62. MASON

Angel leaned against me and tilted her head back to smile at me. I lowered my head and pressed a kiss to her lips.

“Having fun?”

Her smile widened. “They looked cold.”

“And you’re worried that you won’t be a good queen.” I hugged her tighter. “Are you feeling better?”

Angel nodded.

“How’s your mark?”

She was wearing too many clothes for me to see it myself. Curiosity had me reaching for the hem of the jacket, but Lucas stopped me.

“Later,” he muttered.

My hand dropped back to her hip.

Lucas leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek before he walked off.

I rested my chin on her shoulder as I glanced around. Some men had caught Lucas’s attention.

Fear had me moving faster than I ever had before when I saw her walking out towards all those people. They could have attacked her.

“Please don’t ever do that again,” I whispered in her ear. “They could have hurt you. Did you forget that you’re in danger?”

Angel swallowed, her body tensing against mine.

“Lucas told me to do things how we would on earth,” she said instead of answering me. “People are allowed to express their feelings as long as it’s done peacefully. I just thought they might appreciate something warm to drink and something to eat.”

I smiled. “As nice as that was, you seem to forget that we’re not human. The cold doesn’t bother us that much, love.”

“Why didn’t they say anything then?”

“They didn’t want to offend you,” Nate muttered as he moved closer. “They actually liked how thoughtful you are. Arabella would never have done something like this.”

“True,” I muttered. “Knowing her, she would have stood by one of the windows talking shit about them.”

Angel slowly relaxed against me.

There was a glimpse of some sun rays peeking through the dark clouds and Angel seemed to be enjoying it. I knew that the longer we were outside, the more danger she was in. We were exposed, even surrounded by all these people.

My eyes darted around.

For protesters, they were strangely calm. At least they seemed less angry than they were yesterday.

From what I understood of what Lucas told the council, the people were upset about Lucas’s divorce to Arabella. They were worried about the uncertainty of the future without a queen.

Lucas needed to make an announcement, but I wasn’t sure if it was a good time.

The council didn’t seem that happy about a human ruling the kingdom. They saw Angel as nothing but weak which was stupid because they were judging her by her heritage and her looks. She knew more about our kind than they did, and I was certain that she would learn everything she could about our kingdom.

Nate stepped closer, making his arm brush mine.

I turned my head to look at him and frowned.

He looked tense.

I followed his line of sight and frowned when my eyes locked on a man leaning casually against the wall. He hadn’t taken a drink or sandwich but was watching everyone intently.

He was dressed differently than the others, his clothes more expensive. Pale skin almost sparkled in the sun's rays. Long blond hair was hidden slightly by the black coat he wore, but nothing could hide the shocking green of his eyes.

A gasp fell from Angel’s lips, snapping my attention to her.

She was staring at the man as well.

I looked back at him and found the man staring at us, or more specifically at our mate.

“Do you know him, honeybee?” Nate asked her.

Angel swallowed loudly. “I’ve m-met him before,” she whispered. “But I don’t know his name or who he is.”

“Prince Maurice,” Nate muttered. “Next in line to take over Greenville once his father steps down. He’s a warlock.”

I tensed. “What’s he doing here?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is he an enemy?” Angel questioned.

Nate’s frown deepened, but he remained silent.

I pressed my hand to Angel’s stomach as I stood a little straighter. “We don’t have any problems with them,” I told her. “Our communication is kept to the minimum and only when needed. There’s never been a war over any disagreements we’ve had.”

“He…” Angel paused. “When I came through the portal I was injured. The men who found me…one of them bit me…uhm…fed from me.”

I snarled and Nate growled, startling a few bystanders.

“I woke up in a room with a woman who nursed me,” she continued softly. “He came to see me when I was healed.”

“He sent you to the club?” I growled.

Angel shook her head. “I don’t know where I was supposed to be taken, but I believe that he meant me no harm.”

“It’s true.”

My head snapped up and my eyes narrowed.

Prince Maurice had approached us without me noticing it.

But Nate had since he took a protective step in front of Angel.

The warlock smiled, but his eyes stayed locked on our mate.

I snarled at him, finally making his eyes dart up to mine.

“My men were supposed to take her to you,” he said. “I guess it doesn’t really matter how she got here.”

“She was hurt and beaten with a whip,” Lucas growled from behind him.

“Your mate is a fighter,” Maurice said softly, eyes once again locked on Angel. “I knew it the moment I met her.”

“I suppose you also knew that she’s our mate?”

He smiled and then finally turned around to look at Lucas. “I didn’t know immediately, only after you gave her your blood to heal her.”

My eyes snapped up to Lucas’s in question.

When, where and how?

I wanted to know it all.

Lucas had told me that she was injured when he brought her from the auction house, but he never told us how injured she was. He never even mentioned that he gave her some of his blood to help her heal.

“A warlock is like a witch, right?” Angel questioned.

Maurice took a step back and turned so he faced all of us. His eyes locked on Angel, brows dipped in a frown. For a few seconds, he silently studied her.

“You can say we’re similar, but we’re nothing alike.” He tilted his head to the side. “Witches, well…they don’t do anything for you unless you do something for them.”

“Warlocks don’t work like that?” she asked him.

He was silent for a moment. “It’s a bonus if we get something out of helping others.” Maurice smiled. “Why all the questions, Queen Angel?”

A gasp sounded from somewhere behind us.

I tensed, waiting for hell to break loose but nobody approached.

“I have a theory,” she said softly. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that, but we haven’t really gotten the opportunity to…”

“I’d like to hear this theory of yours,” Maurice said softly, taking a step closer to us. “But it’s best we start heading inside. I have a feeling things are about to get interesting.”

I wasn’t sure whether we could trust him, but Lucas didn’t seem to have a problem with that. He nodded towards the castle and led the way back through the gates.

Maurice didn’t follow him but chose to stay at our side instead.