Chapter LI - The Twisted Triangle-3

She nods and says, "I expect nothing less from you." "And now I know what to expect from you," I reply. I smile at her as we reach an understanding. Queen Sophia isn't somebody who trust easily or whom I could give my trust easily to but right now we're fighting on the same side. When I get up to leave the room, she once again stands up to look out the window. A beautiful lonely figure staring out into the darkness. Günter is waiting for me outside the door of the king's office. His solid hulking figure follows me silently as I walk the long, massive hallway back to our wing. My steps grow faster as I think of my waiting mate. The urgency to be with him intensifies as I think of tomorrow. I feel a lot better, safer when we reach our part of the palace. Our sanctuary. Caspian is sitting at the reading nook by the bay window in our bedchamber, waiting. He had already discarded his jacket, waistcoat, and bowtie. The top of his snowy white dress shirt is unbuttoned and the sleeves are rolled up to his elbow. His impeccable hair is now all messed up. My heart aches at the sight of my beautiful mate. I try to push the thought of tomorrow to the very back of my mind for the moment. He needs me and it won't do us much good if I think about it now. He sits staring at me for a while, the next second, he's on his feet and standing right in front of me. His hands come up to cup my face while his eyes intense, studying my face like he did before he left me with his mother. I feel his tentative touch in our bond as he's trying to sense my feelings. "You're worried about me." I look up into his eyes and cover his hands with mine. "My mother is a manipulative bitch," he says. I stand on my tiptoe and kiss the tip of his nose. "I know, but I like her," I tell him before I pull back. Those electric green eyes follow me as I walk into our closet to change. "We have a lot in common." "Pray tell, what is it that you have in common with my mother." His voice comes close from behind me, whispered into the cool skin of my neck. The tips of his fingers skim the top of my bare shoulders. "We both love you something fierce," I tell him. I feel his smile against my skin. "Now help me undo these buttons." My fancy ballgown has a thousand tiny buttons at the back. "I'm lucky to have the love of two most powerful and dangerous women I know," he says as he works on those tiny buttons. Once in a while, he stops to kiss my exposed back, leaving a wet trail that makes my skin tingles. His patience with the buttons only lasts a few more seconds. He rips the bodice apart then he lets it falls in a pool of light blue silk at my feet. I'm surprised he lasted that long. "Did you scare away the maids who were supposed to help me undress?" I ask him. I try to look serious but fails when my lips tilt up into a smile. "Yes, I did," he admits without any shame or remorse. "I know I'm fabulous, but I have no patience for silly, tittering women." "Good to know your ego is still big, healthy, and thriving, my love," I say and his lips curl up into a wicked smile. Maids in this palace are mostly werewolves from the nearby packs. Indeed, they blush, giggle, and sometimes even drop things whenever Caspian, Constantine, Lazarus, or Darius is around. He turns me around and covers my lips with his. I reach up to grab a fistful of his silky golden hair and run another hand over his chest and the back of his strong neck. His warm, firm, but soft lips feel amazing against mine. His incredible scent alone dulls my ability to think. I forget my worries when he's kissing me like this. He reluctantly pulls back when I'm about to deepen the kiss. "We have a meeting with the pack in five minutes," he says regretfully with his forehead pressed against mine. I pull on a pair of jeans with a tank top and add a comfortable hoodie on top of it. We walk hand in hand to the media room where everybody is already sitting, waiting for us. The atmosphere is grim. They're not poking fun at each other or making silly jokes. Darius is looking especially formidable. Penny is perched on his lap with her arms wrapped tightly around him. We take a seat next to them and Constantine. "So...tonight was very unexpected," says Constantine. "They're very clever to issue the challenge during the ball tonight. They needed the audience to tie our hands behind our backs." I hear everybody's collective agreement and I tighten my hold on Caspian's hand. "Lady Celeste came to ask for Jorden's protection earlier tonight. We have Jorden and Lady Celeste heavily guarded," informs Lazarus. "The king has sent the army to the Northern Region and some of the other parts as well." "From what I gathered, they're responsible for a lot of rebellious acts from way back. Probably partly responsible for Milan's attack on Genesis as well. Manipulating Milan for his end game since King Alexandros was threatening to replace Caspian with Constantine as the Crown Prince," adds Darius. "And the killing of your Commanders and their mates?" says Caspian. Darius gives a jerky nod of his head. I can sense the fury coming out in waves from him. Penny puts her hands up to cradle his face. "One thing for sure, he's not going to be alive to rule as our king or to get his hands on Quincy. Never," she vows. "Even if it takes all of us to do it." "I fight till my last breath to make sure that none of you will die in his hands," says my mate. I bury my face in his chest and wrap my arms tightly around him. I feel his hand gently cradling the back of my head. "Now, let's get some rest. We have to be up at dawn tomorrow," he says.