CHAPTER TWELVE

“ H ey, Brayden,” Brianna said in greeting as she opened the door to let him in.

He tipped his head to the side and smiled. “Your senses are growing.”

She shook her head and grinned. “No. My mate just cursed your name and stormed out of the room, so I knew it was you.”

Brayden nodded and looked around the room, smiling to himself. “I see.”

He knew he’d pissed the guy off. Hurt his pride. But the situation had been delicate, and he had made the call, rightly or wrongly.

Craig, get your ass out here.

Busy.

Doing what?

Shitting.

Brayden let out a small laugh.

Fine. I will let your beautiful mate entertain me out here while you do your business.

“Would you like some iced—” Brianna was cut off when the door flew open and a big blond male came barreling in.

“Like fuck you will!” Craig growled.

Brayden lifted a brow and only just stopped a smile from slipping onto his lips.

He watched Craig glare at Brianna and knew they were having a telepathic conversation. Leaving them to it, he walked to a large armchair and sat down.

“Right then. I’m going to go visit Willow and Kate. They’re...ah, fuck, whatever. You two don’t give a shit. Just don’t break anything—including each other,” Brianna warned, throwing them both a dark look.

Brayden grinned. He really liked her.

“You have my word,” he said with a nod, ignoring Craig’s glare.

Craig pulled Brianna up against his chest, her feet dangling, and kissed the ever-loving life out of her. Their usual farewell.

The door closed.

Craig turned, crossed his enormous arms, and stared.

“Good shit?” he asked.

“Fuck off, Moretti.”

Brayden smiled, then let out a sigh.

“Alright, enough.” He stood and ran a hand through his hair. “I understand you are furious, and why. It’s not ideal.”

“It’s a fucking train wreck.”

“If this were you and Brianna, you’d do the same thing. He’s handling it pretty damn well.”

Craig groaned behind him as Brayden stood staring out the window. The shutters had only just risen for the evening, and the castle was coming to life.

“Lance has no idea. Neither of them do,” Craig said.

“Like we can talk.” Brayden shrugged.

Grunt.

“You were worse than me,” Craig snapped.

“Really? You want to go there?”

“So what, you going to let her walk free because she’s his fucking mate?” Craig asked, ignoring him.

All humor left him. Brayden turned and glared.

“No. I’m not going to fucking do that. Pull your head out of your ass, Commander.”

Craig walked a fine line of power with the Moretti family. He was a powerful and dominant alpha—hell, it was why the guy was his best friend and commander of the Royal Army. Brayden valued the robust discussions they had. He encouraged them. But Craig knew the no-go zone and rarely ventured into it. When he did, Brayden took off his “friend and captain” hat and put on his “prince” hat, also known as a crown. Which he’d always refused to wear. He left the fancy stuff to his brother; Brayden had always preferred to carry a sword.

Whatever.

It took a powerful alpha to lead other alphas, and fortunately, Brayden was just that male. There was no other vampire more alpha than he was. This was a crucial time in their lives, and right now, his team was not in harmony. He had no intention to let it drag on.

Craig glanced away.

“It’s the king’s decision. You know that. However,” Brayden continued, “I have an idea. A sort of test. One which will prove Sofia’s loyalty to the throne, and to her mate.”

Not that her mate, whether Lance knew he was her mate or not yet, was going to like this. Not one little bit.

“Why would you bother?”

“You know why,” Brayden said, shaking his head. “Same reason you’re so pissed with the guy.”

Craig shrugged. “If she loses her head, he won’t leave.”

Brayden’s brows shot to the roof of his head. “Are you joking right now? For one, are you going to volunteer to do it?”

Craig sat down on the sofa. “Fuck off, Brayden.”

“Listen, I know you don’t want to lose the guy, but they’re bonding. Deal with it,” he said firmly. “Nothing we can do about it now. If Vincent chooses to take her head, he’s fucked.”

Craig shook his head. “ Fuck me.”

Craig rarely showed his feelings, besides his lust for his mate, his protectiveness over those he loved, and when he was pissed off. Or hungry, if that was actually an emotion.

But when he loved, he loved deep. Brayden knew that.

He was very protective of his team. It was why Brayden knew there would be no reasoning with him in the room earlier. All he could see was one of the males he cared about destroying his life over an enemy. Despite only bonding with his own mate weeks earlier, the headstrong, loyal, and protective male had blinders on.

So Brayden had stepped in between them, his royal status the only thing stopping Craig from pushing things further, and they both damn well knew it.

“So what’s this fucking plan, then?” Craig asked.

They sat down around the coffee table, and Brayden told him about Sofia’s childhood and background first before laying out his idea. Together, they mapped out a plan, asking all the questions which would be asked by others, running scenarios, and coming up against a million what if s . Then they fine-tuned it and stared down at their final strategy.

“This could work,” Craig conceded, rubbing his jaw.

“Lance won’t like it,” Brayden added.

“Nope.”

“You won’t trust her.”

“Nope, no way.” Craig shook his head.

He knew of no one, outside the family, more loyal than Craig. It was hard to berate him for it; it was why he trusted him with his life.

“But I believe she deserves a chance. Not just because Lance is one of ours, but because she’s been brainwashed her entire life. We know how powerful a parent’s role is in one’s life. She’s willing to walk away from all of them to pledge her allegiance to the king.”

“Did she actually say that?”

“Well, not in so many words,” Brayden admitted. “But we’re about to ask her.” He stood and looked across the room as he telepathed his brother. He looked back at his friend after a moment. “Vincent’s ready. Are you on board?”

“Yeah.”

He nodded. Then, before he left, he held Craig’s stare. “So...elephant in the room. Just as I did when I realized—before you, I might add—that Brianna was your mate, I had to pull rank. You know that, right?”

“Pulling rank on Willow isn’t quite the same as undermining me in front of one of my males.”

Willow had been furious when she’d learned Brianna might be Craig’s mate. She had felt guilty her friend had been brought into their dangerous world because of her own selfish desire to have her at their ceremony, which wasn’t exactly how it had happened, but Brayden, nevertheless, as prince, had had to overrule his mate who was trying to keep Craig and Brianna apart. And it hadn’t gone down well.

“Trust me. I paid for it.” He grimaced. “The fact is mates trump everything, and we cannot separate them. It doesn’t mean she gets her freedom, and they’re not running off to damn Disneyland as you so eloquently recommended.” Brayden shook his head. “He’s acting from instinct, so you can’t berate the guy’s behavior. No matter how disloyal it appears to you.”

Craig grunted.

“Come on, Craig. The guy has been a loyal and fucking awesome SLC for centuries.”

“Yeah. He has.”

“And, if it were you, you would have broken Brianna out and been across the damn planet by now protecting her.”

Craig grinned.

“Idiot.” Brayden laughed. “He’s going to need our support— your support—with what we are asking of them. So go bang your mate and get rid of this frustration—”

“Hey, watch—!”

“—and I’ll go speak to the king. Join me in thirty minutes.”

“Oh hey, now, that’s just fucking rude. I take far longer than thirty minutes!”

“Whatever, dude, pillow talk. Willow has told me everything.” Brayden grinned as he left the room.

“BULLSHIT!”