Chapter 83 Chapter 83

Chapter 83 Chapter 83
LENORE
My pulse hammered wildly in my ears the moment Calley set me on my feet and it took me a moment to realize we were no longer in the banquet hall. I didn’t even recognize where we were until my gaze adjusted to my surroundings—we were in the suite’s bedroom.
“Why—What—” Killian! My last memory of him—being forced to his knees after killing that man—slammed back into my mind, stealing the air from my lungs. No… Oh no no no. No!
I grabbed Calley’s hand as she turned, my nails digging into her wrist, and she looked back at me, her brows snapping together. “Take me back.” The words left me in a rush, thick with desperation, as fear of what would happen to Killian closed around my throat until I struggled to breathe.
What’s happening right now? Are they going to kill him?
“Absolutely not,” Calley said firmly, her frown deepening, as my chest constricted and I hunched over.
Air… I needed air.
“...Lenore?” She sounded a bit confused, but a moment later, her other hand rested on my back while I dragged air into my lungs. “Hey, hey, calm down, calm down. He’s… it’s going to be fine.”
Her changing he to it did not slip by me, and my chest tightened further. The thought of losing him sent my mind spiraling and I felt like I was going to die. “Calley, please. Please.”
I still didn’t fully understand what had happened.
One moment, Fabien was pointing out the fact that the representative Cameron was paired with was Gizmo, and Calley was saying she hoped Gizmo would win. The next, screams burst out from the front of the hall and rapidly rippled to the back. Confusion had gripped me immediately because I couldn’t see Killian or the chair he’d been on—the dining cloth draped over the massive table he’d been sitting at prevented me from seeing what lay beyond it. Then I realized I couldn’t see the King either, just Killian’s uncle and the Queen who both had panic written all over their expressions. Then it hit me—Killian had attacked the King—and my confusion morphed into fear.
The first thought that had occurred to me was why? I’d been avoiding looking in his direction because the King was right next to him, and the last time I’d glanced at him, he’d looked pissed, but not like he was about to attack his father.
Then the king had told that man—Cederic—to ‘get me the girl’ and it wasn’t hard to figure out who that girl was. If not because of the way Calley, Cameron, and Fabien had moved to shield me, then because Killian set that man on fire the moment he took a step in our direction with his eyes locked on me.
That wasn’t my first time seeing someone die—I’d seen plenty whenever rogue vampires attacked the pack—but good God… the screams… the smoke… I had no idea what the King had wanted to do to me, but all I could focus on was that Killian had killed that man for me and now, he wasn’t here with me.
The image of him being forced to his knees rushed back into my mind just before the bedroom’s door opened. I jerked my head toward it, desperately hoping it would be Killian standing there, but it was Aurora, confusion clear on her face as she took us in. “What’s happening?” she asked, quickly closing the distance between us.
“Killian killed Cederic,” Calley said, her hand moving in what was meant to be soothing patterns on my back. My lungs still burned.
“What?!” She and Aurel—who just appeared in the doorway—burst out in unison. “Oh, fuck,” she added while Aurel asked, “Why?”
“The King…” Calley trailed off and my vision started to blur as I felt dizziness wash over me. “...said something.”
“...Oh!”
Hands cupped my face and the familiar scent of cinnamon and citrus flooded my senses, grounding me before the dizziness could pull me under. My gaze instantly sharpened and I knew it was Killian kneeling in front of me before lifting my gaze to his eyes which had fear and worry swirling in them. My knees gave out, but he caught me, gently settling me on the ground as I flung my arms around him.
He’s here… He’s here. The thought didn’t stop tears from rapidly gathering in my eyes and spilling over as I tightened my hold on him, burying my face in his neck.
“Lenore,” he called in that oh-so-soft voice that I’d thought I wouldn’t hear again, and my shoulders racked with sobs before I pulled away from him. His expression was still full of fear and worry, and his hands moved like he wanted to wipe my tears but didn’t know if he should touch me.
I hit his chest, once, twice, unable to stop the fear and relief clawing their way out of me. “You scared me,” I said, my voice shaking, and once again, he reached for me but paused.
“I—”
“You scared me! I thought I wouldn’t see you again!”
The fear in his expression shifted, his eyes widening. This time he didn’t stop himself from touching me. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, holding me tightly against him as tears streamed down my face, the sound of his heartbeat filling my ears.
“Don’t you ever scare me like that again!”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, my love.”
I didn’t know how long we stayed like that but he didn’t let go of me until a knock came on the door. “Killian? Your uncle is here.” It was Calley's voice and it took me a moment to realize we were alone in the room now while Killian glanced over his shoulder.
“I’ll be right there,” he said and I immediately took his hand in mine, drawing his attention back to me. His shoulders sagged as I sniffled and he cupped my face, kissing away my tears before gathering me into his arms. A moment later, he rose to his feet with me still clinging to him and carried me to the couch, gently setting me on it and kissing my forehead. “Just give me a couple of minutes.” Like he knew I was about to protest, he quickly added, “I’m just in the study, my love—I’ll be back. You have my word.”