Page 50 of Royal Bite
“That would be perfect. There are plenty of fisherman who we can pay. It’s a good way to put money into small businesses,” she said.
“I like the way you think. There are a few local guys I’m sure I can call on.” Val winked at her and walked away.
She glanced down at the biscuits and sighed. She had so many ideas that she wanted to implement and she was going to have to start doing things her way.
“When are the meetings going to end?” Hegna sat back in her leather chair and glowered at her advisor.
Corbin smirked and glanced down at his tablet resting on his lap. Bijou sat in the other chair next to him.
After leaving Stormey yesterday, she had been called away for meetings that all could have waited. By the time she had wrapped them up, the sun had risen. She had thought to go to Stormey but figured she would be resting. What she would have said to the human, she had no clue.
A sharp pain sliced its way through her stomach. She inhaled, attempting to push it down. The twinges were getting more frequent and the intensity worsening. She opened her eyes and found Corbin and Bijou staring at her.
Nothing apparently got past them.
“When was the last time you had a proper feeding?” Corbin asked.
He folded his hands, resting them on the tablet. His face was devoid of any emotions, and she knew this wasn’t her advisor speaking to her, but her friend. Concern was evident in Bijou’s eyes. Hegna cursed internally, not wanting to have this discussion with either of them.
“I had some before I came here,” Hegna admitted. She held his gaze, tapping a nail on her desk.
“You are looking a little pale there, if I do say so,” Corbin replied.
“I didn’t ask you how I looked,” she snapped. Her gaze flicked to Bijou, daring her general to speak about how she appeared.
“He’s right. I can see you are having pain,” Bijou said.
Hegna glared at her other friend. So they were going to team up against her. She should have known.
“I assure you both that I am fine,” Hegna growled. She held back a wince from the ache spreading behind her eyes. This wretched headache was not leaving her. It came and went. She hadn’t lied. The blood she drank was slightly repulsive. She tried to drink the entire goblet, but she was unable to face it all.
Even thinking about her feeding this morning had her stomach quivering. She swallowed hard to will the sourness to leave her. There was no way in the seven hells she’d vomit in front of these two.
“You know what happened to your sister,” Bijou said, exasperation lining her voice.
“And I am a stronger vampire than my sister.” Hegna sniffed. She didn’t know why either of them were concerned. She had been able to complete all duties just fine.
“And more stubborn. Why can’t you just admit it,” Bijou agonized. She closed her eyes and rubbed them with her fingers. The general seemed as if she hadn’t slept well.
“There is nothing for me to admit. Maybe I have a stomach bug.” Hegna shrugged.
Corbin snorted and rolled his eyes. “Just forget it, Bijou. She’s not going to admit what everyone already knows.” The smug look on his face had Hegna wanting to reach over and slap him in the head.
“And what might that be?” she asked through clenched teeth. She already knew what he was going to say but wanted to see if he was bold enough to speak the words.
“That Stormey is your true fated mate and you just don’t want to admit that the test was correct,” Corbin calmly announced.
Hegna flew back from her desk and rose to her feet. She glared at him, her breaths coming rapidly.
He was right.
She didn’t want to admit the test was correct, but she’d be damned if she would admit he was right also.
“You don’t understand,” she gasped. She rested her clenched fists on her desk. The pain rippling through her abdomen was robbing her of air. Hegna had never experienced anything like this before. She’d been stabbed, shot, hung, and beaten in the past. None of that pain compared to this. It was as if something internally was trying to claw its way out.
“You need blood,” Corbin growled. Her friend stood and stalked over to her. He folded back his sleeve and presented his wrist to her.
She eyed his pale wrist and felt, again, the wave of nausea that came. She closed her eyes and shook her head. She focused on her breathing.
