Augustine massaged his temples with his fingertips. He glanced at the elf standing not far from him.The elf, a beautiful silver-haired creature, bowed when he saw the former vampire's interest in him.Augustine straightened up and pulled twice on his long black cloak. He approached the elf with a determined step and smiled at him in a distinguished manner."Good morning, cher ami (dear friend*)," greeted Augustine."Venerable elder," the elf greeted in turn, placing a hand on his heart and bowing."Allow me to interrupt you while your minds are occupied with the dwarven rebellion, but..." Augustine began before seeing, out of the corner of his eye, on one of the surveillance screens, a dwarf setting fire to a doll in the shape of an elf. "Is it possible to access the Vermilion Bird's domain from here?"The elf contemplated the vampire for a moment. His long, pointed ears bobbed up and down, showing how intrigued he was by the question from this high representative of the races."We c

Emmanuelle merely raised an eyebrow. A small laugh left her lips, and she shook her head in denial. "I assure you that I am feeding myself properly..." she began. Harry immediately pressed his forehead against hers. Till's grunts of displeasure were rising in the now silent kitchen."You are starving yourself," Harry cut in. He placed a hand on her cheek and let his thumb draw circles on her alabaster skin. "You've been starving yourself for centuries," he said. Emmanuelle closed her eyes before her laughter became louder. She put her hands on Harry's cheeks, then kissed his lips tenderly. "That is correct, my beloved. Centuries of discipline and fierce motivation not to give in to my vampiric side. I know what I am doing, and I know my limits. So you can rest easy. I know my limits perfectly," Emmanuelle said to reassure Harry. Harry suddenly picked her up and carried her in his arms. She had to put her hands on his shoulders as he carried her high. She could see the concern i

The three unknown vampires standing before them gave off a strong smell of blood and decay.Harry had to make a monstrous effort not to show the gagging in his throat. He cursed his wolf senses, which had overdeveloped his olfactory system.On the other hand, Emmanuelle kept her hand clasped in Harry's and was looking emotionlessly at her compatriots, who were watching her in contempt."Traitor. Bitch. Unnatural. Shame" were the words that reached her ears as the lurkers approached them.A dull growl rose from the Alpha's throat. He had heard the intruders' words but did not understand their meaning. It wasn't until he grabbed the artifact that High Priestess Allegra had given him that he understood the words spoken against his Mate. A dull and unspeakable rage was now monopolizing his mind. However, he was surprised by the peaceful neutrality his soul mate exuded through their bond.Harry could stay calm by her only because Emmanuelle remained serene and unruffled. If it weren'

Emmanuelle was perplexed by the way things had snowballed. Everything was senseless and out of proportion. None of this should have happened, not on her watch, and her honor as a noble vampire was at stake. For one, she was known as a pacifist and hailed as a talented diplomat. She was taught and able to reason with any creature, especially vampires. Two, her beloved's transformation had been so quick and unexpected that she was now unable to keep a cool head. The presence of the wolf meant only one thing: confrontation. She and Augustine worked hard to keep the already thin thread of understanding between their two species within the bounds of cordiality. Despite her natural confidence, Augustine had repeatedly warned her. "It is good to remain extremely vigilant when men are involved, clan girl of mine. When I say men, I mean males, of course. There is nothing in this world more stupid and inconsistent than males with bruised egos. A scorned honor is only important if

Emmanuelle walked furiously towards her house. She was horrified by what had happened. Dark thoughts filled her mind and froze her heart.Her beloved was following her at a distance of ten steps under the order she had given him. Harry's mind was entirely focused on her.She still shivered as she thought of Harry's cold, murderous stare. There had been no spark of warmth when she had confronted him. Moreover, he had only looked at her and had not even spoken a word when she had forbidden him to touch her.Emmanuelle knew that it was his wolf who had acted on impulse. But by the way her beloved had looked at her, she realized that he had no regrets.Harry was following her, his mind in perfect sync with his wolf at the moment. She had ordered him to stay back, very good. He did not want to touch her right now either because he could feel what his Mate thought of him through their bond. She tried to make him feel guilty when he felt he had done the right thing. He felt absolutely