Chapter 79: Chapter 79

KILLIAN

"Would His Royal Highness be willing to join us for a moment?"

It was Cederic’s voice—my father’s summoner—and I gritted my teeth, but just as I turned my head in the direction of the closet’s open door, Lenore grabbed my arm. Her eyes were wide, her shoulders tense, and though she was staring toward the doorway, she didn’t seem to actually see it.

“Lenore?” I called, my brows snapping together, before cupping her face. “What’s wrong?”

She blinked rapidly like she was pulling herself back to the present, before looking at me. "I—" Her voice caught. "That... that man..."

Cederic?

For a moment, my mind went completely blank. Then fury surged through me, hot and immediate. “Was he there?”

She nodded, her hand rising to her neck as her expression tightened.

Did he—

“He and the captain of the guards.”

I already knew Alaine had been there—Fabien told me he was the one who came to get her. “Did they touch you, Lenore?”

“Uh, just the captain.” Her eyes lost focus again—it seemed like she was back in the audience room—and she swallowed. “He grabbed my neck and asked the King why he wasn’t just killing me.”

My blood ran cold and I opened my mouth to say something, but just shut it and shook my head instead. The fact that she could have died lodged itself deep in my chest again, and my jaw tightened. Slowly, I reached for the hand resting against her neck and lifted it away before leaning down to press a kiss to her neck.

“Stay here, my love,” I said and she stared at me with wide eyes, probably wondering what I was going to do. “I’ll be right back.”

When she nodded, I reluctantly stepped out of the closet, easing the door shut behind me before crossing the room toward the bedroom door.

Fabien and Aurora were standing in front of Cederic whose gaze shifted to me the moment I stepped into the hallway, shutting the door behind me. The two guards usually posted outside my suite now stood inside its hallway, while Cederic had brought two guards—King’s guards—of his own.

“Your Highness,” Cederic said, scanning my wet clothes, before he and the guards bowed and my nails dug into my palms as I forced myself to stay still. All I could see was someone who had watched my father hurt Lenore.

“You’re rather bold,” I bit out. Not only because he had the nerve to come here after his complicity, but because he had chosen to enter my suite uninvited—with guards.

“Forgive me for the intrusion, Your Highness. But His Majesty demanded I deliver the message to you rather than your advisor.”

“Did he now?” I sneered. He wanted him to ascertain my state of mind. Sending him here with the King’s guards was so I wouldn’t kill his summoner.

As though they could stop me if I truly wished to do so right now.

Cederic only bowed lower, saying nothing, and I clenched my jaw.

“Speak.”

He raised his head and set his mouth in a hard line before saying, “His Royal Highness’ presence has been requested and is required at tonight’s banquet. All of the pack representatives will be present because it’s being held in honor of the upcoming tournament. The Moon Valley girl—”

I took a step forward and he immediately took one back, the two guards beside him moving with him and positioning themselves protectively at his front.

Then he cleared his throat before continuing, “The Moon Valley girl may no longer be representing her pack, but she came to the city as a pack representative, so His Royal Highness is required to bring her.”

“He means to mock me?”

“His Majesty would never do such.”

I stared at him for a moment, then asked, “Where were you yesterday morning, Cederic?”

A flicker of unease crossed Cederic’s face and he glanced at Fabien, probably assuming he was the one who told me he was in the audience room. “By His Majesty’s side.”

“Yeah?” I took another step forward and once again, he retreated. “Your message has been received,” I said coldly, and he nodded, then bowed before making a hasty exit with the King’s guards.

Once he was gone, the guards assigned to the suite returned to their posts outside, shutting the door behind them before Fabien and Aurora turned to face me. They said nothing, but the questions going through their minds might as well have been written on their faces—they want to know how Lenore was herself again.

“Give me a moment,” I said and walked back into the room. I needed to change out of my wet clothes.

Lenore was in the bathroom, so I headed into my closet, and as I grabbed the clothes I wanted to change into, I heard the bathroom door open. Hearing her move around filled me with warmth, and my lips curved into a small smile as I placed the clothes on the closet island. After I pulled my damp shirt over my head, she came up behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist, pressing a kiss to my back before resting her head against it.

My smile instantly widened.

“The maids are going to cuss you out,” she muttered and my brows lifted slightly.

“Huh?”

“The bathroom. It’s flooded.”

“Oh.” I should have someone see to that.

I moved my hand over hers and the word mine reverberated through my bones. Gods… The fact that she wasn’t afraid of being my mate sent a wild thrill through me, and though I’d said I didn’t want to spook her because forever was a long time, forever also scared me. I didn’t think I could handle losing her—not anytime soon, not decades from now, not ever.

“What did he want?” Lenore asked, and it took me a moment to realize she was referring to Cederic, and I let out a harsh breath.

“Death.” And I would be the one to deliver it.

Cederic wasn’t a born vampire. He was turned—by my father. He came to the palace shortly after my mother’s death, brought by my father, and had been his summoner ever since. He was also the one who painted most of the portraits of my mother that hung throughout the palace.

“He threatened you?” Lenore asked, her voice unsteady, while her arms around me tightened.

“Oh, no.” A laugh escaped me at the thought of him doing that. I’d love to see that. “He just came over to deliver a foolish message.”

Like hell I would take Lenore to the banquet.

“Oh.” The tension in her arms eased before she let go of me and walked over to the island, hoisting herself onto it.

“We need to talk to the others,” I said, pulling my trousers off, and she nodded, still staring at me. “...Do you want me to keep going?”

She raised her brows, blinking at me. “Yeah…?”

Well, well, well. Grinning, I reached for my briefs and her eyes went wide, realization crossing her face.

“Oh!” she burst out, holding her hand out, but then the next moment, she slowly dropped her hand, her expression becoming curiously expectant.

I tipped my head to the side, then pulled them off.

Lenore sucked in a breath, her eyes going wide as she took in my cock, before her gaze flickered between my face and it, as though she was trying to process what she was seeing. When she swallowed, my cock twitched in response and the corner of my mouth kicked up. Adorable. Then I pulled on the clothes resting on the island, my eyes never leaving hers, and held a hand out to her.

“Come on,” I said. Her gaze dropped once more and she swallowed again before sliding her hand into mine, a shaky breath leaving her as our hands met.

When I smiled, she glared, making me laugh before I led her to the study.

Cameron rose from the couch the moment we stepped into the study, dropping a card in his hand onto the center table as Lenore walked over to him. Fabien and Aurora were standing a couple of feet from the door while Calley was sitting on the armchair next to Cameron, and the moment our eyes met, she scowled at me.

“Killian was nasty to my brother because of what happened,” she suddenly announced, and I bit back a groan.

For fuck’s sake.

Lenore reacted instantly, her head whipping in Calley’s direction. “What?”

“He blamed him.”

“Calley,” Fabien sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, while Lenore turned to face me. She was clearly displeased, and I groaned.

I… Fuck, I’d been angry. Terrified. And it was easier to start a fight—a very one-sided one—with him for leaving her with my father than to face what was happening to her.

“I might have punched him once…” I muttered, scratching the back of my neck. I had, in fact, punched him more than once.

“Once?!” Calley snapped.

“Calley,” Fabien warned, and I glanced at him, guilt curling in my chest because he truly didn’t deserve how horribly I’d treated him before Lenore came back.

“He even attacked Aurel. That’s why he’s not here,” Calley added and I jerked my gaze back to her, then to Lenore whose eyes were even wider now.

“In my defense…” I trailed off. Aurel hadn’t deserved it either. He’d just been trying to stop me from going after my father—an action that would have made the entire situation worse. “Okay. I was horrible. Point made.”

“Fuck you,” Calley replied at the same time Lenore asked, “Why would you do that?”

I dragged my teeth over my bottom lip, averting my gaze. I already knew blaming him had been unfair, and I didn’t want to drag up the excuse again.

“Apologize to him,” she added.

“Ah, no—”

“I’m sorry,” I said, cutting Fabien off.

“Mean it.”

I turned to face him and pressed my lips together. “I was wrong…” I exhaled, dragging a hand down my face. “You were trying to stop me from making things worse, and I treated you like you were the enemy. You didn’t deserve that…” My jaw tightened. “You didn’t deserve me blaming you for what happened either. You did the best you could. I’m sorry, Fabien.”

Silence settled over the study, and Fabien blinked at me. A moment later, he gave me a single nod, and the knot that had formed in my chest loosened as I took a deep breath.

“Now, hug it out,” Aurora broke the silence, a shit-eating grin on her face.

“Go on,” Lenore said, immediately taking her side, and the corner of my mouth twitched before I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around him. I planned not to let go until he hugged me back and he sighed before patting my back.

“There, there,” he muttered while I grinned and pulled away. “Fuck you though,” he added, a smile tugging at his lips, and Aurora clapped.

“There he is!”

“You’re gonna do that with Aurel when he comes back,” Lenore said, also smiling, and I nodded. He was going to be irritating about it, but he did deserve an apology.

“As you wish.”

“Good,” Aurora stated before shifting her attention to Lenore. “Now, can we address the elephant in the room? How did you break out of the King’s mind-control?”

“Oh,” Lenore muttered while everyone’s attention turned to her and she shifted from one foot to the other. “...I saw Killian’s mother.”

Realization dawned on everyone’s faces except Cameron’s, whose expression only grew more confused, and I couldn’t stop myself from snorting. That drew his attention to me and he shot me a dirty look before quickly schooling his expression when Lenore glanced his way.

“Will someone be so kind as to explain?” he asked and Calley took it upon herself to answer.

“Her Majesty is dead, but her soul and powers are not, so she shows up in dreams once in a while.”

“That is…” He furrowed his brows even more while Lenore sat on the couch, picking up the card he’d been reading before we walked in. “...very concise. Thanks?”

“You’re welcome,” she replied, flashing him a smile, just before Lenore’s eyes widened.

“What’s wrong?” I immediately asked, my feet already moving toward her, and she looked up at me.

“This is…” She held the card out to me, and after taking it, I quickly scanned the contents. It was Cameron’s invitation to tonight’s banquet. “There’s a banquet tonight?”