Page 20 of Claim Me
“Polite?” Cara echoes behind me. “You?” She blinks her pale green eyes a few times. “Huh.”
I narrow my gaze at my second-in-command. “Are you looking for a sparring match, little fae?”
“Call melittleagain and I will be, yes,” she fires back.
My lips twitch as her mate comes up behind her and wraps a protective arm around her shoulder. “Leave Kaspian alone, Cara. He’s had a rough morning,” Larus says. He’s my other second-in-command, and also a fae. Well, a fae hybrid, anyway.
“He made a speech,” she drawls. “That’s not hard.”
She’s not wrong. The hard part is waiting for me in the guest suite beside my room.
“Always trying to cause trouble,” Larus laments. “It’s a good thing I’m the politically savvy one here. What Cara means to say is ‘You did a great job, Kaspian. You’re a fine king.’?”
Cara and I both snort at the same time. “Suck-up,” she says.
“You’re not getting out of tonight’s call with the new Earth and Emerald Chancellor,” I tell him, fully aware of what he actually wants from me. “As thepolitically savvy one, I need you by my side as I extend my warm welcome into the community.” Particularly as thisnew chancelloris a former member of the Supernatural Syndicates.
Nikki Ward.
Somehow, the former mafia princess managed to win Earth and Emerald’s recent trials for their chancellor position.
I don’t know how she pulled it off, let alone how she was even eligible to compete in the first place, but that’s neither here nor there. She’s my equal now, and I need to extend a professional greeting as a fellow House leader.
Larus’s expression falls. “Yes, of course. I’ll be there.”
Cara smirks and Khaos shakes his head. “I’m not envious of your job, King Kaspian,” he says to me. “I’m not sure I could be as accommodating in certain situations.”
I know he’s referring to accepting a Supernatural Syndicate member into the House leadership ranks—most of us are wary. Although, I’ve heard from a few allies that Nikki Ward isn’t like the usual crime lords from that No Man’s Land region.
I just hope those allies are right.
“Oh, Kaspian isveryaccommodating,” Cara drawls, her words confirming her desire for a sparring match.
“Stop taunting our king,” Larus whispers against her ear. “I need you whole for later.”
She shivers visibly. “Kaspian won’t break me.”
I arch a brow. “In my current mood? I wouldn’t be so sure,little fae.”
Alas, I have other tasks I need to see to today, including the one in the room beside mine.
I sent Nox up there to keep an eye on our death witch during my announcement. It wasn’t that I expected her to react badly; it was more that I didn’t know what to anticipate from her. She’s entirely unreadable and it’s driving me crazy.
She’s fine,Nox’s report said minutes ago.She expected this outcome.
That’s all his messages said.
And for whatever reason, it has me grinding my teeth again now.
I wantmore. More information. More of a reaction. More of something so I can set an expectation.
But the fiery little witch won’t give me anything. It’s as though she’s simply accepted her fate and has no argument to the contrary.
Yet that monster mate of hersdestroyedher. I’ve seen the aftermath, the way she cringes when a male is too close or when one of us says the wrong thing.
She puts on an impressive front, but deep down, she’s shattered. And knowing that makes me want to beat the shit out of Klas.
However, hurting him inevitably hurts her.
