Page 101 of Mate
“We cantry, though. Right?”
She pauses. “Serena, I will be happy to help you find a suitable partner— ”
“That’s not it.”
“What is it, then?”
“What if . . .” I close my eyes. “What if my body is set on Koen?”What if my soul is, too. What if the idea of doing any of this with someone who isn’t him makes my stomach turn and my heart shrivel?
Out of everything I’ve said, this takes her aback the most. Her eyes widen, and she leans forward over the desk, as if to betterreassure me, “I understand that you and Koen have grown close. Heat is a turbulent time, and it’s natural to want to spend it with someone you trust. We are not Human, after all, and we communicate through nonverbal signals like touch or scent, and it’s normal to want to be with someone who reads you well. But you can still find someone else who qualifies— ”
“Maybe it’s not aboutcan.” I swallow. “Maybe it’s aboutwant.” Honestly, I no longer know if there’s a difference between the two.
Her lips flatten. “Serena, it’s forbidden. To help you through your heat, Koen would be required to step down, which would inevitably lead to a succession war. Even worse, the Assembly might decide to— ”
“Secede again. Yes.” It’s my turn to lean forward. Make sure she understands. “I have no intention of putting Koen, or the Northwest, in that position. And that’s why I need you to help menotgo into Heat.”
A flicker passes through her eyes, and I know that she’ll do what I’m asking for.
I STEP OUTSIDE SEM’S OFFICE TO FIND KOEN GONE AND BRENNArolling her eyes. “You know what my favorite pastime is?”
“Um . . . no?”
“Waking up at ass o’clock in the morning because my Alpha wants me to babysit a halfling who can’t take care of herself, and noticing her poorly hidden, crushing disappointment when she sees me. Sodelightfullyflattering.”
I blush. “I’m sorry. It’s lovely to see you, I just didn’t expect— ”
“Yeah, sure. Yap, yap, yap. Come on.” She lifts herself out of one of the plush chairs in the waiting room. “Let’s go. Koen wants me to take you home.”
I last about four seconds before asking, “Where did he— ”
“There was a situation at the border.” Her tone is bored.
“Was it the cult?”
“No. Still related to you, though.”
“Who was it, then?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Brenna, who?” I hate begging her for little snippets of information. Almost as much as she loves leaving me in limbo for the two minutes we walk to her car.
“Vampyres,” she admits once she’s behind the wheel. “A lot of them, split in two groups, trying to get to you from the north. Their plan was to have the first team distract our patrols while the second entered the territory to abduct you. Didn’t work out.”
“Who sent them?”
“See, there is some devious shit going on here. The Vampyres in the first group, the ones we were obviously supposed to catch, were wearing jewelry that would tie them to a councilmember who has historically been pro Were alliances, which . . .”
“Would be incredibly stupid.”
“And say what you want about leeches, but they’re not. Unless they are, because they think we’d fall for false flags. Food for thought. The second group was harder to identify, so . . .”
“Did they contact Owen?”
“Yup. He was able to recognize a couple of them and believes it’s proof that Councilwoman Selamio called the bounty on you. But he needs incontrovertible evidence and possibly a confession, which in turn requires the presence of someone who can be very . . . persuasive. Hence, Koen.”
Who’s nothing if not persuasive. “Are you planning to return them alive?”
