CHAPTER FOURTEEN

L ance grabbed two chairs and directed Sofia to sit in one while he took the other. Around him, his peers leaned and found a spot to plant their asses.

The king cleared a few papers off his desk and leaned forward. “Sofia Ferrero.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” she replied, lowering her head in respect.

Sofia had barely spoken to him when he’d collected her. Short, polite answers were all he got, and at this point, Lance was in such a state of shock at what he had finally realized was happening that he found himself just going through the damn motions.

Craig had instructed them all to meet outside the king’s room, and so he and Sofia had stood there kicking dust for a few minutes while waiting for the others. He hoped this wasn’t the moment the king sentenced her to death, because then he’d have to chop his own head off for wasting the one moment of his life he had with his mate.

Probably.

No, she is.

Most likely.

He glanced around the room, taking in the six other huge vampire males. Would he really just sit here and let them sentence her to death? Mate or not? Unlikely.

Chances of taking them all out?

Ten percent.

Okay, probably more like one percent.

We. Can. Never. Be. Together . Lance’s jaw clenched.

“You’re in a pretty shit situation,” the king said, and out of the corner of his eye, Lance saw Brayden lift his eyes in prayer to some unknown god.

“Yes. I am.”

“You have spoken to the prince, I understand.” At her nod, the king continued. “Brayden says you may be willing to pledge your allegiance to the Moretti throne.” Then he added, “To me.”

The room went silent as everyone watched Sofia for her reaction. She turned to face him, her eyes filled with questions.

Lance had no idea where the king’s questioning was headed, but there was a spring of hope inside his chest which hadn’t existed moments ago. He was under no delusions Sofia would walk out of this room a free woman. Lance knew these males and what was at stake. None of them, including him despite his feeling for her, would ever let her walk free.

The chocolate brown eyes looking back at him were asking questions of him he really wasn’t sure he had answers for. Not yet, in any case. However, neither of them had the luxury of time, and if she was his mate, then Lance would regret fucking up this moment.

The choice was hers, but how he responded right now would influence her.

Pulling her into his arms and kissing her was not exactly on the cards, so he tried to do that magic chick thing where they smiled with their eyes and hoped he didn’t look like he needed to race to the toilet.

She blinked.

Lance panicked. I’m going to fuck this up. And in the moment his eyes reflected his fear of losing her, she smiled and turned back to the king.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I am willing.”

Vincent nodded. “Good.” He suddenly stood and drew a sword from behind him. “Then on your knees you go.”

Lance stood in surprise, moving in front of Sofia without stopping to even think about what he was doing.

Brayden took a step toward him and pointed a finger. “Stay where you are. She won’t be harmed.”

Lance felt, rather than saw, Craig step closer.

What the hell?

Lance was well aware of what the king was doing. Hell, he’d seen it done a million times. He knew Sofia wasn’t in any danger, and yet nobody had sent his damn body the memo. Clearly, the two big-ass males glaring at him had expected his reaction. With alpha energy pouring off them, he stood clenching his fists.

Meanwhile, Sofia had dropped to her knees while Vincent moved the deathly sharp object closer to her.

A hand landed on his shoulder, and Lance sensed the big fucking paw belonged to his commander. With a grunt, Craig shoved him back into his chair, and he watched Brayden move to stand beside Sofia then stare at him all fucking stay where you are.

A glance around him, and Tom, Kurt, and Marcus all stood tall with their eyes peeled. At him. He knew their stance well; it said they were ready to move if he did. The moment he did.

Lance’s jaw tensed as he turned to watch the king swing the sword around Sofia’s head, knowing it could just as easily have been her execution instead of this. A bunch of words were said, Sofia agreed, and then it was over. Sofia stood and curtsied, returning to her seat beside him.

Everyone around him relaxed and took a step back.

“Thank fuck that’s done,” Brayden said.

Lance rubbed his hand over his face and glanced at Sofia, who gave him a small smile. “You okay?”

She nodded and let out a quiet yes .

Vincent slid his sword back into its sheath. “Sofia. I have a proposition for you, and before any of you clowns say anything dumb, please don’t.”

Kurt snorted.

“Okay,” Sofia answered. “What is it?”

Vincent sat down, and with his hands steepled on the desk in front of him, he said, “We’d like you to be our spy.”

“The fuck?!” Lance yelled, leaping to his feet.

“Always with the subtlety, Vincent,” Brayden drawled, shaking his head, and pointed at Lance again. “You. Sit down.”

“Like fuck!” Lance growled.

“De Luca, do as the prince says,” Craig ordered.

Lance looked between them all like they were fucking crazy. “You can’t send her back in there. She was RAPED!”

“Lance, please,” Sofia said and pulled on his sleeve. “Let them talk.”

“You seriously cannot be considering this?” Lance asked her, ripping his arm away from her. The large paw reappeared, two this time, and he was pushed down into his seat. “The fuck?”

“You want a chance to be with your girl, listen the fuck up,” Craig growled.

My girl?

He looked at Sofia, but she was focused on the king.

“We’re going to fake your escape and send you back into the rebellion. With protection. A team who will protect you at all times,” Brayden explained. “Or as much as they can, given you will be an undercover spy.”

Lance shook his head.

This was so un-fucking-believable he wanted to poke his damn eyes out. What were they thinking? She had been R-A-P-E-D. He glared at the prince as he spoke.

“Look, I realize it’s not perfect, but we need information if we are to get ahead of this lunatic. We know we have interrupted one of his operations, but now vampires are going missing—”

“Vampires are going missing?” Sofia asked, concern lacing her voice.

Brayden nodded.

“Yes, from central Rome. The location itself tells us it’s likely connected to Russo. So we need you to find out what the hell he is up to, where these vampires are, and who else is involved.”

Fury rose inside of Lance as he imagined Sofia being in the same space as that evil and unstable vampire, his hands over her again. He clenched his hands on the arms of the chair and heard them crack. Brayden glanced at him.

“I don’t know...”

“Sofia, I am offering you this opportunity to redeem yourself,” Vincent spoke up. “If you are willing, Brayden and his team will set this up in return for your service to the throne.”

Lance turned to face her and took in her wide eyes and the quiver in her lower lip.

“Jesus, she’s terrified,” he growled at everyone in the room, furious the males he had trusted his life with, those he had sworn allegiance to many centuries ago, could even ask this of the female sitting beside him. “Who the fuck are you?”

A small hand landed on his arm.

Lance glanced down at it, then his eyes lifted to hers. Her eyelids lowered in resignation, and he knew she was going to agree to it. Despite his fury, every single vampire in the room knew Sofia had no other choice. She had been manipulated into it.

While no one was saying it out loud, it was this or her head.

“If there was any other way...” he began to tell her.

“I know,” Sofia replied softly, nodding.

Lance looked over at the prince. “I’m going with her.”

“That’s over to the commander. He picks his teams,” Brayden replied.

Fuck.