Chapter Fifty-Four
Jay
Upon arrival, King Dax is greeted by a tall, teenage boy with short brunette hair and a strong build.
“You cut your hair,” the king says as he pulls the boy into a noogie.
When the king releases him, they bounce with their fists up, pretending to punch each other.
The boy laughs. “Yeah, I had Taya cut it for me. My girl prefers guys with short hair.”
“It looks good. Hey, where’s your mother?”
“She’s coming.”
“Okay. How about you go and wash up?”
The boy jogs away toward the castle.
“Is that your son?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“And Alaina is . . . ?”
“His mother.”
“So . . . how old is he?”
“He just turned seventeen.”
I try to do the calculations in my head. The math ain’t mathing.
“I thought Evan was a baby?”
“That’s not Evan, that’s Tom.”
“Oh. So . . . how old were you when you had Tom?”
“He is not biologically mine. But he is ours all the same. Tom was an orphan. That girl he’s with.” He points to the girl with warm, wavy auburn hair that stops at her shoulders and grayish blue eyes. “That’s his girlfriend, Megan. They just started dating.”
“And they spend every waking moment together,” a female voice says.
A woman with long chocolate-colored hair with golden highlights that sway down her back, blue eyes and a slender figure. On top rests a subtle crown with not-so-subtle violet and maroon jewels. She approaches the king.
This is Alaina. How could I forget? Colin trained us all to be able to identify her. She has a baby, who I assume must be little Evan on her hip. Evan has his finger in his mouth.
Dax bends down to kiss Alaina.
Alaina then hands Evan to Dax, who holds out his arms, excited to be received by his father.
Dax’s voice becomes high pitched with elation when he talks to Evan. He gasps, “Hi! How’s my boy doing?”
“He just had a nap, so he’s a little”—Alaina ruffles Evan’s hair, trying to smooth the stragglers down—“unruly right now.”
Dax peppers kisses on Evan’s cheek, who giggles and tries to push Dax’s face away.
“Did you see Tom’s hair?” Alaina asks, unenthused.
“I did,” he says.
Alaina rolls her eyes.
“He’s seventeen, and in love. Give him a break,” the king says.
“I know. I just don’t like that she’s changing him.”
Dax laughs. “All he did was cut his hair, darling.”
Alaina throws her hands up. “I know, I know. I’m just protective, is all.” She then blinks and smiles, remembering that I’m here. “You must be Jay. It’s nice to meet you under better circumstances.”
I guess that answers my question on whether she remembers me or not.
I bow my head and curtsey. “Your Majesty.”
“You may stand.”
When I do, I slowly drift my eyes to meet the queen’s. To my surprise, she doesn’t seem upset or ready to throw blows. Instead, she’s calm and pleasant. Warm and inviting.
Why is she being so nice to me?
“Jay has been helping me train Bloodhound. Assuming she doesn’t find a mate at the Hunt, she will stay to train and become a warrior for the crown .”
“The Hunt? I thought she was already . . .” She sees the king shaking his head vigorously.
“Oh-kay.” She clasps her hands together and beams at me.
“Well. Jay, it seems you and I have lots to catch up on. Shall we?” The queen gestures in the direction of a garden with flowers that create a path to a gazebo.
When we reach the gazebo, we take a seat. Immediately, I notice how properly she sits, and I become very aware of how slouched I am.
I straighten.
A long silence settles. I tense, unbearably uncomfortable sitting beside someone whose first, and only interaction with me was when I tried to kidnap her for my leader—her enemy. If she’s not going to kill me, at the very least, I expect her to threaten my life.
“I know you’re probably wondering where this leaves us, and I want you to know I don’t hold a grudge.”
Whoa. I wasn’t expecting that.
“If I could take back that day, I would. If I could trade my life for Alpha Jack’s, I would—right now. I am truly remorseful for what I did to you,” I say.
Queen Alaina nods, finally giving me a somber smile. “I know.”
I hold my breath, waiting for her to suddenly snap and light me on fire, but the flames never come.
“Months ago, when I was a bargaining chip for my kingdom, in Colin’s own way, he tried to explain it wasn’t personal. We all have our sides. I don’t harbor any ill feelings toward you.”
“Not even after what he did to you?”
“Colin made his choices, and I killed him for them. If I blamed you, you’d already be in our dungeon where I’d torture you until your pain bored me.”
A man appears with seductive red eyes and shaggy dark hair. Long lashes, stubble and oval-shaped face.
“Ah, perfect timing. Jay, this is Lord Vincent. He is our liaison to the vampire community.”
“Jay.” Lord Vincent bends at the waist in greeting and lifts my hand to his lips, looking at me intently through his brows. “Call me Vince.” He kisses the back of my hand and releases it.
I’m sure the women just swoon over him constantly. I’m even getting a little hot.
You have a mate, my wolf snaps.
Who doesn’t want us. We’re going to have to start somewhere. And Vince is very attractive.
I shake my head to pull myself from staring at him. “Lord Vince. I’m sorry, you’re a lord and a liaison? What do you do?”
A twinkle glints in my eye as I purr the honorific, but it’s forced. I don’t care about titles, but something tells me he does. Further, I’m not over Caleb—I don’t know if I ever will be—but I’ve got to try. The least I can do is feign interest.
“My job is to relay and inform. Keep people in line. Ensure they’re following our hybrid King and Queen.”
Alaina nods with a pleasant smile, just what one would expect of a ruler. “Vince will show you to your room.”
I follow him, and for a few moments, we’re quiet. Unable to withstand the uncomfortable silence, I speak up by asking the obvious. “So . . . you’re a vampire?”
“Yes. And you’re a wolf,” he says.
I frown, and he catches this.
“Have I said something wrong?”
I shake my head.
“You are a wolf, correct?” he jokes.
“Yeah . . . yes.” I mind my manners and try to be proper. “I think that’s the first time someone’s referred to me as a wolf instead of just a rogue.”
“Should I not have called you a wolf? Do you prefer to be called a rogue?”
“No. No, I don’t.” I surprise myself with the response, but I stand by it. “I’m a wolf first—outside of my pack status or class. It’s nice to be seen as a who instead of a what.”
“Wolf it is, then.”
“I think I prefer Jay,” I giggle. “So, Vince, do you have a mate?”
He pauses, hardly concealing his confusion.
I realize how forward that question seemed. My cheeks get red. “I’m not hitting on you, I promise.”
His eyebrow raises with a smirk.
I’m just digging myself deeper and deeper. Then, suddenly, my back is up against a column.
“Are you saying you don’t want to hit on me?”
Everything about this man is beyond attractive. From his boyish grin, his dark hair and chiseled jaw. I’m drawn to his lips by a magnetic force and can feel myself leaning in when the unexplainable pull ceases. I realize what I’m doing and stop.
“Okay, start over.” I take a deep breath and gently push against him to create distance. Thankfully, he doesn’t resist. “I’m going to be participating in the Hunt, and I didn’t know if you had any insight you could share. That’s why I asked if you have a mate.”
“Ah. I see,” he says. “Well, to answer your question, no, I don’t have a mate. It’s likely my mate is dead.”
“What makes you think that?”
“It’s . . . hard to find mates amongst our kind. The odds of finding your mate are already low, but if they’re already a vampire your chances increase. If they aren’t a vampire, then they are a human. Humans are our food source. The odds aren’t in my favor.”
“Do you have any powers?”
“Yes. Did you not feel them?”
“What do you mean?”
“The intense attraction you had toward me just now. Did you feel that?”
My eyes widen, baffled. “That was you? You made me feel that?”
There’s that grin again. But this time, the emotions don’t follow.
Son of a bitch.
“You can manipulate emotions.”
Vince raises a cheeky brow. “And energy.”
Suddenly, I find myself wondering if that includes orgasms.
“It does,” he says all coy.
“So, you read minds as well?”
“Only of those that I find intriguing.”
“I almost kissed you!”
“Kissing would have been of your own free will. I don’t have to steal those. I prefer my kisses with consent, but if I wanted you to, I could have.”
“It felt so real. Like they were my emotions.”
“That’s the point. I can make anyone feel anything I want at any moment.”
“So . . . you’re like a real-life Casanova?”
He stops. “In all my years, I’ve never been called that before. Hm. I might read your mind a little more often.”
***
The castle is breathtaking. On our way up the grand staircase, I have more questions. “So, you are stationed in the vampire kingdom?”
“Yes.”
I bite my bottom lip. “Did you know Colin?”
“Yes.”
“What did you think of him?”
We turn down the corridor, and I brace myself for Vince’s response.
“I don’t think he’s the only one to blame—I believe monsters are made, not born. Colin was powerful, but his feeling of being powerless did him in. His behaviors, regardless of how horrific, are indicative of an unmet need.”
“A need to belong,” I add.
“That is my guess. I think if given that, he might not have turned out to be who he was.”
I nod.
“You cared for Colin. I can feel it.”
“I did. But . . . I know I shouldn’t care for someone like that.”
“You cared for him before you knew of the things he did. You can still care for someone and not like their actions. You are entitled and valid in your feelings. Just because someone else had a different experience doesn’t invalidate the one you have.
Even the mothers of murderers still love their child. ”
Just like that, a weight is lifted off my shoulders. I needed to hear that. “Are you manipulating me?”
He laughs.
Vince opens a bedroom door and ushers me in. “Get some rest. The festivities begin tomorrow.”