Pacing the formal living room of my biological dad’s house, still in confusing, impressive pain, my jaw — fangs not relinquishing in length — was clenched so hard my teeth were grinding while the tears continued tracking down my cheeks. The place looked like, well, a King’s home. A traditional King’s home with Victorian furniture of ivories and oak, little lamps with dangling crystals, and ivory carpeting that smelled brand new. If my Core didn’t ache so acutely, I would have asked him where his real quarters were, because this sure as hell wasn’t a Vampire’s home. This was a home for political entertaining that would suit all kinds.
A yank of my shirt kept my hands busy. I was a mess of emotions and a bundle of energy. After waking on the couch with King Venclaire watching over me, I had jumped away from him and began my stalking. Going one way toward the mass of Vampire guards — all dressed in black fatigues — he had lining one wall, and then toward him, Ezra, King Fergus, and Jack, who were all covertly watching me and quietly talking together. As if I couldn’t hear them.
Keeping my head down, my wolf riding my tone, I growled, “How much longer?”
Pearl was in another room with King Nelson who was working on her injury. Honestly, I didn’t really care. She wasn’t dead, and she wasn’t going to die, from what I had heard. Right then, all I cared about was Dominic. I kept trying to call him telepathically, but I wasn’t getting a response, and I didn’t appreciate what they were whispering over there.
King Venclaire murmured in a soft, soothing voice, “King Kincaid should be here shortly. We’ll know then. You should sit down.” He had tried his power on me, too, but it hadn’t helped the throbbing inside my Core; his mien had altered to neutrality at that fact.
I shook my head, my hair flying about my flushed face. “Just let me go check.” I glanced to the door, my wolf snarling at the guards moving to block it. “I need to find out what’s wrong with Dominic.” I rubbed at my chest. My Core was bursting with power, so much so that it branded, but there was an empty place too. The spot where Dominic resided.
It terrified me.
“Lily, please sit down,” King Fergus murmured just as gently as King Venclaire, and I couldn’t help the growl my wolf shot in his direction. “You’re going to exhaust yourself more than you already are.” He said this with dried blood splattered all over him.
King Venclaire was also covered in blood, as was Ezra and Jack. Jack had carried Pearl while she was bleeding, so that explained his appearance, but I was betting there were a few less men in red robes out there tonight judging from the others’ stained clothes.
I shook my head again, feeling very much the wolf inside me. “No,” I growled low. “I’ve got,” a yank of my shirt, rubbing my chest, “too much.” A deep breath, a few jumps in place, a shake of my limbs. “There’s too much in me. I need out.”
Both Kings went mute, staring, their countenances the same now: a quiet detachment.
My wolf rumbled a soft growl, my chin tucked down and my eyes glowed. I understood they weren’t going to allow me to leave, so I pivoted, stalking once more.
King Fergus whispered, “That’s not a good sign.”
“What’s not?” Ezra probed, not bothering to keep his voice down, knowing I could hear him and not seeming to care.
“A mate, a wolf,” my biological dad murmured quietly, smoothly.
I turned in my prowl to see King Fergus nodding.
“Quit talking about me as if I’m not here!” My wolf’s growl that exploded from my chest was low, rumbling pure menace, as fear and irritation grabbed hold. A pulse of power shot out from me in my panic, straight at their group. They visibly jerked, and I snapped my glowing gaze to the men at the door. Caged in. “Let. Me. Out!” Another shot of power pulsed from my Core, my magic giving me what I needed to escape, and the men at the door stumbled, falling to their knees.
The two Kings were swiftly in front of me, while Ezra and Jack crept up behind me.
I gradually crouched, plenty Shifter, a smidge Vampire, as they surrounded me.
King Venclaire held up his hands as I rested on the balls of my feet, one of my hands on the ground in front of me, the other ready to grab someone, my eyes glowing bright. His tone softly hypnotic, he whispered, “Lily, you need to calm down. King Kincaid will be in here in a matter of moments. I can hear his car pulling up the driveway now.” He lifted a thumb over his shoulder where his men were picking themselves up. “I don’t want any of my men hurt so, please, calm yourself.”
I took a delicate breath, managing to sanely spell out, “I don’t like being caged in.” Another deep breath. “Back away.”