Book 4: You Can't Do That

Cole

Michael turns from me, clutching a goblet of blood in his hands. He drinks deeply before setting the glass on a nearby table and runs his hands down his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

I’ve never seen Michael like this. Yes, he’s normally high-strung and serious, but ever since he signed the marriage contract, solidifying a union between Red River and his kingdom, he’s been… on the verge of violence. 

He’s supposed to be the level-headed one of the two of us. He’s always been the voice of reason, the golden child, paving the way for me to fuck up without repercussions. 

Nothing used to faze him. He was always hard and emotionless–the makings of a perfect king. 

All it took was a woman to tear down those impenetrable walls and leave him utterly exposed to the world’s evils. 

I’ve been in his shoes. I’ve looked at the woman I love and watched the life I imagined for us crumble. 

But h