Page 51 of Royal Bite
Inhale. Exhale. If she were alone, she would attempt a deep meditation. That would help clear her of all thoughts and urges. For now, this exercise would have to do. As the warden, she had little time to devote to her own well-being when so much was at stake for her people.
“I swore I would never drink from you,” she whispered. The pain was receding, and her breathing was improving. She straightened to her full height and met his gaze.
“As long as you don’t try to fuck me, you can drink from me.” His lips curled up into a grin in the corner.
She rolled her eyes and pushed him away.
“You are an idiot,” Hegna muttered. She motioned for him to return to his seat. Her knees had grown weak, and she refused to show either of them. She locked them together, hoping she could stand until he sat again. “I have everything under control.”
“I highly doubt it. The moment you pass out, I will be calling for the healer,” Bijou warned.
The fierce look in her eyes was familiar to Hegna. It was the same look she gave the enemy before she struck them down. Her general would do as she’d threatened.
“It won’t be necessary.” Hegna took her seat again, satisfied she was able to smoothly sit without falling into the chair.
Bijou’s phone rang. She pulled out the device and hit the button.
“Captain, you’re on speakerphone. The princess is here, along with Corbin,” Bijou announced.
This was a phone call Hegna had been waiting for. Nezera was to check in last evening, but something had come up. Hegna leaned forward, her attention on the device.
“Thank you, General. Can everyone hear me? We are currently underground,” Nezera said.
“We can hear you,” Hegna assured her. She needed to know what the captain had discovered so they could correlate findings with the other scouting teams. The Canadian town they were hunting in would be the perfect place for lycans to set up dens. The area was remote and low population. “What do you have to report?”
“We have confirmed the location of the lycan den,” Nezera said.
Hegna’s gaze narrowed. This was just the information they needed.
“They have taken over the small town of Sanlow, and we haven’t seen any trace of humans.”
“Are you saying what I think you are saying?” Corbin asked, glancing around the room.
Hegna recognized the human town. It was one of the few towns where vampires were absent. They protected themselves, and Hegna’s warriors had only stepped in a few times in the past when rogues had made their way there.
“Everyone in the town has been turned. Men, women, children, young and old.”
Her words were met with incredulous silence. This couldn’t be the only town of lycans. Azura had admitted their numbers were great. So not only had they been kidnapping humans who were trying to escape their matched mates, they were taking entire towns and turning them. This information needed to be shared with her family.
“Are you sure?” Bijou murmured.
“I’m positive. We have secured an informant, and he’s confirmed it.”
“And he’s trustworthy?” Hegna inquired.
They would need to look into this matter expeditiously. How the hell had the lycans commanded an entire town and they hadn’t been alerted to the matter?
“He shared with us that during the town’s invasion, they attempted to turn his wife and seven-year-old son, and both died during the process. So do I believe him? Hell, yeah.” Nezera snarled.
Hegna couldn’t even begin to understand what the lycan had been through. She knew that if anyone laid a hand on Stormey, she would rip their head off and tear them limb from limb. She wouldn’t stop there. She would go after their family, friends, and all who were close to them.
“For sharing this information, what does he want in return?” Hegna asked. She felt the gazes of Corbin and Bijou on her. The king had an agenda for the lycans, and it was Hegna’s responsibility along with her sisters to carry it out.
“He wants his life to be spared. He says there are others who have similar stories and did not ask for this. From what he told us, the roundup of humans and their turning was quite violent and vicious. He’s pleading for their lives,” Nezera said.
Hegna stared at the phone. Was it fair to punish those who were innocent and turned against their will? Having an informant who was a lycan, be it forced or not, could be vital to bringing down Azura and her mangy mutts.
“For now, he will be spared. Dive deeper and see what you can find out,” Hegna said.
