**3rd Person POV**
“Divorce? What the fuck are you talking about?” quipped Major Drieden, startled that Francesca could have the guts to make such a request.
“You want to marry a new wife and already you have a mistress, the exiled werewolf. It is clear that our marriage is over…”
“Our marriage is over only when I say that it is,” replied Major Drieden in a mean voice.
“You are…”
“Be honest with me, Fran. Are you having an affair?” asked Major Drieden. Francesca had to decide in a split second if she valued her life more than she valued her love affair with Lowell. She chose her life because she could not continue an affair if she was dead.
“Of course not and if I am, what are you going to do about it?” she denied and then asked.
“Trust me, you do not want to know,” said Major Drieden in response.
Lady Francesca attempted to walk past him but he held her hand so she could not move. She looked up at him with a frown on her face.
“I will be visiting your room tonight. Understand?” quipped Major Drieden. Francesca did not respond to this, she only tried to force her hands out of his but it only proved unsuccessful.
“Understand?” he asked again and she said yes before he let her go.
She hated everything about the vampire. He was all meat and was always so sweaty. She shuddered in disgust as she thought about him running his hands through her body. She would do anything to avoid him coming to her tonight or any other night. She wondered if there was a way to get out of the contract her father had made with the vampire but she only sighed in despair because she could think of no way out except the vampire's death.
Major Drieden dead.
That had a nice ring to it but how was she supposed to kill a vampire? Those creatures were worse than vermin; when they wanted to really rest, they slept in coffins. It was extremely difficult to kill them. Even when one was sure that they were dead, they rose up again. Francesca knew of course that if she was to end Drieden's life, there was to be no room for mistakes. She would have to finish the job at once else he would come back to haunt her.
She ran into Lowell as she was nearing her room. She took his hand and dragged him into a corner.
“Drieden wants to see me tonight,” she informed him.
“That's too bad,” was all he said. His facial expression conveyed mere disappointment at the passionate sex he had wanted to have with her but aside from that he did not seem very upset at the news. This made Francesca angry. How could he not be angered about this? Then she remembered how Lowell had convinced her to seduce Harlin; how he was still trying to get Harlin wrapped around her finger through sex. She paused for the very first time to think about the fact that Lowell may in fact not love her at all. His behaviour was nothing short of a pump at the moment.
“What do you mean, that's too bad? You're not angry?” quipped Francesca passionately.
Lowell could see that Francesca was getting angry and he could not have that. She was a part of his plan on so many levels and he could not afford to have her change her mind at this point in time. So he put a weak smile on his face and said patronisingly, “You know how angry I must be, Francesca. But even now I must refrain from my passions so I do not arouse suspicion.”
Francesca relaxed afterwards. Of course, Lowell cared deeply for her and all that he asked of her was only to secure their shared future.
“I have been thinking, Lowell. Perhaps, it is time for us to leave our spouses and…” Lowell knew he had to shut down this idea as quickly as she said it. He could not have her thinking like this; he needed to remain with his wife if he wanted his plans to come to fruition. The pack would not be amenable to him if he replaced her with a mistress who happened to be her best friend.
“It is not time yet, we must wait, okay?” Lowell said and was about to walk away when he heard her say the most dangerous words that had ever been uttered in history.
“I want to end Major Drieden's life,” Lowell turned to look at her as though she had gone mad. He looked about the long corridor and seeing that there was no one in sight, he asked, “Are you mad?”
“I know what I am doing. It is for the best. Once he is dead, I will be free and I can be yours,” Lowell wanted to roll his eyes at her words. He wondered when it was that she got it into her head that he was in love with her. He loved sleeping with her, he could not deny that but he did not love her to the point where he was interested in losing his life.
“You will never speak of this again, do you hear me?”
“I will do it. It does not matter if you are on board with my plan. I will do it,” said Francesca in a stubborn tone.
Lowell's heart pounded within his chest. He looked at Francesca like she had totally lost her mind. Had she any idea the result of what she was talking about? Major Drieden would kill her and then feed her flesh to the birds of the air. If she wanted to die so badly couldn't she think of less painful ways to leave the world?
“Frannie?” He tried to make her see reason but the frown on her face told him that her mind was quite made up on the matter.