Chapter 81: Chapter 81

LENORE

I wished I could dismiss Cameron's words as nothing more than my brother being overprotective but I couldn't. They lingered in the back of my mind all the way to the banquet hall, growing heavier the more I turned them over.

“Lenore?” It was Killian’s voice and I turned to find him standing next to me with an outstretched hand. The car had stopped.

“Oh.” I slipped my hand into his and gave him a small smile as he helped me out of the car, but he didn’t smile back.

He looked unsettled—because his father would realize the mind control was broken... and probably because he'd heard what Cameron said before we left. He hadn't mentioned it or seemed upset when he came to let me know it was time to leave, but he'd been just across the hall when Cameron said it, and the thought that Cameron's words might have hurt him made me more uncomfortable than the words themselves.

“Loosen up, Killian. You’re making us stressed,” came Calley’s voice from behind and when I glanced over my shoulder, I saw several pack representatives, who were heading into the hall, staring at me and him. Some looked angry while the rest looked disgusted, and as I instinctively moved closer to Killian, his other hand came to rest on my waist. Less than a moment later, discomfort suddenly skittered across their expressions and they quickly looked away.

I drew my brows together before lifting my gaze to Killian’s face to find the source of their distress. He might as well have been holding a placard that said Careful now with the glare he directed at them, and I couldn’t stop the laugh that slipped out of me. His eyes snapped to mine, his expression softening as he silently asked Are you okay?

I nodded and he pressed a kiss to the side of my head before I noticed Cameron was staring at me with a pointed look. He’d ridden in the back of the car with me while Killian had sat in the passenger’s seat. My smile faltered, his words ringing in my ears once more, as I let Killian move me out of the way so he could shut the car’s door. Then he knocked on the roof, prompting the driver to pull away, before his hand came to rest on my hip.

Again, he silently asked if I was okay. When I nodded, he let out a harsh breath as the car that brought Calley and Fabien also pulled away, before we made our way into the hall.

The banquet hall was extravagant. It had towering ceilings, glittering chandeliers, and enough polished marble to make the entire place feel untouchable. Unlike the dinner with the King on my first night in Eyrosa, this hall held multiple round tables, each with six chairs and name cards placed in front of them. More than half of the tables were already occupied, and most, if not all, of the representatives we walked past turned to glance at Cameron, then at me standing beside Killian. Their gazes never lingered for long though, because of the man beside me, and after bowing or curtsying, they instantly found something else to focus on.

“Will all the representatives fit in here?” Cameron asked, frowning as he glanced around, while Calley led us over to a table I assumed was ours.

“Just the top ones. The rest will get a letter detailing whatever will be announced,” Fabien answered and I tipped my head to the side. The hall was large enough to fit over two hundred people.

Wait—“How many pack representatives are there?”

“About six hundred,” Cameron said and my mouth fell open.

“I’d thought there were at most a hundred.” Not even pack representatives—I’d thought that was the total number of packs in existence.

Cameron snorted.

“How many packs are there in total then?”

“Nine fifty-eight,” Killian muttered next to me and I gave him a small smile. He didn’t return it.

Did he really hear what Cameron told me?

We got to our table and Killian pulled out my chair, not sitting next to me until I was comfortably seated. Glancing at the name card in front of me, I furrowed my brows.

“I’m afraid my name isn’t Priscilla.” I shifted my gaze to the card in front of Killian and my confusion only grew. Gizmo. Apart from the fact that it clearly wasn’t Killian’s name—”I think they made an error with this person’s name.”

“Gizmo!” someone suddenly called out and I jerked my gaze in the direction of the girl to see her waving a blonde boy—who was looking for his table—over.

“Oh, that’s so sad,” Calley muttered next to me, shaking her head slightly while staring at the boy like he’d personally offended her with his name. I pinched her thigh, holding back my smile.

“Why are we stealing seats?” I asked and she crumpled the Makenzee card in front of her.

“You and Cameron are seated at the front. Killian isn’t letting you get that close to the King.”

Oh. I glanced toward the front of the hall, where the tables closest to the royal seats had been arranged. Our table was near the wall and closer to the middle of the hall, with the entrance directly across from us. It wasn't exactly far away, but Killian could quickly get me out of here if things went south. I hope they don’t.

Turning to face Killian, I found him locked in a silent stare with Cameron. He didn’t look malicious, just calculating, whereas Cameron looked slightly annoyed.

…Yeah, he definitely heard what Cameron said.

Just as I was about to say something to him, a hesitant voice came from behind, “Forgive me, Your Highness.”

It drew Killian’s attention and I turned to see the blonde boy—Gizmo—looking like someone had lit a fire under him as he bowed. “I—I think that’s my seat,” he stammered, gesturing at the card, and Calley began to laugh softly next to me.

“Is it?” Killian bit out, an edge in his voice, and the boy immediately shook his head.

“Probably not. It probably belongs to another Gizmo.”

“I don’t think there are two Gizmos in this palace.”

I rolled my eyes at Calley’s words as I placed my hand on Killian’s thigh, pulling his attention away from the uncomfortable representative. Leaning forward, I muttered in his ear, “I know you heard him, and I understand why he’s worried. But I don’t want you thinking his words changed how I feel about you. They didn’t.”

I knew being with him put me in danger, and I knew there were things we’d have to figure out, but I also knew that leaving him just because things were difficult wasn’t what I wanted. I couldn’t even picture him no longer being in my life.

“We can talk more when we get back, okay?” I said while Calley said to the representative, “Go to the front. Your card for tonight is Cameron. Consider a name change.”

“Okay,” Killian replied and my lips twitched into a small smile before I pulled back slightly to look at him. For a moment, he simply held my gaze. Then I pressed my lips to his, and he tilted his head to deepen the kiss while his fingers curled lightly around my hand, which was still resting on his thigh.

When we finally broke the kiss, I realized kissing the prince in a hall full of pack representatives was probably not the best choice because every eye I could see was on us. Including Cate’s. She'd been sitting in the chair Gizmo had been standing in front of, but now that he was gone, I could see her staring at me with wide eyes.

“Cate!” I called before my mind could catch up and Killian immediately turned toward whoever had caught my attention.

She visibly paled the moment his gaze settled on her. “Oh…” She and her tablemates quickly got to their feet, curtsied, and sat back down. Then she shifted uncomfortably while her tablemates suddenly became very interested in the ceiling. “Hi.”

She did not want to talk to me—that was obvious. Either because of the rumors that flew around after people found out that I’d moved to Killian’s palace or because of Killian’s attention.

Either way... “Good to see you're okay.” It was nice knowing she hadn't been hurt during the rogue attack.

She nodded, giving me a strained smile. “You too,” she muttered, and as I turned to face forward, I caught sight of another familiar face staring at me with a sneer.

Travis. The Alpha's son from my father's biggest rival pack.

For a moment, his fight with Cameron the night Cameron came to Eyrosa—to try to get me out of the city—popped into my mind, along with him screaming that our father had killed his brother. Cameron had said his accusations were unfounded, but what if our father actually…

His lips moved, slow and deliberate, and I didn’t need to hear him to know the word he mouthed. “Slut.”

Heat crawled up my neck.

I wanted to scowl or flip him off, but I didn’t want Killian to know. He was already tense enough tonight, and I had no doubt he’d have a problem with someone calling me that. So I simply shifted my gaze to the royal seats on the raised platform at the front of the hall. The King’s grand chair was in the center, the queen’s chair—I assumed—on his left, and two other chairs on his right.

It dawned on me that Killian might have to sit up there when the King arrived—there were two princes after all—and a small frown made its way onto my face. Killian trailed his fingers up my arm, drawing my gaze back to his, and then that look again: Are you okay?

“Lenore, let’s change seats,” Calley said and Killian’s brows snapped together as he glanced past me at her. Then he pulled my chair closer to his. “You might as well put her in your lap, you dramatic idiot. You're not even sitting here.”

“She’s right, Killian,” came a firm voice from behind us and I glanced over to see a man I didn’t recognize walking over, but the sight of his azure eyes made me stiffen.

Then he gave me a warm smile at the same time Killian said, “Uncle.”

Oh…

“Good evening, Lenore,” he said as he came to a stop beside Killian and I blinked in surprise because I didn’t think he’d know my name. Or even address me. “It’s good to see you…” He drew his brows together like he was looking for a word. “...in a better condition.”

Huh?

“This is my uncle, Lenore,” Killian said while Calley told me, “He came to help with your… predicament at dawn.”

Oh!

The man’s gaze dropped to my hand which was still on Killian’s thigh and I instantly pulled it away, my face growing warm.Despite his eyes reminding me of the King, the fact that Killian seemed to have a good relationship with him told me he was the only normal member of Killian’s family.  “Good evening, Your Highness,” I said as I moved to get to my feet so I could curtsy, but he gave me a dismissive wave.

“No need for that.” He returned his attention to Killian. “You know this isn’t your seat, Killian.” His gaze shifted to the card in front of Killian and his brows drew together when he saw the name, drawing a laugh from Calley.

“Why are you here?” Killian asked instead and the man shrugged.

“Your father requested my presence. I did not wish to disregard him.”

“Perhaps he’s trying to fix your brotherly bond,” Calley said and he grimaced just before a voice boomed from the front of the hall.

“All rise for the entry of their Majesties, King Anrod Helder and Queen Jillian!”

My stomach churned violently. Cameron’s words weighing on me had suppressed the nerves of seeing the King again, but now that he was here, they came rushing back with a vengeance.

I blinked rapidly, my pulse pounding in my ears as black irises surrounded by rings of azure flashed through my mind. Before I could tell myself to calm down, to remind myself that nothing would happen, a hand settled over my shaking hands in my lap.

Killian. His face was a mask of fury as his gaze moved over me, and I swallowed, trying to force a smile to my face. It only withered.

Calley’s foot gently nudged mine, drawing my attention to her before she nodded forward. “All rise, Lenore,” she muttered, sending a jolt rushing through me. Everyone else, except for Killian and me, was already standing.

I quickly got to my feet, and Killian did the same a moment later, his hand still wrapped around mine. His hatred for every second of this showed in the rigid set of his shoulders.

Lowering my gaze so I wouldn’t catch those azure ones, I curtsied, and I knew the moment the King’s gaze landed on me because Killian stepped further in front of me, his grip tightening.

Several moments passed before the King finally spoke. “Oh, uh, you may sit—have your seats.” He sounded… unsettled.

Killian immediately turned to face me. "Just give me a couple of minutes, my love." His expression was deeply apologetic. “Then we can leave.”

“Okay.” My voice came out smaller than I intended, and I swallowed. A muscle in Killian’s jaw twitched before he shot Calley a warning look.

“I won’t leave her side,” Calley said with a long-suffering sigh and he shifted his attention to me before slowly letting go of me. He and his uncle headed for the front while Cameron moved to the chair Killian had been in.

Still keeping my gaze away from the King, I sat back down and about a minute later, he spoke again.

“This banquet is being held in honor of the upcoming tournament. Originally, it was planned to begin in three weeks.”

I furrowed my brows. Originally?

“However, after further consideration, I have decided that the first match will take place next Friday.”

What?! I snapped my gaze to the front as gasps rippled through the hall. Why did three weeks become one?

“The tournament pairings will be provided to you tonight, along with the dates of each match.” His gaze caught mine and his grin faltered, his expression hardening. I jerked my head away, unease curling under my skin. “May fortune favor the worthy.”