Chapter 66: Chapter 66

LENORE

What. The. Hell?

I stared at my father, eyes wide, while several questions raced through my head. Then I glanced at Fabien over my shoulder to know if he’d been aware that my father’s presence was the reason for the summoning—I’d have been less stressed if I knew it was—and I saw him bowing.

It instantly hit me that I hadn’t greeted the King. Shit! I hit a curtsy so fast, I lost my balance, but before I could crash to the ground and embarrass myself—also probably piss the King off—the captain of the guards caught my arm and righted me. Fuck my life.

I took a deep breath and curtsied again, minus a faceplant attempt, while one of the men I’d met in the room let out a short laugh. It definitely wasn’t my father though. What’s going on? Why is he here?

“You may rise,” the King said and I swallowed before doing so, my gaze unfortunately meeting his. The mirth in his expression told me he was the one who had laughed, and I gripped my skirt while he made a dismissive wave.

I immediately turned towards the hallway that led to the door, my shoulders still tense, but before I could take a step forward, the captain of the guards grabbed my arm again.

“Not you,” he hissed while Fabien began to backtrack towards the door, his brows drawn together in worry, and my chest tightened.

Oh God, no.

The captain of guards turned me to face the King once more before gently pushing me forward, and the King gestured at the space next to my father. “Take a seat,” he said and I swallowed again before glancing at my father who was no longer staring at me but at the King.

Then I took my first full breath—more like half a full breath—since I received the summons because my father wouldn’t let the King harm me. He might not give a shit about me but he had pride.

I steeled myself the best I could and walked around the couch my father was on before sitting on the right end of the couch. I expected my father or the King to say something after I sat—they had to have been having a conversation before I arrived after all—but they didn’t, and when about a minute passed without anyone breaking the suffocating silence, I frowned and finally dragged my gaze from the pattern on my skirt to my father whose gaze was still fixed on the King.

What’s happening?! Was I summoned for a staring match? Why is he here?! It then occurred to me that my father coming to Eyrosa was probably why Virginia, Wayne and Aimee had texted me, and I couldn’t help but wonder why Cameron hadn’t been summoned too. Or had he and was currently on his way? Was that why no one had spoken?

…Is he here to try to get Cameron out?!

I’d be beyond glad if that happened because even though I wanted all the pack representatives to not participate in the stupid tournament, I cared about Cameron more than I cared about the rest of them. I’d also be beyond resentful because even though I knew he—my father—didn’t care about me, getting Cameron out and leaving me here would be a very specific statement.

Another minute passed without anyone speaking or Cameron showing up and the tension that sat heavily on the room raked its claws down my back. I wanted to sink into the couch.

Killian, please wake up.

“Well?” the King finally said and it was like the room sucked in a breath… Wait, that was me. “There’s your daughter.”

Where’s Cameron? Why hadn’t they escorted us here together in the first place? His room and mine were on the same floor.

“I’m taking her home.”

…What?! My brows snapped together and my gaze jerked in his direction. I—what?!

Confusion bloomed bright and full in my mind and I tried to read my father’s face to figure out what exactly was going through his head, but his expression was stoic—his signature look.

The King chuckled, but my father’s expression didn’t change and I was still wondering what the fuck he doing. “I’m afraid my son has taken a liking to her, so I can’t do that,” he replied and my next breath settled in my chest like lead while a small frown made its way onto my father’s face.

“Excuse me?”

“Too complex?” the King asked before a clink echoed in the room, and I figured he’d set his teacup down. “He’s fucking her.”

Aaahhhhhh! What the fuck?!

My mouth fell open, my gaze swiveling to the King, and when he grinned at me, I pictured myself wrapping my hands around his neck. The thought was so sudden, it startled me, but not as much as what the King had just said. What the fuck?!

“I’m surprised he even let her come here alone,” he added, obviously entertained by my reaction, while motioning at the man behind him. The man proceeded to pick up the teapot sitting on a tray which was on a small table next to the King, and refilled the teacup next to it. The liquid in the teacup was red but it wasn’t blood.

“Lenore?” my father bit out, and my stomach rolled as my gaze shifted to him. He had an incredulous look on his face which silently asked ‘Is that true?’

There was absolutely nothing I could say—if I said yes, I’d just be confirming it; if I said no, he’d think I’m lying—so I said nothing. He scowled, probably taking my silence as a yes, and faced the King once more.

Killian and I haven’t even— What the fuck?!

“Where is Killian?” the King asked. It was a question directed at no one but one that should be answered nonetheless, and Fabien’s words replayed in my mind—Don’t let them know Killian’s asleep.

I clenched my hands until I could feel my nails digging into my palms and kept my gaze fixed on them while a tingling awareness pricked the top of my head. He was staring at me. Oh, for fuck’s sake.

“He’s in the city,” the captain of the guards said. Fabien had probably told him that before I stepped out of the suite. “Meeting with Prince Valen,”

That was the name of the King’s younger brother, though one would assume they were enemies given how the King’s face immediately contorted with irritation. Then he clicked his tongue and didn't say anything else, making me relax my hands.

“You have my son,” my father said, reminding me that Cameron still wasn’t here, and then it occurred to me that he might not have been summoned at all. I was the one my father was trying to get out of the city after all, and once again, confusion spread through me.

Why is he doing this? Is Cameron aware he’s trying to get me out? Is he really going to leave Cameron to participate in the— He doesn’t know the truth about the tournament.

That was the only reasonable explanation for why he was doing it. I’d told Cameron, but I hadn’t told anyone back home and Cameron must have not said anything to them either, so he didn’t know the tournament was a lie! Right now, his plan was definitely for Cameron to participate in it and win the werewolf crown, so the packs that weren’t already kissing Moon Valley’s feet would be forced to do so.

“And my son has your daughter. It’s out of my hands, really,” the King said and held his hands up, the mirth back in his expression.

My father leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’m not leaving without my daughter.”

The King tilted his head to the side, raising his brows at my father. “...Cederic.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?” the man behind him answered.

“Have rooms prepared for the Moon Valley Alpha and his people. Seems like they’ll be here a while.”

My father’s jaw tightened and he pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked like he wanted to explode, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood. I absolutely did not want to be here if it came to blows between him and the vampire King.

But then he laughed…?

It wasn’t a loud or happy laugh. It was a thin and hollow one, and his face barely moved as he did it. To say it was unsettling would be an understatement. I wanted to get the fuck out of here.

“It would be in your best interest to let me leave with her,” he said. His tone wasn’t threatening—it sounded like he was advising a friend instead—but those weren’t nice words and certainly not words you could say to a King in his own territory.

I sensed the captain of the guards move behind us and I immediately glanced over my shoulder, alarm bells going off in my head, before he moved his hand to his side, drawing my attention to his gun which I was only just noticing. Panic seized me by the throat and I turned to my father who must have also sensed his movement, but his attention was still focused on the King.

Hold on, does he know something I don’t?! He was a great fighter, and though I didn’t know if the vampire King could fight, I was pretty sure my father couldn’t take him anywhere. And the King had two of his people here while my father had none.

Yes, he absolutely didn’t have me. The fuck?

“Down, Alaine,” the King said, wagging his finger at the captain like he was a child—or a dog—and the captain dropped his hand, taking a couple of steps back from the couch.

My shoulders sagged a bit.

Then the King picked up his teacup and asked my father, “Didn’t you send her here so you wouldn’t have to send your son instead? Why are you trying to get her, and not your son, back?”