Page 26 of The Forsaken Heir
“It’s fine,” Aurelius said, standing and waving for his friends to join. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
The food and conversation had been so wonderful that I hadn’t noticed the dry, grittiness in my eyes that came with lack of sleep. I knew Aurelius was right, but I still didn’t want the night to end. Strange as it had begun, it had turned into one of the more pleasant evenings of my entire life. At least the most pleasant since I was fifteen, and it had become obvious my family was going to exile me.
“Feel free to sleep in,” Aurelius said as he escorted his friends from the room. “I’ll let you know if my envoy has any word for me on when we can deliver you safely to your family.” He smiled warmly at me. “I’m sure it will be a relief to be back with them.”
“Uh…yeah,” I smiled back, but it felt wooden and forced. “Sure will. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He pointed to a phone beside my bed. “Dial five when you wake. That’s the kitchen. They can bring you anything you’d like.”
“Sure thing.” I lingered at the door as he left, unable to keep my eyes from scoping out the perfect ass flexing in his pants as he strode away from my room.
Once the door was closed and locked, I undressed and turned the lights out. Slipping beneath the cool and crisp sheets, I closed my eyes, wondering if I would wake up back home on my patio, my neck stiff from sleeping in a chair and aridiculousdream to tell Delphine about. As I drifted into sleep, I thought ofAurelius again. Those blue eyes. That face. The voice. I fervently hoped thiswasn’ta dream.
6
AURELIUS
Awaking after three hours of rest, I went about my usual morning routine as I waited for the appropriate time to arrive to contact my envoy. First, I scanned the emails I’d received overnight—nothing too pressing. My father would handle and respond to most of them. I headed to the home gym to work out. Typically, I would have simply gotten on a rower or treadmill while watching the news or financial market reports. Today, I headed straight for the free weights. An unsettling anxiety had settled in my chest and stomach.
The strange feeling had nothing to do with our family finances, my father’s coming retirement, or the drama around my trip to the wellspring. No, it was Elle. Since the moment I walked into my bedroom and found her tied to a chair, I’d begun to notice interesting stirrings deep inside my mind and heart. Things I hadn’t felt so intensely in my entire life.
Grabbing a set of dumbbells, I began to curl them, shrug them, and press them overhead. Dozens of reps for a half-dozen sets until a sheen of sweet glazed my skin. I moved on to the bench press, then did a hundred pull-ups. My body was aching in apleasant way as I did a few sets of squats and lunges, but still her face hovered in my mind, gazing at me from the shadows of my subconscious.
What was wrong with me?
With three hundred and fifteen pounds on the barbell, I lowered my body down, then back up, my legs burning. A dozen reps later, I racked the barbell and wiped my sweat-drenched face with a towel. A glance at the clock told me the morning had progressed far enough that I could try to contact my man, though it worried me that he hadn’t sent an email or text about the situation yet. I’d have assumed the Laurents would want proof of life or something as soon as they heard we had their daughter. Some assurance the big bad dragons hadn’t killed their beloved daughter as recompense for their moving in on our transportation routes.
Grabbing my phone from the counter in the gym, I dialed the number for our official political ambassador. Karinius was the man we sent on the most delicate of missions that didn’t require anactualmember of the royal family. He mostly dealt with minor issues within the dragon community and the distant families that were beyond our immediate area of influence. We ruled over all dragons, even in faraway corners such as Florida and Maine and across the seas to the old world as well. Having our own team of proxy delegates helped maintain our influence and control of the ever-shrinking kingdom—an entire hegemony operating below the noses of the human governments.
Karinius answered on the third ring. “Your Highness?”
“Good morning, Karinius,” I said. “How are things with the Laurents? Have you been treated well?”
If they’d mistreated or threatened my servant, the Laurents—as much as I liked Elle—would pay dearly.
“Uh, yes, Highness,” he said, but he sounded concerned or perhaps confused.
“What’s wrong?”
Karinius sighed., “It’s quite strange, sir. The way they are acting.”
I leaned back against a stair-stepper machine. “Strange? How so?”
“I arrived very late last night,” he explained, “I shifted and flew straight to the home we believed they reside in most often. I found a security detail, and, to be honest, there was less chaos than I’d anticipated when they realized a dragon was sitting down on their front lawn. Fear and surprise, yes, but they really didn’t lose their minds like I was worried they would, especially after I shifted back and presented the letter of parley. When they saw the official seal of House Decimus on the envelope, I was treated as an honored guest.”
Nothing sounded off about his description.
“And?” I prodded.
“They placed me in a private suite for guests, but when I asked to speak to the Laurents themselves, their staff informed me that I would be brought in for a meeting today. I awoke early to prepare myself, but an hour ago, they brought me coffee and breakfast, and informed me that all members of the family were busy and that they wouldn’t be able to see me untiltomorrow.”
I straightened. “Wait, what? Didn’t they read the letter? We have Brielle Laurent here. At the castle. All we want is to set a time to bring her back.”
“They have read the letter, Highness. Theyknow, yet they are acting as though it was some trivial matter that can wait an entire day to discuss. It makes no sense.”
What the hell?
Perhaps there was more to Brielle’s story about living in the human world. Had she had a falling out with her parents? Even so, parents would usually want to make sure their children were safe.Especiallyyour eldest child. Shifter society was a throwback to the old days of royals, noble houses, and bloodlines. Even as most of the human nations had moved toward democratic societies, we were still staunchly dedicated to family. Dragon and wolf alike.
