20. Plot #2
“It was their religion, hundreds of years ago. Oh , and that included sacrificing these poor virgin brides to their gods after they violated them. Are they going to resurrect that too?” I shook my head in disgust. “ Those of the Edge always gave demons a bad name.”
“King Arnaud is feeling a shift to the fundamentals of their faith. And if he asserts that the bill is discriminatory on the grounds of religion, he has the basis to defeat it.”
“King Arnaud isn’t actually the king,” I shared my opinion on the matter.
“ He’s a pretender. He was second born. It was just that his father was a douche canoe, scraped off his first family and disavowed them when he fell for the wiles of Queen Tatra , and changed succession so Arnaud would have the crown.
But that isn’t their law. He couldn’t do that.
I still don’t know how he got away with it. ”
“As such, things have been precarious in Sky’s Edge the last couple of years since King Riland died.
A great many of the Edge feel the same way.
Prince Tanyn , the true king, has a lot of support.
And although they’re battling this out in the courts, if for some reason that shouldn’t go his way, there are rumors he’s planning a coup.
Not everyone is feeling Arnaud’s shift to fundamentalism.
And the rumor of his engagement to this girl is not popular with many, even if it’s very popular with some. ”
“How have I not heard of this?”
“Do you keep up with current events?”
I couldn’t say I did. Social tapes gave me a headache. Everyone had an opinion, and most of them weren’t very informed, and those that were, were seriously skewed. Others were just plain boring.
And the news was usually depressing.
Case in point, what we were currently discussing.
“This sounds like a mess,” I said. “ But I don’t understand why he’d target you.”
“Because something is wrong with Arnaud . Even if he wasn’t a pedophile, there’s always been something off about him.
And I’ve always been clear I thought so.
I also haven’t made it a secret that I support Tanyn in his claim to the throne.
However , this is the first bill I’ve introduced that’s directed at him and his off behavior, and part of his being off is that he is completely incapable of dealing with someone who doesn’t agree with him. ”
“An attack on you would mean war between our realms, and Dawn’s Break and Land’s End might have to get involved because they’re our allies.”
“Yes. As I mentioned, this could be far more sinister and concerning. The reason nothing about your assault was in the brief compiled on you is because there are no records of it. Farlay was a detective inspector at District Seven . He hasn’t reported to work since the gallery incident, and no one can find him.
And before he vanished, he did not file your report and there’s no evidence he was investigating it. ”
This was not good.
Aleksei continued sharing. “ Both Dr . Buildlore and Nurse Fitzgerald were on staff at Mercy , but they too have disappeared. The same with them keeping your stay and care out of hospital files. And Dr . Buildlore is in the middle of two inquiries. One , a complaint lodged by another nurse that he was taking inappropriate liberties with yet another nurse, not Nurse Fitzgerald , and showing her favoritism. The second, he performed a procedure that his patient didn’t consent to. ”
Oh no!
“Removing a beast?”
“No, removing a shifter’s entire uterus when she was supposed to be having a routine D and C .”
This had started out terrible, and it wasn’t getting any better.
“I feel it important to note that I recognized that weapon, because it was used on me,” I told him.
He nodded. “ I didn’t miss when you said that. I’ve informed the task force.”
“But if those were the same weapons, it’s clear they didn’t want to kill my beast, because they definitely could have if it’s powerful enough to maybe end yours.”
He held me closer and said, “ This has been discussed. Since the male we have in custody isn’t talking, we can’t know if they were the same weapons, or if they’ve been modified since.
However , we’re operating on the theory that their firearms had not yet been upgraded, because it appears they were turning to medical science to be rid of your creature. ”
Oh.
Of course.
I should have put that together.
“But ultimately,” Aleksei continued, “at this time, we don’t know what their plans were or are. But I can assure you, every effort is being made to find out.”
I wanted to be assured.
Regrettably, I wasn’t.
“Okay, it’s safe to say I was freaked by this before, Aleksei , but I’m totally freaked now.”
He gathered me even closer and stated, “ You are safe, Laura . And there’s been an inter-agency task force set up with the best investigators we have looking into this. I knew many of the beings before they were assigned to it, and I trust and respect them. They’ll get the job done.”
That made me feel better.
“I’m afraid you’ll need to tune into current events a lot more closely, darling,” he warned.
Ugh.
Probably important for the future king’s mate to stay abreast of important stuff.
“All right,” I agreed.
“You’ll have an aide to help you filter through it, though.”
I would?
“But for now,” he continued, “if you catch any news, the story that’s being put out is that these two assailants acted alone and were members of a fringe group.
So , for the general public, they’ll think it was just a couple of disenfranchised loners who took their best shot, were thwarted and all is well in Night’s Fall again. ”
“Is it…you mean…we’re lying to people?”
“Best case scenario, we’ll figure out what’s going on and quietly handle it so no one will know your parents, my brothers, my ex, or the sovereign of a foreign realm had mal intent, which would cause my brothers to be run out on a rail, or a serious inter-realm incident with either Dawn’s Break or Sky’s Edge .
Worst case scenario, it actually is Anna or Arnaud , word gets out, beings will lose their gods-damned minds, call for blood, someone will surely get up to some stupid shit, and dragons will have to fly. ”
“So, in other words, we’re lying to prevent the possibility of all-out war.”
“Precisely.”
“It’s really good I now know you cook great and can go all night, or this mate business might not be a lot of fun,” I quipped.
“I could probably go all morning too.”
I didn’t just see the shift in his mood on his face and hear it in his voice, I felt it against my hip.
My mood shifted instantly too.
“Could you now?” I whispered.
“Panties off, darling,” he whispered in return.
His arms loosened and I wheeled those babies off as fast as I could get rid of them.
The moment they were gone, Aleksei gripped my waist, lifted me up and positioned me with my knees in the seat on either side of him.
His gaze holding mine, I felt him work between us, releasing his cock.
His hands went back to my hips, and he bore me down.
My head fell back at taking him, but I brought it forward again so I could see the lazy heat of sex flicker in his eyes as I started to ride him.
“Yeah, this part makes it fun,” I gasped.
“Indeed,” he grunted. “ Faster , Laura .”
I didn’t go faster.
His eyes narrowed.
And then he said, “ You’ll go faster, darling, or you’ll be bent over my desk, and I’ll decide the pace.”
Spoiled for choice.
“ Bissi ,” he warned.
I went faster.
He pulled my cami down to expose my breasts and multitasked.
So I went a whole lot faster.
He shifted a thumb to my clit.
And I went even faster.
Aleksei had to grasp my ribs in order to prevent me from tumbling back as I arched violently into my stellar orgasm.
And then he used his grip on me to drive me onto his cock to find his own.
I fell forward and nuzzled his neck through my aftermath.
He wrapped his arms around me in his.
“Can we do this all day?” I requested.
His chuckle was delicious.
But he said, “ No . We have a royal photo op at two.”
Oh dang.
I forgot.
Ugh.
“You’ll be fine,” he assured. “ Just smile. They’ll call out questions. Say nothing. Keep smiling. Wave . Change your position frequently. Look at different ones, but don’t actually make eye contact. Fifteen minutes. Then we’ll be done.”
“I suppose I can do that.”
He smoothed both hands over the cheeks of my behind then again crossed his arms around my back to hold me.
And then he said, “ You’ll be perfect.”