Page 99 of Fated to the Vampire Prince
“Nothing more than they need to know,” I replied.
Claire nodded with a mildly terrified look fixed in her brown eyes. My hand fell back to her waist. My palm pressing protectively against her stomach.
“What if they find out? What if they tell Prince Marius?” she asked. “What if—what if you get in trouble?” She drew in a shaky breath. “Bastien, I can’t lose you.”
I halted Lucien so I could take Claire’s face in both my hands. Pressing our foreheads together, I made her another vow.
“Nothing will take me away from you. Nothing. Not my brother. Not some law. Not anything. I swear it by all the gods. Do you understand?”
She nodded, and even though I could sense her hesitance, Ikissed her hard. Claiming her mouth in a way that pledged my body and life to her. So long as I stood, it would be by her side.
I broke off the kiss, and the cold mountain air skated across my wet lips. How I’d explain this to my council and ask the impossible of them was a question I’d been contemplating the whole ride here. How did I reassure my people that I was still a competent ruler?
“I trust you,” she said.
Her belief in me filled me with the promise of hope, and I encouraged Lucien on, up the last of the rocks until the castle was in full view.
Once we were past the gates, my full council was braving the harsh weather, standing on the narrow steps ready to receive us. Grim expressions on their faces. Natalia looked murderous. My raven arrived ahead of us, explaining what transpired at Kemp Manor. But what none could’ve anticipated were the two shaggy wolves that dogged Lucien’s heels. The familiars had bonded themselves to Claire after she’d received her powers and they were nearly as fierce of protectors as I was.
These were no normal wolves. I could smell it. They were twice as big as any wolf I’d ever seen. If these were the breed of wolves that Alec had seen, then I could understand how he’d thought them werewolves.
Claire sucked in a sharp breath and gripped my forearm in pain, and guilt lanced through me. I didn’t need to ask what was wrong as she shifted uncomfortably in the saddle. My mate had been through so much in the last twenty-four hours. And I was to blame for nearly every ache that pained her.
As much as I wanted to allow Claire a bath and rest, I had to ask her to accompany me to the council meeting. The strained look on my second-in-command’s face showed thatshe was more than outraged by the Kemp attack; she was afraid for me.
They all bowed as we came to a halt and I dismounted. Grabbing Claire around the waist, I lifted her off Lucien’s back and set her carefully beside me. Then retrieved my cane from the saddlebag. She’d insisted on covering her hair with her cloak, but there was nothing to do to hide the wolves.
When my hand found Claire’s and I laced our fingers together. Unsurprisingly, Natalia glared back at us. Clearly shocked that I would make such a brazen move.
“Miss Donadieu has been injured,” I explained. “She needs to lean on me.”
Together, hand in hand with her wolves trailing behind, we climbed the stairs and made our way to the council chamber. None questioned why I was leading my sanguine partner inside, nor did they question why I seated her at the place of honor, directly to my right, where Natalia usually sat.
I could hear her teeth grinding as I pulled out her usual chair for a very nervous looking Claire. I offered my second-in-command the chair to my left, which forced everyone to rearrange their usual spots.
I cared not as they bumbled about the room, arguing over who should sit where now. Once we were all settled and the door to the council room closed, I set my cane down on the carved wood table in front of me. My gaze sharply trailing the room.
“Your raven was scant. What happened, Your Grace?” Laurent asked.
I was not a man to dance around the truth or mince words, and I knew neither would sit well with the leaders of Roselyn. They were a tough people, who lived and labored in the northern mountains.
“The funeral ritual didn’t go as Hera anticipated, and Temperance’s magick went to Miss Donadieu.”
The room went silent. Natalia’s nostrils flared. I looked to Claire, noting how the color raced from her cheeks.
“Why didn’ttellus you were a Witch of the Darkness?” Natalia said.
“Sheobviouslydidn’t know,” I shot back, answering for Claire.“What’s important is after she received the magick, Hera disavowed the protection of the Blood Treaty then tried to kill her. And me.”
More silence. Footsteps approached just outside the door, and when it creaked open, my nephew breezed inside. I’d nearly forgotten about his smug and unwelcome presence. A sign of just how entranced I was by Claire. Because he was a very important piece of this tenuous puzzle.
“Sorry I’m late, Uncle,” Tyson said casually, shutting the door behind him. Running a hand through his coal black hair. Then he cut a hard look at Natalia. “I wasn’t informed there was an emergency council meeting.”
Natalia scooted her chair back, the screeching sound ringing through the room, then stood.
“I thought you didn’t want to be bothered when you were playingDépouillerwith your consorts.”
At mention of the card game that had caused me to find Claire half naked and drunk, I felt the change happen. My fangs lengthened, and thirst burned in the back of my throat. My vision tinted red. He’d seen my mate in a compromising way. He’d fed her alcohol. Got her drunk. Defied my orders. He didn’t deserve to draw air in her presence.
