I threw the small backpack that Rhys had brought for me into the truck. I was beyond grateful to have some of my own clothes after what felt like forever in the same outfit that had been bloodied and ripped nearly to shreds. Rhys had offered to burn it, and I said he could send it straight to hell for all I care. He had laughed and told me it was good to have me back. And I had to agree. It was good to be back. It already
felt like normal.
Five meetings later, we had finally figured out a plan that worked for everyone. We would leave about twenty warriors here in the Golden pack. Their job was to train the Golden pack warriors and help them come up with effective strategies to keep the Red Blood pack out. They were also to report anything strange back to us. Leon, Heather, Caleb and Sammy would all return to the Alpha Pack and work on moving everyone closer to the packhouse. We decided that everything needed to be within sight so we could effectively protect everyone, at least for the time being. We needed to be ready for an attack when we made our move, and they would make sure we were, even though Sammy was pissed about it. And the rest of us and Iris were going to meet with the vampires. We didn’t have much of a hope that they would be helpful, but we had to try. That was another reason we were splitting up though, if we were walking into a trap, at least only the 4 of us were stuck in it. The others would be free to keep fighting.
“Ready?” Rhys asked through the mindlink before I could even see him.
“Ready.” I replied, but the truth was, I wasn’t sure I was. Everything felt like it was moving a little too fast. I just wanted to sleep for a little while longer, but I would keep myself together. I was not going to cave into those feelings anymore.
“Your feelings are valid.” Rhys reminded me.
I smiled slightly as I climbed into the backseat. “Get out of my head, Alpha King.” I teased.
“Nope. You’re stuck with me.”
I laughed slightly as he climbed into the driver’s seat and Maizie climbed in next to me. It felt so right to be back with them all again. I felt bad that Maizie was leaving her mom behind, all of the refugees were going home with Leon, but it seemed like a good thing to give some space too.
I barely noticed time pass as we flew through the country on the road. Michael and Iris were both asleep in the very back within 5 minutes of us being on the road. Sawyer and Rhys were talking in hushed tones in the front. And Maizie and I chatted about everything I had missed while I was away. She told me about her and Sawyer’s first time, and how wonderful he was to her. I knew she said some of the things just to make the guys uncomfortable, and it definitely worked. Both of them had red cheeks, and Rhys begged me to tell her to stop, he didn’t want to hear about his brother’s sex life, but I didn’t stop her, I found it funny as well. She also told me how much Sammy had missed me, and how hard it had been without me. I appreciated her kind words even if I didn’t quite believe them.
Everything was going so smooth, I was almost certain we were driving straight into a trap. As we approached the Vampire city, Maizie and I both fell quiet. The city was beautiful, and yet nearly completely empty. Which I guess made sense, it was nearly dusk now, but the sun still was touching the part of the city we were in.
As we approached what I assumed to be the castle, I realized nearly everything was in a sort of black and white pattern, which was honestly sort of hypnotizing.
“Okay everyone, remember why we’re here. But also be careful. Vampires take words very seriously. They will twist the things you say, but they need ‘permission‘ for most things, so please don’t forget that.” Rhys reminded us as we pulled through the gates.
Despite being the Alpha King, Rhys had very little experience with the vampires. There was a council that met once a year, so he knew the basics, but it didn’t feel like enough, and I wasn’t sure anything would be.
I gently shook both Michael and Iris awake, and they both looked at me bleary eyed as they tried to quickly shake the sleep from their bodies. Iris was still bratty, and wasn’t speaking to Michael, but I knew that wouldn’t last too much longer. I waited for Rhys to open the car door for me. Despite the confidence I had been feeling lately, it was hard not to just slip back into that old shell of myself. But honestly, I wasn’t so sure that would be a bad thing here. Maybe that’s what I needed to do.
“Alpha King Rhys, consort Grace,” Someone called out from the shadows.
“It’s Luna Queen Grace, actually,” Rhys corrected.
“Oh, I am sorry, dear, I didn’t know the ceremony had happened yet.” The slimy, husky voice of a woman conceded.
“It hasn’t, but she is still my mate, and I
expect her to still be treated with respect.”
The woman smiled a cold smile as she made her way out of the shadows. She was stunning. Her pale, nearly white, face was framed by her long, black hair. She looked like something straight of a picture book. Beautiful and terrifying all at once. All she needed was a raven on her shoulder and she would look exactly how I imagined her.
“Hence why I called her Consort Grace.” The woman answered snidely. “And you Consort Grace have quite the reputation, and I cannot wait to see what business you are going to bring to me today.”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
