31. Remy

31

REMY

“And what do I owe the pleasure of such an esteemed visitor?” I ask, taking a seat behind the meeting table in the library. Councilor Moon strolls to a shelf of books, looking over the spines. His tied-back long white hair and beard try to age him, but his tall strong body exudes his immortality.

He definitely should get rid of the beard.

“This shelf construction is beautiful. Was it done by the gargoyles I passed on my way in?” Moon asks.

“It was. The Bramblewicks do good work.” I make small talk. As a rule, I never interact with gargoyle society, but the Bramblewick clan doesn’t count. They are far from the hierarchical xenophobic collection of clans who somehow still manage to breed pure .

The Bramblewicks are a bunch of misfits who give humans as much status as gargoyles and are the best at quality construction projects. Being gargoyles means that they understand the importance of a gift, especially when one makes yet another misstep with one’s mate.

I didn’t enjoy the way I left her this morning. There’s a miasma clinging to the memory that attempts to taint the pleasure we shared. It’s the same darkness that lingering in my heart and caused me discomfort for days after our wedding night. Guilt that wars with craving need.

How can I stay in control of myself while fucking my wife?

I don’t know how to interact with her without wanting to capitulate to everything she wants. Perhaps with time, she won’t look to me for softness, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting to give it to her now.

It doesn’t stop the ache when I withhold it.

The energy of the room changes, and I roll my shoulders as curious shadow wisps turn into Ben and Stella. Does she always squeeze her eyes shut when he teleports her?

“Ah, Lady Stella.” Moon rises, his tone light. “I was hoping you’d be able to be present for my visit.”

“Councilor Moon.” Her cheeks were flushed, but they lose color as soon as she sees him. I wish I could assure her that everything is fine, but his presence is an omen.

Moon rarely leaves his massive estate.

“And Mr. Barnes, I didn’t expect you,” Moon says.

Ben swallows, his face expressionless. “Kalos has an interest the stabilization of this territory. We’re offering a helping hand.”

I barely keep my lips from twitching in amusement. A helping hand indeed . I narrow my eyes at the time before casting a glance at the demon. It’s ten minutes to five.

The Bramblewicks are gone, but if Ben and Stella had gotten here any sooner, the work they did in bedroom wouldn’t have been finished.

The demon arches his brow in challenge.

I focus on our visitor. I’ll deal with the insolent masochist later.

“You were just going to tell me what made you want to leave your castle to visit us,” I say to Moon.

The councilor’s brows rise, perhaps in surprise that I’m not ordering Ben away, but I don’t owe him an explanation. I have plans for these two.

“I suppose we should just get down to it,” Moon says. “The Council has noticed the unrest in your territory.”

My lips purse, and I readjust in my seat. Stella somehow gets paler.

“Unrest is expected when a new territory leader takes over,” I say. “What is this really about?”

Moon takes a chair with a sigh. “It’s multilayered. First, rumors of the Sova family have spread.”

“They’ve been retrieved. I hardly think that’s a bad thing,” I say with a shrug. Stella looks surprised, and I nod to her. “The mothers of the children are home where they belong. We were able to get them from the fae plane this morning.”

Relief is stark on her face, but Moon continues.

“And they were taken in the first place.”

I narrow my eyes before rolling them. We both know that the incident occurred before I took over, but we also both know that it doesn’t matter. “Of course, when missing people were whispered about instead of acknowledged, that wasn’t a problem. So what is the plan of the Council? It sounds like they’ve already made up their minds.”

Moon’s chin dips. “They will run a vote in the territory. A certain portion want the people here to give a vote of no confidence.”

Ben sucks in a breath. A territory vote is very rare. It’s within the Council’s rights as overseers, but it risks angering other territory leaders.

“To which they’ll sweep in and place their own chosen figurehead,” I assume, not showing my anger. “Lobo’s uncle must not realize that his nephew isn’t in a position to take over more territory.”

Moon nods, unsurprised by that insight. He’s the Council representative for all creatures who aren’t witches or shifters. He has his fingers in many pies.

“And what would you suggest?” Stella asks.

Moon shrugs. “You need to have the territory put their trust in you. Anticipate foul play. Some representatives will not go about things fairly here, and I expect they will send agents to sow dissention.”

This is a game of politics. In the face of real problems, like securing the territory from the group trying to traffic our people, it’s exhausting. I sigh. “All because they don’t want to give Kalos his win?”

Now the immortal being across from me rolls his eyes. “Of course. They wish to exert as much power as they possibly can against him. Perhaps even tempt him to violence so they can finally attempt to put him down. They don’t realize that it will be the last thing they try to do. Don’t disregard your own standing though.”

I frown.

Moon continues, “With this territory grab, there are those who see you as getting too powerful for how rare your kind is. You hold too much influence that they can’t get their hands on.”

They’d deserve it if Kalos and I teamed up together and wiped them from the map. But that would be anarchy, and the casualties of war don’t hit the strongest, they hit the vulnerable. My eyes rest of Stella’s too-pale face. I will not endanger those I protect.

“How long?” I ask.

“You have about a week before they make the vote public, and maybe another week before the votes are cast,” Moon says.

They’re moving quickly. “Thank you for the warning.”

The immortal shrugs. “It’s good for everyone if when the vote is cast, you come out on top. The other councilors may not see that, but I do.”

He is used to thinking of things in a much longer window than the others he serves with. It’s unfortunate that a faction refuses to listen to him.

Moon bids farewell and leaves the room on a somber note. The guard who directed him here meets him in the hall and leads him back to the elevator.

It’s just the three of us now. Stella begins pacing, like the energy around her needs an outlet.

“This is only giving truth to our suspicions. It doesn’t change anything,” I say.

“It changes a lot. The charms aren’t enough,” Stella breathes. “Fuck, I can’t possibly make them fast enough to provide the level of comfort we need.”

“You figured out how to make the charms?” I ask. Last I heard, she was still struggling with the limitations of the magic.

She nods distractedly, but pride swells in my chest.

She’s done the impossible. Is there anything this witch can’t do if she puts her mind to it?

My eyes meet Ben’s, and his grim expression lightens for a moment. We both appreciate how one-of-a-kind she is. My admiration for her increases by the day. Perhaps that is why it’s so hard to resist her.

“What if we conceive an heir?” Stella says.

I freeze. A stricken look flashes over Ben’s features before he reels it back in.

She continues, “Ariel recommended it. Said the territory was hoping for it.”

I turn to take her in. Her lips are pressed thin, determination rolling off her in waves.

Anyone who didn’t know her would think that Stella desires to be a martyr over and over again. Once to marry me to save her friend, and now again by offering up her body for the territory.

But they’d be wrong. They wouldn’t see the fire that exists in my mate.

They don’t see the woman holding my gaze and wanting to secure this territory in a way that leaves the Council frothing.

She wants to win. I don’t know how she was ever able to hide in the shadows. Her light called to me even then. She was born to lead whether she knows it or not.

But all those higher thoughts are drowned out by baser instincts. The hunger that I attempt to temper roars to the surface. The guilt from my misstep this morning won’t stop me from devouring her lovely sacrifice. I’m only so strong.

“Be very careful wife,” I say, standing and striding around the table toward her. The sweetness of her scent has been driving me up the wall. I’d never spent much time contemplating the need for an heir. I’d never assumed that mating the witch I’ve been obsessed with would make me want to mount her, but the compulsion is one that buzzes in the back of my mind.

Stella’s breath catches when I get to a step away and stop. My mouth waters, but this is something that requires clarity.

I make my voice soft. “Are you saying you want me to put a baby in you?”

Strategically, an heir would be a boon. Stella’s aunt is correct. Along with the charms, it could be enough to tilt the odds in our favor. I’ll do my best to tip the scales of course, but an heir speaks of commitment. It realizes the need of the people here for our mating to be above suspicion.

Stella blinks rapidly and glances at Ben who is motionless, hands clenched at his sides. He doesn’t know that we’ve fucked without his help, but maybe, just maybe, my queen’s knight will stay if she admits to needing him. It’s a concession I’m selfish enough to enjoy for this.

The love he has for her is the consolation prize she more than deserves.

I grasp her chin. “Do you want us to put a baby in you?”

Her pupils expand.

Ben’s eyes widen, and he shakes his head. “It needs to be yours by blood?—”

“We’ll be careful,” I cut him off with a careless shrug. “Are you saying you wouldn’t want to help breed our witch?”

Ben’s mouth drops open, but the flare of desire is there in the reddening of his cheeks.

Ah, he assumed that this would be the moment he’d be dismissed. Shortsighted demon. His presence allows me to torment her in a way that we will all enjoy.

I like the flavor of her anger. And maybe if she busy gnashing her teeth and cursing my name, those wide eyes of hers will stop gouging my heart for what I can’t give her.

Maybe, with his help, I can put a baby inside her without fanning the dangerous flames inside me that could destroy everything I’ve ever worked for

Fuck. The forbidden part of my heart that tries to stir around these two throbs at the idea of tying us tighter together. Of filling our witch until my seed takes root. This is a claiming whether either of them considers it to be.

They will both be mine, and the rightness of that thought is a checkmate.

But I’ll still make her work for it.

Stella finds her voice, and it burns as hot as her determination. “If Ben helps, then yes.”

The demon in question is still stunned, but his nod is almost imperceptible.

My grin is so sharp it hurts. “Then let us begin.”