Alea, I’ll send the doctor up to you in a bit You should rest until then"

"You can’t do this to me, Talib You can’t do this to them" Her voice sounded small and lost

"You chose to sleep with the how they felt You chose to not use protection And now you’re throwing a fit because there were consequences to your actions I have to take charge because you’re acting like a child and not a wo to the pain and the guilt like they’re security blankets I know because I did the sa, but I cannot allow it now I’ to do hat happened to you, and I aain, but your time to hide is over You have to face what happened and decide if you are going to allow it to defeat you or if you will grow beyond it and move on I love you, my cousin I pray you can heal and e out his chair and sitting behind that big desk where his fathers once worked

"Tal?" She’d just lost so precious and she hadn’t meant to Tears threatened

He didn’t bother to look up "You’re dis with the investigators and then I e It’s a matter of state, after all"