KaneI’m not in the best mood after talking with Clark. As much as I dislike him, he is right about some things. Delivering awful truths has always been something he relishes in. Clark practically snickered as I left his suite, enjoying how his words affected me. I needed to go to my office afterward to get some work done and think about everything he told me. Hours pass by, and I haven’t gotten much work done. I’m worried about the war, the baby–everything.It’s time for dinner, and the thought of being surrounded by the nobles exhausts me. I could make an excuse and not show up, but Emory’s sister, Lola, is having her first dinner in the castle, and I can’t leave them alone with the pit of vipers. Even with Opal and her terrible friends gone, the other nobles aren’t much more accepting of anybody they deem beneath them. I just have to suck it up and get through the meal.I’m late, but nobody will say a word about it. There are perks to being the king. The meal starts when I arrive.
KaneLex is quiet as he listens to me talk. He sips from the bottle of blood as I tell him about my fears of losing Emory. I’m in an impossible situation where the laws of nature that govern our world are working against me. Yet, those same ruleshad bent themselves to make it possible for us to fall in love and then have a child. Could nature bend again to accommodate me?Lex snorts. “Maybe you are selfish.”I stare at him in disbelief. “Now you’re agreeing with me?”“I’m not judging you. I’m actually kind of proud that for once you’re thinking about what you want and not what you think you should be content with.”“Even if it affects our kingdom?”“Everything you do affects our kingdom. You’re a king. Your existence affects our kingdom, so of course for the first time you actually selfishly want something, you want nature to give you a pass. Break the very foundations of our existence so you can be with the woman you love.”When he puts it like that, I sound like a horrible self-indu
EmoryI can’t move as Rainier continues to translate the story about the hybrid. It is nothing but a terrifying monster, a mindless killing machine. My breath quickens as panic sets in, making me want to run away. I want to hide under the blankets of my bed and shut the world out. I don’t want to believe my baby could turn into the beast in the story with no ability to reason and only an insatiable urge to kill.I touch my abdomen with my fingers, feeling protective and terrified of the life inside of me. Perhaps I could teach them to be good. Even if they have these bloodthirsty urges, I can guide them to control themselves so they won’t hurt other people. Humans thought that wolf shifters are like the werewolves in myths that were mindlessly violent, but we aren’t like that at all. I could make sure my child learns they don’t have to be anything other than what they want to be and not just what their base urges lead them to.“Are you all right, Emory?” Rainier asks. “You’re looking k
EmoryI try to sit still as Dr. Joe Martin looks over my vitals. Kane is busy dealing with the diplomat from Scarlett Thunder to be with me for the check-up. He feels terrible about it, but I told him it isn’t a big deal. I know he’s stressed enough dealing with this stalemate with King Peter, and I don’t want to add on to his load.Besides, I’m not alone. Lola is here trying to sit still on a stool nearby. My maids, Helga and Nellie are in the room with us trying not to hover. After Lord Alistair found out about my pregnancy and informed King Peter about it, Kane and I decided to let our friends in the castle know. We need the support of those closest to us more than ever.We know that King Peter won’t be sitting on this information for long and will probably be spreading it to the other kingdoms to curry favor for his cause against Kane. We can’t keep this information to ourselves any longer, so all we can do is try to mitigate the upcoming wave of opinions that is coming our way.
KaneGuilt burns in my chest. I have no desire to give in to King Peter’s demands, especially if it endangered my family. Despite all that has happened between us, Lex is my brother. I should not give him up.“I don’t want to send you as a hostage,” I tell my brother. “I’m going to refuse King Peter, and he can deal with it–”“Stop,” Lex interrupts me. “You’re just prolonging the inevitable.”“Lex–”“King Peter will never stop. This man is looking for any excuse to come after you. If you’re seen refusing to concede on old traditions, you’re going to look worse in the eyes of the other vampire kingdoms.”“I don’t care what they think.”“You should. You used to. That’s what made you a good king. You thought about what was best for your kingdom above all else.” Lex sighs, looking wearier than I’ve ever seen him. “And it’s my turn to be the same way. I’ve been selfish long enough.”“Lex, if you become a hostage, I can’t protect you,” I point out. “King Peter could decide not to honor the
KaneI try not to focus on the worst case scenarios of my brother being held as a political hostage by Scarlett Thunder. I need to hope that King Peter will keep his word not to harm Lex, and I have to trust Lex not to get himself killed before this conflict with Scarlett Thunder is over. This is a test of honor for both King Peter and I, to show we can be trusted to keep our promises. The stakes are dire; a monarch whose word has no weight makes diplomacy with other kingdoms a near impossibility.I feel helpless, which is not an emotion I’ve ever cared for. Shame colors my view of everything, and I can’t help comparing myself to my father. King Michael never had to send away any of his family to become hostages. He wouldn’t have given in to King Peter’s demands no matter what the consequences were. He would have resolved things by now.What have I done? I have just sent my only brother off alone to fight for his survival in a den of vipers. My little brother who has never been to wa
LolaI’m not used to living in such a big place. The castle is too big. I don’t know why people want to live here when it takes forever to get from one room to another. I know vampires move fast, so it might not be a problem for them, but I have short legs and climbing all the stairs is not fun.Emory doesn’t agree that they need to install elevators in the castle, but she’s taller than me and doesn’t understand how hard it is. I don’t like being out of breath because I want to go to her room or visit the library. I like the library a lot because most of the vampires seem to avoid it, and the librarian is really nice. Miss Willow is usually the only person at the library, and she recommends books to me and even sits down and talks to me if I ask her questions.She’s seated at her desk and looks up when I come near here. She gives me a soft smile in greeting. Miss Willow is pretty, and she’s not mean like some of th
EmoryI hear about Lex being sent off as a hostage at Scarlett Thunder from my maids after he’s already left. I don’t get the chance to say goodbye. Lex and I may not have started out on the right foot, but I still feel bad he’s essentially become King Peter’s prisoner. I want to talk to Kane about what happened but hear he’s in a meeting. I’m able to find Rainier who has a rare spare moment where he’s not doing something for Kane.“Lex said it’s better this way,” Rainier tells me. “It would have been an awkward scene if he stopped to say goodbye to you, and Lex doesn’t find that entertaining. That chaotic little shit has a dramatic flair.”“I still wish I’d had a chance to say goodbye to him. It’s not easy being a prisoner in a castle filled with your enemies.”I understand that feeling more than anyone. Kane treated me more like an honored guest rather