Page 37 of Fated to the Vampire Prince
He lifted his sleeve to show a set of ugly claw marks. They were too big for a common wolf—perhaps a bear.
A shocked silence settled over the meeting. I steepled my fingers, considered the man in front of me. He could be lying, which I found unlikely. Or, he could be embellishing a story because he was looking for a new home, as Tyson suggested.
“Do you have a family?”
He shook his head. “No, Your Grace. I was orphaned. Was on my own until I was sixteen. Started working in the kitchens at the inn, but I’m a shit cook. However, my other talents earned me a better salary.”
A survivor. Someone who did what it took. “Do you wish to return to Nightfall, and to your position at the inn?”
Alec shifted his gaze from the floor back to me, surprise lighting his reddish-brown eyes. “No, Your Grace. Not after what happened. If it pleases Your Grace, I’d like to offer you my services.”
Natalia scoffed. “Does this mean we’re taking him with us?”
I had a habit of taking in strays, as Natalia put it. The unwanted. The runaways. The ones who had nowhere else to go. Those cast aside for being too much or not enough.
I saw myself in them, because I’d been that runaway. Afraid of the power in my veins. Of what my magick could dowhen I was angry. I rubbed my thumb across an old wound on the back of my wrist. One that not even my vampiric skin fully concealed. A reminder of the past.
The court could keep their polished heirs and perfect nobles. I preferred the company of those who had been through fire and lived to tell about it. The ones who chose loyalty because they knew the taste of betrayal. They were scrappier. Hungrier. Fiercer in their devotion. And twice as kind as those who’d never been made to bleed for their place in the world.Like my nephew.
So no—I had no intention of changing my ways. I’d rather build a court of lone wolves than fill my halls with sheep.
I contemplated the man, then made a decision. “I demand acceptance and respect of all who enter Château Rose. In my home, you will encounter those from different walks of life, or who worship differently than you. If you pledge to be tolerant and open-minded, you’ll have a place at my court.”
He nodded fervently. “Yes, Your Grace. I swear.”
“Very well. Natalia will assign you to a job that she sees fitting for your talents. And our healer will tend to your wounds to ensure you haven’t contracted an affliction.”
Alec bowed, a bright, charming smile spreading across his face. “Thank you, Your Grace.”
He was escorted out of the tent by Commander Gris. As he left, I turned his story over in my mind. He’d been attacked bysomething. But a witch who could turn into a wolf? It didn’t make sense. Tyson was right, it was a legend amongst Diana’s Moon Witches. Some saw transforming into beasts as disgusting, akin to becoming nothing more than a familiar like the Witches of the Darkness bound. Others argued the power was necessary to winning the war against dark magick and were always on the hunt for a way to shift.
If Angelina Prideaux found a way… No, I dismissed the thought. She was a thorn in the side of the Unified Territories, but that kind of magick was ancient and far too powerful for her to wield.
I dismissed my council, ready to get back to Claire, but Natalia lingered—her quill still in hand.
“What is it?”
She gave me a half-grin that I didn’t like. “We arrive in Roselyn tomorrow. And seeing how you’ve been…occupiedof late, we haven’t discussed the details of Miss Donadieu’s accommodations.”
I rolled up the nearest leather map, feigning indifference. I knew Natalia was suspicious of how protective I’d grown of Claire, and how much time I was spending with her.
“Miss Donadieu will be cared for just like any other,” I said, offhandedly, fixing the leather strap around the map and reaching for the next one. “She’ll take the room adjoining mine, and will have attendants, and dresses, and anything else she desires.”
Natalia hummed as she scribbled notes. I stood, ready to leave, when she added, “And what about her consorts? We can ask if Tibitha’s pillow whisperers are willing to stay on staff, but something tells me she’d like to pick her own. Maybe Alec will be to her liking.”
I froze mid-step. Every protective instinct roared to life. Despite knowing I shouldn’t give this order, I did. “Miss Donadieu doesn’t require a consort.”
Natalia let out a chuckle. “I’m tired. It’s been a long trip on horseback. I’m not in the mood for your dark humor at the moment, Uncle.”
I turned around, temper rising. I didn’t like that she thought this was a joke. I’d never been more serious about anything in my life. No one would touch Claire. No one.
“She will not have any lovers.”
Natalia raised an intrigued brow. She was twice as smart as any man on my council and equally as observant. “And why not?”
I knew I had to think logically here. I couldn’t risk Natalia discovering the truth. As a member of the vampire nobility, if she knew Claire was my mate and did nothing, she’d be culpable in my crimes, and I didn’t want that for her. I’d chosen to take my mate as my sanguine partner, against the laws, and I was the only one who would suffer for it.
“Because,” I explained, “I don’t think she wants one.”
