Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

At the pack house, Cross said goodbye and told Shepard he would keep looking for Vivian and Adriel.

Shepard walked me to the door, his arm around my shoulders. The men we passed on the way in gave me funny looks, and I wondered if it was because I only wore a shirt or because I reeked of vampire from my time in Adriel and Vivian’s love-slash-murder nest.

I shivered, and Shepard hurried me to his suite. He steered me right into the master bathroom where he programmed the shower, eased me out of the shirt, and helped me under the warm spray.

His eyes darkened as he scanned my bruise-riddled body, and I saw guilt.

“It’s not your fault,” I said. “It’s mine. Let’s both let go of the guilt and just appreciate the fact that everyone is safe for now. And for at least the next twenty-four hours, you’ll get that clinginess you craved.”

With a small nod, he gently washed me, taking care not to press too hard on my skin.

Afterward, he pulled a soft t-shirt from his dresser, slipped it on me, and helped me into bed. I snuggled against him, creating as many contact points as possible. Finally feeling safe, I let myself sleep.

The next morning, I found myself comfortably sandwiched between Cross and Shepard. Shepard was spooning me from behind with an arm looped around my waist as if he was ensuring I couldn’t wander away in his sleep.

Cross opened his eyes to watch me as I quietly yawned.

“What time is it?” I asked softly.

“Just after ten,” he returned just as quietly.

I knew I needed to get up but didn’t want to wake up Shepard.

“Your phone’s been making noise for the past thirty minutes,” Cross said.

I made a face, and he kissed my nose.

We both heard the outer door to Shepard’s suite open. Cross' eyes flashed black for half a second before he closed them. The bedroom door banged open a second later, startling me.

I looked up and caught Vena’s angry scowl shift to surprise then delight.

“Shhh. Shepard’s still sleeping,” I said.

“Not anymore,” he said from behind me.

“Girl, I told you to be the cream in their otherworld sandwich, but I didn’t think you’d actually go for it.”

“We were just sleeping, Vena.”

“Sure.” She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

“Is there a reason you barged in here?”

“Oh, yeah. I was mad at you. First, you left without me. Then you got kidnapped and didn’t even tell me.”

“You’re upset Everly was kidnapped without you?” Cross asked,

“And…” Vena said loudly as if speaking over Cross, even though he was already done. “Apparently, getting kidnapped isn’t the only secret you’re keeping. You’ve been enjoying this sleep sandwich often, haven’t you? You’re not even blushing or telling me to get out, which means this isn’t your first time.”

“Get out, Vena,” I said without rancor.

“It’s too late to try to hide the truth. It’s out. Anything else out under those covers?”

I knew my friend well enough to understand why Vena broke in as she had and why she wasn’t ranting at me. She was worried.

“I’m okay, Vena. If I was hurt, do you think they’d just be sleeping next to me?”

“If you were fine, they wouldn’t be just sleeping next to you. You’d really be sandwiched. I mean, with the way Shepard’s positioned, you could?—”

“Vena, don’t,” I said, fighting not to flush as I imagined what she was imagining.

“Fine. But no more ‘Vena does this while Everly does that’ bullshit. We stick together.”

“You’re not getting into this bed,” Shepard said, his voice still rough with sleep. “It’s already too crowded.”

Cross chuckled as Shepard drew me closer to him and away from Cross.

“I’m not interested in joining your bed sport,” Vena said. “I want in on the meeting today.”

“Will it get you to leave the room faster?” Shepard asked.

“Yep.”

“Be at the front door by eleven-thirty.”

“You got it, Alpha. Tap that hard, Everly.”

I listened to the sound of the door closing and shook my head.

Cross winked at me. “Neither of us would mind any tapping.”

“Ha. Not happening. My wrists are still sore from yesterday.”

I held them up to look at them but found myself stolen from Shepard—he didn’t protest—and carried to the bathroom where Cross put some ointment on the marks and wrapped them.

After, he left me alone to wash up and dress. I had some bruises on my arms and legs where Vivian had grabbed me, but nothing more serious than that. It could have been much worse and just added to the bruises left over from the car accident.

At the appointed time, Vena and Anchor met us at Shepard’s SUV.

It didn’t take us long to reach the location that Hugh had selected. It was the same restaurant Cross had taken me to a few days ago. It looked a little different today, though. Rather than tuxedoed men waiting to open the doors for us, two men in all-black gear guarded the entrance and nodded to Shepard as our group of five approached.

Inside, another set of men waited. They didn’t talk to us as they stood sentinel outside the only open door in the hallway. The room was larger than the previous private dining room we’d used.

We were the first to arrive, and Hugh greeted Shepard warmly.

“Welcome, Alpha. Your guard may sit on the chairs against the walls. Help yourself to the appetizers on the table, and order whatever beverage you would like as we wait.”

He turned to Cross and extended his hand. “Brodier Cross, it is a pleasure to meet you. I’ve learned much about you in the last twenty-four hours.”

“Just Cross,” he said, shaking the man's hand, then eyeing the table that had name cards already set out. “We’ll need another chair at the table.”

“Oh?” Hugh asked.

“Everly sits with us,” Shepard said, placing an arm around my shoulders.

“I can sit off to the side with Vena and Anchor.”

“No,” both Cross and Shepard said at the same time.

Hugh smiled. “Consider it done.”

With a gentle wave of his hand, two attendants helped move a chair and added a setting, putting me in between Shepard and Cross.

King Curran and Princess Indri entered with Tryn, the head of His Majesty’s personal guards, before they finished. Tryn scanned the room and moved off to the side by Vena and Anchor.

“It is good to see you both again,” Hugh said. He shook the king’s hand but brought the princess’ hand to his mouth in a mock kiss gesture that made her weary expression turn lighter.

Curran turned to Cross and Shepard, offering his hand in greeting. Although he was polite, I could feel his impatience.

“I’ve heard the death toll is climbing, Alpha, and the vampires are as skillful at evading your efforts to find them as Adriel is at evading mine. What do you plan to do next?”

“Queen Effora should arrive soon,” Hugh said. “I would prefer we wait to begin our discussion until then.”

Curran grumbled under his breath. “This problem won’t solve itself while we stand around the table.” But he took his seat.

We followed his lead.

I nibbled on a few appetizers at Cross' encouragement and made small talk with the princess in an attempt to distract the king from his impatience. However, once the appetizers were gone, Curran began getting antsy and checked the time often. Irritation turned to anger when it was a few minutes past the appointed time and still no sign of the fae queen.

Cross reached under the table and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. At the same time, Shepard looked at the door.

One of the prettiest women I’d ever seen entered the room. Her silky blonde hair was woven with strands of diamonds that sparkled in the light. Her eyes were the lightest shade of blue, and her dress showed off all her attributes to the fullest.

Her expression lit as soon as her gaze landed on Shepard. She veered over to him, standing next to his chair. He stiffened when she rested her hand on his shoulder.

“You are looking as delectable as ever,” she said, drawing a line with her long fingernail down from his shoulder to his chest. “After this meeting, I think you and I should have a private one.”

Poor Shepard, always the gentleman, looked flustered at how to handle her without causing offense or making a scene in front of the others. I had no such problem when he fisted his hands under the table. I reached over with my free hand, set it over his, and leaned forward to claim Effora’s attention.

“Queen Effora, I presume,” I said.

Her gaze lifted from Shepard and swept over me. “You must be Everly. I can see the attraction.” Her gaze shifted back to Shepard. “You should bring her with. Our time together would be positively delicious.”

Shepard moved to dislodge Effora’s hand from his shoulder, but she caught his hand and turned it toward her, laying it on her hip so she could inch closer. One step more and she’d be straddling him.

“Queen Effora,” I said, drawing her attention to me again. I couldn’t keep quiet any longer. What she needed was Vena’s spray bottle, but I knew I couldn’t pull a stunt like that without repercussions.

This wasn’t the time or place for her feeding needs, and Shepard had already expressed his desire for me, not her. I had to set boundaries now.

“Shepard is too much of a gentleman to tell you that you’re making him uncomfortable, but you are. Please release him and take a seat so we can focus on why we’re really here. King Curran and Princess Indri have a long drive home.”

Effora narrowed her eyes at me, but Hugh said, “You promised your cooperation in this meeting.”

With the barest eye roll, she left Shepard’s side and sat at her chair opposite of him.

“All right. I’m seated. Now what?”

“Now we discuss the problem at hand,” Hugh said. “The discovery of the mass graves does not only affect humans.

“The vampire population is out of control and needs immediate mitigation. And the werewolf efforts alone are no longer enough. All the races need to cooperate in the resolution of this problem.”

“And how do you expect my people to help?” the queen asked. “We are not the fighters the werewolves are. And we neither have the strength or fortitude of the dwarves.”

Curran’s face grew progressively redder with each word she spoke.

“Are you suggesting that the fae race is useless?” I asked, angry that she still took a passive stance when there had been so many deaths. “I’m not sure your people would agree.”

She shot me a disdainful look. “Not at all. We definitely have our uses.”

Vena snorted. “Not the use anyone here is interested in.”

“You wish to speak, human?” Effora asked, a small smile tugging at her mouth as she looked at Vena.

“I do.” My best friend stood and approached the table to set her scrying crystal on it. “This is the kind of help we need.”

The queen picked up the crystal and arched a brow at it. “A crystal to find cats? No wonder you have a vampire problem.”

She tossed the crystal to the table again.

“ We have a problem,” Shepard said to Effora. “Unless you suddenly live in a different city.”

Her gaze was like a caress as it skimmed over Shepard. The woman seriously needed a cold shower.

Vena snatched her crystal and shook her head at the queen. “Stupid isn’t a good look on you, so stop pretending. This crystal isn’t just for black cats but for Adriel, the only vampire some fae gifted with the ability to shift. Wonder who that fae could be?”

The queen’s gaze turned truly cold as it shifted to Vena. “Take care how you speak to me, human. You have no place at this table.”

“Vena might not be at the table, but you invited her to speak, and she’s not wrong,” I said. “We know that a powerful fae granted Adriel’s ability to shift. And because of his ability, Adriel snuck into the mountain to kill Prince Hakon. Doesn’t that mean that the fae are then partially to blame for what also happened?”

Effora’s gaze lingered on me as Curran’s fist slammed down on the table, making the china rattle.

“We are owed answers,” he said. The princess put her hand on his arm, trying to calm him.

“Much is owed at this table,” Hugh said. “Humans were promised safety in return for welcoming otherworlders here, and now, many have died. Things have progressed too far for those who I represent to remain quiet. Any who do not wish to contribute to correcting this situation will no longer be welcomed by my kind.

“Now, how do each of you propose to contribute to the removal of the vampires?”

Effora opened her mouth to respond, but the door opened again, cutting her off.

A woman almost as pretty as the queen walked in and smiled as her gaze swept the room. In the hallway behind her, I glimpsed the two guards kissing passionately. It was so shocking it took a few seconds for me to understand what was happening.

The woman was a fae who’d bespelled the guards to win her way into the room.

Tryn, King Curran’s guard, moved to stop the woman, but she calmly held up a hand to stop him.

“I’m here to attend this meeting of the greater races.”

The queen lazily looked over at the woman. “And what right do you have to be here?”

“My name is Xiana, and I am here on behalf of my queen.”

Effora laughed. “I am here on my own behalf.”

“I am here on behalf of Orphia, Queen and rightful representative of the vampires.” As the woman spoke, her gaze shifted to Cross.

“Your queen misses you, Cross.”