Page 5 of Their Crowned Mate
"He had to run out for a sec," Damon said, looking at his plate in an uncharacteristically awkward way. It wasn't like him at all to be awkward about anything, and I found myself bristling in suspicion immediately. "One of the betas had another fire to put out."
I frowned, unable to conceal my agitation. "I hope it was a literal fire," I muttered. "Neither of you could have handled it?"
"Relax. He'll be back in a minute," said Jax, not seeming to take me seriously at all. As usual. "Guess you're stuck with us just a bit longer."
I shot a glare at him. "Have you really not learned by now that saying 'relax' is the surest way to make someone even angrier?"
Damon snorted a laugh. "She's not wrong about that."
Jax just shrugged, not looking the least bit repentant. "Whatever. Eat your food, Lavinia."
I gritted my teeth and got up from the counter. If I hadn't already been full, that would have made me put the brakes on just to spite him. "I'm going to find him," I muttered, unwilling to be stuck in a room with him for another second. I'd take that 'angry bear' over Jax any day. Anyone else would've thrown the plate of eggs at him.
When neither of them tried to stop me, I knew something was off. But I didn't have time to dwell on it, because I was barely halfway to the front door when it felt like the room shifted and my legs went out from under me. My knees buckled, but before I could hit the floor, someone grabbed me from the side.
Damon. I'd know those huge, strong arms anywhere, as gentle as they were as he lifted me up.
"Damon?" I choked, feeling a surge of panic as the room spun and him with it. The fact that his brow was knit with guilt and worry as I looked up at him in betrayal only added to it.
I fuckingknewthose eggs were tainted.
"I'm sorry, Lavinia," he said. The worst part was he actually sounded like he meant it. "But we can't let you leave. Try to understand our position."
"What did you give me?" I hissed, struggling to stay conscious even though at this point, it felt like I was mostly only managing it through spite. "I'mpregnant, Damon."
A hint of deeper guilt flashed in his eyes. "It's nothing that would hurt you or the baby. It's just going to make you sleep for a little while. Don't fight it, just rest."
Over his shoulder, I could see Jax looming, a satisfied look on his face even if he didn't look quite as triumphant as I'd expected. If my arms and legs hadn't turned into noodles, I probably would've wiped that look off his face with a good slap, but I was going limp fast.
I felt a sudden surge of energy and tried to struggle out of Damon's grasp, begging my wolf to come to the surface, but she was radio silent again. She really needed to work on her timing.
All the energy left my body as quickly as it had surged up, and I went floppy in Damon's arms as he carried me down the hall. I couldn't even move my head, but I didn't see any sign of Aurelius, which was another betrayal. Just when I thought he couldn't hurt me any more than he already had.
And he wasn't even enough of an alpha to be here while the others did his dirty work. That rage-inducing thought was the last before I finally succumbed to whatever the hell these assholes had given me.
CHAPTER3
COLE
"Where is she?" I muttered, stalking the length of the apartment again. I was pretty damn sure I was going to wear grooves in the floor at this point, but all I could do to stay calm was pace. "She texted three hours ago that they were leaving and promised she'd text again when they were close."
"Three hours and twenty minutes," Marcus corrected, glancing at his watch with a scowl.
I gave him an exasperated look. "Doesn't really change my point, does it?"
He hesitated, taking out his phone. "Let me try calling her. You're kind of overbearing sometimes. Maybe she's just trying to train you out of it."
"Hey!" I snapped, lobbing a pillow at his head. "I am not overbearing."
"You kind of are," he said, ducking out of the way and putting the phone to his ear. I could hear it ringing and ringing, and even though her answering the phone would have proved him right, I was still stressed out when it went to voicemail.
His frown deepened, and he hung up before he sent a quick text message.
"I've already tried that," I informed him.
"I'm not texting her, I'm texting Alexander," he answered. "Maybe he knows something."
After a few moments, his phone lit up, and I had to admit, I was surprised Nosferatu even had a cell phone. Vampires always seemed averse to anything new. It was probably an aesthetic choice like most of what those fuckers did.
