20. Cassandra

CHAPTER 20

Cassandra

I checked myself in the mirror one last time, nerves threatening to rob me of the excitement at seeing myself dressed up for evening repast. It'd been a week since the hunters had taken out a safe house of the Sons of Honor, and things had gone quiet, offering us a little respite during such a tumultuous time.

Ajax and Grace and myself had been working diligently on locating everyone on the Sons' list, and had been mostly successful. So, tonight's repast would be our first in attendance, in quite a long time.

And as I looked at the attire I'd chosen, I had a moment where I questioned myself.

Questioned the high slit that stopped at my hip and showed off the mark on my thigh. Before, I'd walked around court wearing a mask, ignoring those who looked down on me and trying to manipulate those who didn't in order to find out who was really loyal to the king and who wasn't. A constant game of chess that I had grown so damn tired of.

And as I walked through the residence, making my way toward evening repast, I knew that would be no more.

I held my head high as I walked into the grand ballroom where the king and his assassins and the hunters had already been seated among the dais. I heard the whispers from the nobles gathering around the tables that scattered about the ballroom floor. Whispers of being a daughter's traitor, of being untrustworthy, of having faked this mating mark too.

That one stung the most, but I did my best to ignore it, knowing that the male I was mated to was grander than any king could ever hope to be.

And as I made my way to my designated seat near the dais, I hesitated, having to check my instincts which said I needed to climb that dais and perch myself in my mate's lap.

I did no such thing, instead took my seat at my table, and waited for the king to give his usual court speech before taking the first sip of the night.

Talon didn't take his eyes off of me through the entire speech, and the minute the king had declared this an official repast, taking his seat to talk informally with his assassins, Talon bolted from his seat so fast his chair knocked over.

He made it to me in no time, slanting his mouth over mine in greeting, kissing me as if we weren't in a room full of royal and noble vampires.

He hauled me out of my seat so he could kiss me more properly, a better angle for deeper access. Stealing my breath and making my skin tight and hot all over.

I would never get enough of this male, never kiss him enough or touch him enough or hear his laugh enough.

He pulled back slightly, glancing down at me with those irresistible blue eyes, his smile was just as breathtaking.

"I guess that settles that," I said, and he tilted his head. I glanced around the room of nobles who were looking at me with either admiration, jealousy, or pure disgust. "I wondered how we should behave in public."

"How many times do I have to tell you that the opinions of others don't matter to me," he said. He reached up and cupped my cheek. "You are my mate, and that is all that matters. And if you asked me to," he said a little louder. "I would rip out the throats of anyone who dared to say otherwise."

I laughed, shaking my head. "What is it with you and ripping out throats?"

"It's one of the most satisfying ways to kill a creature," he said, and paired it with a little shrug.

I grinned up at him, teasingly running my fingers over his chest. "I remember a time when my throat was at risk from your skills," I said. "What was it that you used to call me?"

Talon shifted his hand to my throat, gently squeezing there in a way that set every inch of my skin on fire. "Little viper," he cooed the nickname into my ear, his lips grazing over the shell.

"Right," I said, shivering in has hold. "Still think that I'm going to poison you?"

His smile deepened, turning mischievous. "Perhaps the next time I upset you," he teased. "But if you're asking if I'll ever be afraid of your bite, that's impossible."

My fangs punch down on instinct, and he chuckled softly. Running a thumb over one of the sharp tips. "Can we get out of here yet?" I asked.

"This room?" he asked. "Yes," he said. "Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to take a certain amount of time off to go on that vacation we talked about."

I gripped his jacket, pulling him down for another kiss before inching back. "We have time," I said. "For the woods. For the island I've inherited. For all of it."

"Forever," he said. Then leaning down, he lowered his voice. "Now let me take you somewhere so you can show me what those viperous little fangs can do."