Page 26 of Royal Bite
Complete the mating bond.
Harsh footsteps echoed down the hallway. Someone was coming up their stairs. She moved over next to Cici. Desmond had remained silent and a few feet behind them to give them space. He moved to stand beside her, his hand resting on the sword that was sheathed on his waist. Stormey stood to the side, needing to see who it was.
But deep down, she knew who it was.
The princess.
Stormey’s breath hitched in her throat. Two massive guards arrived on the landing first. Then behind them was the princess dressed in all leather, walking alongside a male who was tall and lean with long silver hair. Another two guards filed up the stairs behind her.
Stormey’s heart pounded. The guards drew closer, and it wasn’t until they had stopped in front of them that she took notice of Cici and Desmond bowing. She was unsure what she was supposed to do. Did she bow? Curtsey? She never got the chance to make a decision.
Hegna’s icy-blue gaze landed on her. The vampire warrior stalked to her. Desmond moved aside as she came to stop in front of Stormey. Her gaze slowly drifted down Stormey’s body, taking her in. Stormey stood tall and refused to cower from the vampire. This was her mate, and she would show that she wasn’t afraid of her. Hegna’s eyes returned to meet Stormey’s.
“So you are the human.”
Hegna hadn’t thought she would meet the human outside her office. She had recently returned home and wanted to talk with her team before seeing the human. According to the law, she couldn’t have the female returned. She had spent an hour speaking with the matching officials. No matter how much she’d yelled or threatened to stake them, they wouldn’t make an exception. What good was it to be the heir to the vampire throne if she couldn’t throw her weight around regarding this matter?
“My name is Stormey, not the human,” the woman said.
Hegna bit back a smirk. This Stormey had spunk. Hegna could appreciate it, but too bad they weren’t going to get to know one other. She had to decide what to do with the female since she couldn’t send her away.
“Well, Stormey, it would seem you and I need to have a discussion, but now is not the time. I will send for you when I am available.” Hegna tried to not stare too deeply in the human’s deep bedroom eyes. Her gaze dropped down to Stormey’s plump lips, and she found herself imagining tasting them.
Hegna cut that train of thought. She didn’t want to admit it, but she found Stormey to be beautiful. The woman’s smooth brown skin practically glowed. Her voluptuous frame had Hegna’s hands itching to touch her. Stormey’s womanly curves were perfectly highlighted by her low-cut sweater, and jeans that looked as if the woman was poured into them.
Hegna bit back a curse and scowled.
“You’re sending me away?” Stormey asked.
The expression on Stormey’s face had Hegna’s hand balling into a fist. She had only been in her presence a few minutes and she was already being affected. Hegna needed to put some space between them.
“How I wish I could, but I can’t,” Hegna snapped. She turned her attention to the young female who must have been assigned to her mate—human. “See to it that she is kept entertained. I have important business to attend to.”
“She can hear you perfectly fine,” Stormey spat. She spun on her heel and marched away.
Hegna stared off after her, watching the sway of her hips. That one certainly had a fire to her that needed to be controlled.
“Will do, Your Grace.” The young vampire bowed her head before racing after her charge.
The guard, Desmond, gave Hegna a nod and followed the two of them. Hegna spun around to enter her office to find her guards gone and Corbin standing in the doorway.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an audible sigh.
“What?” Hegna brushed past him and entered her office. She strolled over to her desk and sat in her plush leather chair. Her office was where she handled all of her warden business and held her meetings with human and vampire officials.
Her territory was the largest of her sisters. It expanded into Canada, covered the entire midwest United States and went down into Mexico. By the piles of papers adorning her desk, there were matters that needed to be addressed but would need to wait.
“You could have handled that better,” Corbin said. He sauntered into her office and took a seat in one of the chairs that faced her desk. He placed his leather attaché bag down on the floor near his feet. He was dressed in a gray button-down shirt, with the top button casually left open, dark slacks, and black boots. He had left his silver hair down, flowing past his shoulders. He narrowed his gaze on her, steeping his fingers.
“I think I handled it well.” Hegna snorted. She rustled the papers before her, looking to see if anything needed to be addressed immediately. She really didn’t want to have this conversation with her friend. His expression was easy to read. His advice would be something she wouldn’t want to hear.
Mate with the human.
Now if only Bijou and Nezera were to arrive. She needed to discuss what was learned at Velika’s with her general and captain. Defending her territory against the crazed alpha was important. She and her family would be meeting again soon, but it would be via hologram call. With the lycan’s threats, it would be safer if they didn’t convene together.
“Not sure what your definition of well is, but that was far from it.”
“I’ll worry about her later. I have more pressing matters at hand than to worry about a human who is said to be a match to me,” she snapped.
