115
Emma
My heart stills in my chest, and I hold my belly instinctively. Turning around, I can’t even finish my thought as Ace is already looking at me, worried.
“What’s wrong?”
“My bond with… I lost our connection.”
His lips curl up, and he turns around, snarling at the maids, the boys, and Serena. “Everybody out.”
The maids of the palace seem to be used to his temper and gesture to the three to get them to leave the quarters and get something to eat.
“Wait! We can’t let them—”
“That’s not important now,” he explains calmly, striding towards the door to lock us in.
“But Kai—” I try again, but he interrupts me right away.
With a click of his tongue, he drives his hand through his hair. “Kai is an idiot.”
“What?” I ask in a whisper, tilting my head into his line of sight.
He finally lifts his eyes to look at me, unclenching his jaw. “We had a plan, and he just tossed it to the curb because of his temper.”
I gulp, rubbing my stomach. “Is…is that why I can’t sense him anymore?” He nods, and I gasp, taking a step forward. “Stop joking. He only reinforced his wall. Tell me you are joking!”
“Em—” he starts, closing the little distance between us to take my hands.
“Don’t Em me! What happened?”
“Your connection through your bond was severed because he is sitting in a cell. All that silver tends to do that.”
“That doesn’t make any sense! Uncle Finnegan isn’t affected by it because of his demon. Why is he?”
“Dad is special as his wolf absorbed the demon’s soul and became one with him. Drake is a powerful hybrid creature. We have two different entities in us. And our demon isn’t strong enough to make up for the silver, and what it is laced with. It tends to affect our wolf with no way to evade it”
I hug myself, the gears in my head turning fast to keep up with what he is telling me. “Laced with? What is the silver laced with that weakens the demon's power to that extent?”
He shrugs, pouting. “I don’t know. They didn’t tell me.” I hate how I question his honesty once again, but as he grins, I feel strangely confident in what he is saying. “They learned their lesson by not telling me certain things.”
“You are impossible. This isn’t a joking matter, Ace,” I huff, passing him, but he keeps me from walking further, grabbing my arm.
He leans in, my heart beating faster when I look up at him, my defiance wiped away by his smile. “I love how you say my name.”
The sparks on my skin slowly turn into painful sizzles, and he lets go of me before his finger can scorch my skin. “I still have to wait five more hours,” he mumbles to himself, and I open my mouth to say something as the door opens, and a man steps in with a broad smile.
“Ace! My lost favorite head warrior is finally back,” he states with a rumbling voice, his tunic rustling as he walks towards us with long strides.
The thought of the fabric giving him a rather chill vibe has barely passed my mind when Ace drops to his knee, lowering his head.
Oh, fuck.
“Future Luna Blackwood, I’m so glad to welcome you here. I know that we usually do these things more ceremonially, but I couldn’t wait! Pregnant, how exciting!” He speaks without a break, not even acknowledging his warrior.
Panic bubbles up my throat because I’m way off prepared to meet him without Kai, and I force up a happy expression, my cheeks hurting while my wolf purrs.
‘Just relax. I got you. Don’t be afraid. Our mate will have our back.’
My eyes shoot to the side automatically, seeing Ace still bowing deeply, and I sigh, admiring her blind trust in her mate. I guess that I should kneel as well, and I shift on my feet carefully. “It’s all my pleasure, King Orestes. Thank you for welcoming us to your pack grounds.”
I have barely started to get on my knees when the Alpha King hurries forward, holding me up by grabbing my forearms. “Please, my dear, there’s no need for that.”
He finally acknowledges Ace, tapping his shoulder and getting him to stand back up. “At ease,” he says casually, his smile not faltering while he is still turned towards me. “I just wanted to check on you real quick and make sure that everything is to your full satisfaction." He speaks as if he is some manager at a resort and not the Alpha King who is holding the Alpha of my pack and my mate in a cell. “I hope you and your entourage will join us for a small celebration. We are having a garden party this evening.”
Bile taints my tongue, making it hard to swallow the bitter pill. “We would be happy to attend. Thank you for the invitation.”
“Wonderful,” he says, seeming honestly elated as he claps his hands. “Why are you out of your uniform, by the way?” He turns towards Ace, and I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes.
“I apologise, your Majesty,” Ace mutters, lowering his head, and I have never seen him make himself so small.
I clench my hand into a fist in front of my chest, observing their interaction silently and with a broken heart.
“Why don’t you go get changed, and I’ll get her accompanied to the south wing?” he orders, and Ace bows before casting me a worried look.
“Will you be okay?” he asks me, my wolf growling in the back of my mind.
‘Here you go,’ I say to her cheekily, even if I feel a bit scared.
“Sure,” I force up a smile, putting my hand on my belly. “We will be more than alright.”
With another look between the Alpha King and me, he bows once again and leaves. The Alpha King chuckles, gesturing to the entrance, and we walk out of the quarters, engaging in some small talk leisurely.
As soon as we are out in the sun-flooded hallway, I spot Serena, sitting on a windowsill. She is munching on a bagel, kicking her legs back and forth. Her eyes widen as she sees me, and she jumps from the marble surface with a huge smile.
“One of our generals will be here in a minute. He will escort you to the southern wing,” the Alpha King explains, and I nod, doing a curtsy.
“Thank you very much, your majesty,” I retort politely, even if I would rather ask why we have to go to that part of the palace.
He bows his head with a kind expression and walks away just as Serena reaches me. “Who was this?”
“Don’t walk with your mouth full,” I snicker, grabbing her cheeks. “Except you want to tell me where you got this delicious treat.”
I let go of her, and she grins, taking another bite, chewing provokingly. “You would have one too if you didn’t choose to have a secret talk with my brother.”
Putting my index and ring fingers against her forehead, I push her playfully. “Don’t be this cocky. There are things we can’t discuss in front of you. It’s for your safety.”
“Uh-huh,” she scrunches up her face, and I shake my head.
“Stop it. Where are Ryder and Junior?”
“There is a huge buffet. They are stuffing their faces,” she explains, studying her food to check for the best place to take the next bite.
“Great,” I sigh.
We jump simultaneously when an elated voice reaches us. “My ladies.”