Emory“Well, what do we have here?”The snarl from the squatty guard filling the majority of my doorway is enough to set my teeth on edge as my shifter body longs to call forth my wolf to defend myself.Unfortunately, I’m not quite old enough for that yet and will have to rely upon my other fighting skills to protect myself.As my eyes meet his, I can’t help but pull myself to standing, my hands fisted at my sides. He is short, a bit overweight, it appears, with dark hair, a beard, and those light eyes that look like they’re almost sightless. He can see me, though. I feel his eyes roaming all over me.He’s not alone either. Two other guards flank him, one tall and the other with a medium build and a bit of muscle. They all wear the same gray uniforms I’ve seen on the other guards who work in this part of the castle. It fits the overall ambiance of a dismal, lifeless existence the prisoners here have come to know.I can’t think about any of them right now, though. None of them are goin
EmoryKing Kane is flying up the stairs, and I am going as quickly as I can to keep up with him. Normally, I think of myself as pretty fast, but clearly I am either too tired after the adrenaline rush has worn off, or he is even faster than me.Not that it would surprise me that a vampire is faster than a wolf shifter who has yet to find her wolf, but I don’t know why he is moving so quickly. It’s clear to me that he is still angry. He has been furious since the moment he came into my cell in the feeder’s dungeon and I almost kicked him, but I would’ve thought he’d settle down by now.I guess I was wrong.We make it to the top of the first staircase and then he goes right past the guards and up the next flight of stairs. I am a little confused. I thought perhaps he was moving me to the other dungeon, one where the guards are more responsible or something, but that’s not where we are headed either, obviously, so I follow along, and as we reach the top of the second stairwell, he seems
EmoryI take a bath, soaking in notes of rose and lavender, letting my muscles relax as much as they will after the hellacious day I’ve had. King Kane had suggested taking a nap, and that does seem like a good idea, but I know I won’t be able to sleep. My mind keeps puzzling over everything that’s happened. How, exactly, did I come to be here? At what point did my father reach such desperation that he was willing to trade his own child to his enemy to pay off his debts?I can’t say, and by the time the water has cooled, I have decided it’s futile to keep going over such questions in my head. What’s done is done. Now, I need to figure out the rest of my life anew.I get out of the tub and dry off with the most luxurious towel I’ve ever felt in my life. The maids have brought in all kinds of lotions and creams, as well as all sorts of makeup and hair accessories. I’ve never been one to spend too much time on my appearance, but Nellie already told me she’d be happy to help me get ready f
Emory“Who the fuck invited a mangy dog to our dinner party?”Princess Opal’s words hang in the air as the rest of the room goes silent. It’s as if the rest of the guests are all waiting for me to respond to the loud, offensive statement, including Rainer, though I believe he’s just as taken aback by the assault as I am.Either that or he’s just choosing to let me wage my own war.But as I settle on a witty remark to politely say back to her, my voice is drowned out by the confident reply that comes from my right.I can’t see him through Rainer’s large frame, but I don’t have to in order to know who is speaking. He must’ve come through his own entrance and taken us all by surprised, including Opal whose face shifts slightly at the sound of his voice.“As far as I know,” King Kane begins, “no one invited a dog to dinner, but I did invite a wolf.”My eyes lock with his about the time he stops next to his fiancée who is standing across the table from me, both of her escorts having droppe
KaneIf I open my mouth to reprimand Opal right now, a rivulet of curses will be released into the world the likes of which no one has heard before. I have already tried politely, asking her to stop verbally assaulting Emory. When that didn’t work, I ordered her with a mind message, one she clearly chose to ignore in the same way she failed to mind the decree I sent out earlier. No, Opal is out of control, and she’s doing her best to push me beyond my limits.I should’ve known better than to bring Emory here. I knew that Opal wouldn’t like it. Despite our agreement that neither of us is romantically limited in our relationship, Opal sees any other female I take any interest in whatsoever as a threat against her position as the future queen of Crescent Peak. So even if Emory really was overweight as Opal tried to imply, if she had a snaggletooth and beady eyes, body odor and excessive mucus issues, Opal would see her as a potential rival.And Opal loves the energy a rivalry brings her.
EmoryThe question lingers in the air between us as I stare into King Kane’s eyes, trying to figure out why he’s followed me to my bedroom. It doesn’t make any sense. Isn’t he expected to still be at dinner with the rest of his guests?If anyone from dinner were to follow me, I would’ve assumed it would have been Rainer. But it’s not his blue eyes I’m staring into as the king leans against my door jamb.He clears his throat, a moment of hesitation that is out of character for him. “I wanted to make sure you were okay,” he says.“Oh.” I take a deep breath and step back once, almost tripping over my discarded shoes. I catch myself, seeing an eyebrow arch in concern. “I’m fine.”“Are you sure?” He doesn’t come into my room, and I’m assuming that’s probably because I haven’t invited him in. But he is leaning further in than he was before. “Opal can be such a… bitch.”I want to agree with him, and I also want to demand to know why he never mentioned to me that he had a fiancée. I found out
KaneVampire’s don’t have fated mates.In fact, most people don’t think that vampires even have souls. I’m not sure what I think of that since I was born a vampire. It’s not as if I were once a person who was killed by a vampire and my soul was released to hell or where-have-you, and now I am something else. No, I have always been a vampire, so if I am a soulless, earthbound creature, then so be it.Right now, I think there is something deep inside of me that is driving me toward Emory Moonraker, though, and I have no idea what it is—but it is persistent.Back in my room, after I nearly took her on her first night in the castle, I am lying in my bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to determine what to do about it.It’s not true that vampires don’t sleep. We do. I do, anyway. Perhaps there are some that don’t need to, but on average, I need at least five hours of sleep each night to function. Otherwise, I am a monster the next day—literally.The other rumors about vampires, that they h
Emory“This is her?” a blonde woman with a pointy nose asks, her raised finger barely sharper than her beak. “This is the fucking breeder?”I take a deep breath, not wanting any trouble. I am obviously outnumbered, and while I have no problem kicking Opal’s ass and her friends’ asses, I have a feeling I can’t take Prince Lex and Prince Jacob. Not at the same time anyway. I imagine they’ve both got some sort of warrior training.“Good morning, Princess Opal,” I say, tipping my head down. “Prince Lex, Prince Jacob… ladies.”“Don’t you know you’re supposed to stand and curtsy when you’re in the presence of your superiors?” Opal says, kicking me in the leg with her shoe. It’s not hard enough to hurt, but it doesn’t feel good.“Oh, but don’t you recall, sister dear,” Jacob says, pulling her back by her arm. “She’s a princess, too, remember?”That gets a laugh out of most of them, though when I look at Lex, he’s not laughing. In fact, he looks a bit concerned, like this is going to go south