Chapter Twenty-Three

Iawaken sometime later to the sensation of fingers gently sifting through my hair. I’m not entirely unused to Leisel waking me up by playing with my hair when she has one of her less hyper days and decides not to wake me up by treating me like a bed of bouncy moss, but the warm, strong body behind mine that exudes raw masculine power is most certainly not the one that belongs to my little sister.

All at once, the events of the previous evening flash through my mind. Kyron threatening Leisel, me readily slaughtering Kyron in turn, warding my room and Leisel’s, and then… oh fuck, Camden. I let him do things to me I’d never even imagined, and in the moment, I loved every second.

So this is what the aftereffects of true idiocy feel like. A conglomeration of shame, guilt, embarrassment, and total bafflement at my own stupidity. Is this really who I am? Someone who will cave under stress and pressure? All it took was a few kisses, and I was like clay in Camden’s hands. I was reduced to a moldable, pliable toy with no will of my own, only the will of the bond.

No. No. This is not who I’m going to be—someone weak enough to succumb to the pressure of a mythical bond that I can’t even see along with a handsome face. That’s not who my parents raised; that’s not who the hardships of my life have created.

For better or for worse, I’ve been thrust into a position I didn’t ask for nor desire, but my options are to lament it and live in misery or take advantage of the power of my new rank and actually make relevant changes—start fixing what Camden’s ancestors broke. Falling into his arms is not part of the plan.

Even if those arms are extraordinarily warm, strong, soothing, and inviting, lulling me into a false sense of safety and security. Irritation fueling me, I wriggle out of Camden’s hold and get to my feet, looking around the floor for my discarded clothing from last night.

“If you’re looking for your clothes, I’ve hidden them to ensure you don’t get to run away first thing in the morning,” Camden’s voice calls from behind, thick with sleep.

Unbelievable. Knowing what he knows about me so far—mainly, that my primary policy for dealing with him is to not—he preempted my early morning escape by taking away something I’d need to make that escape. I look around the elaborate room, filled with antique furniture, spending a moment deciding whether or not I want to search out my clothes on my own and ignore the large male presence behind me.

Peeking over my shoulder and seeing Camden’s eyes glued to my bare ass, I decide that no, I won’t be able to bear the weight of his gaze. Dejectedly, I sink back onto the very edge of the couch, crossing my arms over my chest to give myself some semblance of modesty.

“That’s not very dignified. Aren’t rulers supposed to be dignified?” I say sharply.

Camden lets out a light puff of laughter, pushing himself into a sitting position and letting his eyes rove over me. “Don’t mix up human monarchies with mythic ones; we’re very different, starting with our senses of dignity. Shifters are half-animal—nudity is commonplace for us. There is nothing undignified about the naked form, whether it’s human or wolf. Shame over nudity is a failing specific to this realm, and why I knew hiding your clothes would be enough to keep you here with me.”

“Thanks for the lesson on shifter modesty,” I respond dryly. “Can we get on to whatever I need to do to get my clothes back? I’m not walking back to my room naked.”

“Quite so,” Camden agrees with a nod. “The thought of others seeing you naked bothers me enough to want to rip throats out, which I’ve heard is common amongst mates, but I rather enjoy the sight, so I’m in no rush.”

“I am,” I shoot back, tilting my head towards the grandfather clock stationed by the closed door to the room. “It’s almost six, which means Leisel’s about to wake up, if she hasn’t already. I won’t subject her to waking up just to find me gone—she wouldn’t cope well with it.”

Camden’s features soften ever so slightly as if he appreciates the maternal side of me, which makes me frown. If he’s thinking something along the lines of our future children, he has another thing coming; I have no intention of bringing his children into the world, ever.

“Very well then. If you agree to join me for a private breakfast and spend the morning with me, I’ll give your clothes back now,” he offers.

My frown morphs into a scowl. “And abandon Leisel? Absolutely not—”

“Greta is more than capable of caring for Leisel for a morning, raising royal children is her specialty.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You think I feel comfortable leaving Leisel alone while another vampire could teleport in and snatch her at any moment? My room might be warded, but the rest of the castle isn’t, and my sister is a notorious explorer. Besides, I thought I was scheduled to spend the first half of the day fixing your fuckup in security?”

Camden clenches his jaw, irritation marring his chiseled features. “You know, not everything has to be a battle, Sierra. We just shared an intimate night. That’s a step forward, so can we avoid taking two steps back? Instead of shutting me down entirely, perhaps you can offer an alternative to breakfast.”

Is he serious? With everything that’s going on, especially the situation with Kyron last night, his focus is on us spending time together?

“Perhaps the highest thing on your agenda is our mating situation, but my priorities are different,” I snap.

That really is one of the fundamental barriers between us—the complete differences in our priorities. His priorities are based on his society, culture, and the role he was raised in; namely to protect his people, rule his kingdom, and claim his mate. My priorities are to avoid getting locked into a lifelong attachment with him while making life better for my people, humans. I might not be entirely a human, but my kind shared the Earth right alongside them for thousands of years before his kind came in and all but destroyed us.

While our priorities are so opposed, there is no way for us to lead a compatible life together. The fact that we might be somewhat compatible sexually—as evidenced last night—is an entirely different story, and one I don’t intend to think on for long.

“Don’t be na?ve, Sierra. Our mating is the priority of everyone in this castle, and every one of my subjects. The sooner we complete our bond, the sooner there will be the prospect of heirs on the horizon, which will offer long-term security and stability to the crown that is currently absent. Beyond that, I’ll be stronger and more capable of protecting my people—and they’ll have you. Stories will soon make rounds of what happened at dinner last night; you’ll be viewed as a blessing to our people and a curse to our enemies. Us together is in the interest of this very planet you’re so attached to.”

The truth of his words strikes fear into my very soul because they force me to realize just how right he is. From the perspective of his people, I am a necessary piece to make the monarchy, and the stability it offers to all shifters on Earth, work. In fact, I have the power to help them thrive and overcome their barriers due to my magical affinities.

The problem is, I have no interest in helping them—in fact, if I didn’t see a potential solution to human suffering here, I’d be actively working to collapse the shifter power structure and incite chaos in the name of revenge.

I suck in a slow breath, deciding to go with bluntness. “I don’t like you, Camden. I find the very idea of you reprehensible. I understand that you expect me to bend to your culture and ideals—to settle into a completely new life that’s been forced onto me without argument, but that’s not going to happen. Just because I had a moment of weakness last night doesn’t mean that I’ve docilely accepted my fate. I have no intention of ever being intimate with you again. No matter how many times you coerce me into spending time with you, it won’t change my dead parents and the history of blood between our people.”

Camden’s silent for a moment, searching my features. Then, he says lowly, “You haven’t experienced the strength of the bond, Sierra. You don’t comprehend the depths of the connections between us. Over time, that’ll change. It’ll grow within you. Slowly, at first, but surely. And with each intimate night we spend together—and I assure you, there will be more—it’ll strengthen a notch. Eventually, you’ll come to view me as I view you. You’ll come to want me as much as I want you. It’ll take time and effort, both of which I’m happy to put in, and it won’t be simple, especially at the beginning, but the end result will be worth all the chases, arguments, and battles.”

I feel my palms heat at his words, a sign that my fire’s rising within me. One of his revelations stands out to me as the warning it is; that the more we’re…intimate, probably in the sexual sense, the stronger the bond gets. The fact that I feel a flutter of warmth in my chest—which I somehow know is Camden’s amusement at my fight—is only a testament to his words.

Oh, fuck this. As soon as I ward this godsforsaken property, I’m going to read every book ever written on the shifter mate bond and figure out how to better navigate it. Maybe there are even darker arts that would allow me to do damage to his end of it, though that vindictiveness won’t put me in a favorable position to make cultural changes in his society, which I’ll need to insert myself into for the sake of my people.

The complications of royal life.

“So, anything sexual equates to the strengthening of the bond, huh? Thanks for that little tidbit. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind and stay as far away from you as possible in this monstrosity of a palace.”

His smile seems more wolf than man—not in that he’s shifting or looks lupine whatsoever, but in that he’s more so baring his teeth with victory than actually smiling with any semblance of warmth. “Then you’ll be trapped in this room with me until you feel differently because the door is locked, I have the only key, and only I know where your clothes are.”

I slam my fist against the couch. “Damn you, Kent. Fine. Dinner this evening, and then we can chaperone my sister and your brother on a little trip to your library. Happy? Satisfied?”

“Only if dinner is a private occasion. If you think you’ll get out of spending at least some time alone with me, you’re very wrong. However, if it’ll make you feel more comfortable, I’ll agree not to touch you without your explicit permission. It won’t be easy since I’d much prefer to eat you for dinner, but I’ll hold back. You have my word. Acceptable terms?”

I stare at him for several moments, trying to gauge the sincerity of his offer. Nothing about his expression or tone indicates deceit, but Camden is a king and has been for some time—surely he’d have learned to lie believably in his many years at court.

“Considering you’ve locked me naked in a room with you, I’m not sure how much value your word has here,” I say speculatively.

Camden throws his head back and roars with laughter, startling me. The sound is so carefree, amused, and mirthful, I’m taken off guard. I wouldn’t have expected him to be able to laugh so… freely, and with his whole body.

“When you say it that way, you make me sound like a monster,” he says after he’s calmed, eyes shining with amusement.

“You are a monster,” I grit out emphatically.

“Perhaps, but I’m your monster now. Just as you’re my earthling witch. Now, agree to the deal and go wake your sister and get on with your day. I guarantee you won’t get a better one.”

“Fine,” I grit. “Now where the fuck are my clothes?”