Chapter 28

28

CHARLOTTE

I barely know my own name as Killian leads me into the hallway.

"I can't go in like this, and neither can you." My senses finally return, and I shrug my arm away from Killian's. "Bathroom. Wash up. Now."

"Charlotte." Killian growls as I replace my knife in my thigh strap, ignoring his imploring looks, and stomp away from him with as much dignity as I can muster.

The last thing I need now is for everyone to know exactly what we've been up to. I'm sure they'll guess anyway, but I don't need the evidence still smeared all over the prince's chin.

I don't care about anyone else, but I don't want my team to think I'm taking my job to such extreme lengths.

Finding a restroom, I dab some cold water on my neck to cool my overheated body down, and then stare at myself in the mirror. I knew trying to resist Killian would be hard, but when he swooped in and stood up to my mother, I was done for.

Nobody has ever spoken to my mother like that, and when he unleashed the full force of his alpha command, well, I understood exactly what I'm up against. He's been holding back.

This wolf is far stronger than any of them realise.

Closing my eyes, I force the sweet promises he made me to the back of my mind. What good are vague assurances he'll return one day, if he still intends to reject me and leave me behind.

Making sure I don't look too dishevelled, I step out of the ladies bathroom and immediately find myself, face to face, with Killian. Looking up into his handsome face, all I want to do is beam up at him, drape my arms over his shoulders, and press my body to his.

His strength is intoxicating. So is the way he's looking at me right now.

"You can still back out. That was… a lot, back there. I may be asking too much because I selfishly want you by my side."

Damn him. Every time I think I can harden myself to him, he says something like that.

"I'm not backing out, sir. I intend to see this job through to completion."

One hand on my hip, his fingers dig into my waist as he looms over me, eyes blazing. "You were calling me Killian when you came on my tongue, Charlie . Let's cut the sir bullshit, shall we?"

I remain stubbornly silent as he loops my arm through his and escorts me to the dining room.

We're late, apparently, and every pair of eyes turns to stare at us as we walk in, my hand resting gently in the crook of his arm.

Everyone stands and dips their heads in respect, adhering to custom, even if they despise it.

If the public display of affection wasn't enough to tip everyone off to something going on between us, the way Killian growls at the first man who looks at me does.

With wide eyes, the council members and their partners watch as Killian waits for me to take my seat at his side, then sits down himself. He's royalty. He doesn't need to explain himself to anyone, so he doesn't.

The guests all follow his lead and take their seats, casting surreptitious glances in our direction, as Killian reaches out and pulls my chair a little further away from the man next to me, and a little closer to him.

I give him a quick smile, one that would look adoring to anyone else, but he knows I'm not happy with this over-the-top display of ownership. If we were truly only dating, and this was an arranged mating with a suitable match, this would be too much. But I can tell from the glint in Killian's eye that he doesn't care. His wolf is enjoying this too much, and it's making him reckless.

The usual council chit-chat ensues about funding grants for various pack development initiatives, and the restoration work on the palace wing that's soon to begin at breakneck pace. Nobody has dared to ask what's going on between us, lest they draw the ire of Killian's clearly very protective wolf.

Ryker and Theo watch on from their stations near the door, looking highly amused.

"Now that you appear to be getting settled here," Alpha Rhodes says, his attention landing briefly on me before returning to the prince. "Have you thought about what role you'd like to take up for yourself?"

A tense hush falls across the table as Rhodes asks the question everyone else has been thinking but is too afraid to put forth.

Killian sets down his glass of wine and sits back in his chair, looking completely at ease.

My wolf reaches out to his, trying to gauge his intentions, but it's like he's not there. She's met by a stone wall.

"I have." Killian lets his curt response hang in the air awkwardly for a moment, nobody sure how to react to his non-answer. "In fact, I've put a lot of thought into it."

In the blink of an eye, Killian's demeanour changes from laid back alpha to all powerful prince, and everyone seated at the table grits their teeth against the wave of dominance he blasts them with.

"I believe my first course of action will be to reinstate the investigation into the missing funds of your pack."

Oh shit. Killian's gone rogue.

I look at Zane, who seems equally stunned that Killian is throwing the cat among the pigeons in this way. That wasn't part of the plan.

"Then, I believe I'll look into the lucrative contracts for imprisoning feral wolves in my palace dungeon that somehow have not been benefiting the royal coiffeurs or the team charged with guarding them."

A thin man I recognise from Theo's files as Alpha Arthurs glares at Killian, turning a furious shade of purple, as he's blatantly accused of stealing from Zane.

Killian stands, touching my shoulder briefly, before stepping away. It's meant to reassure me that he has a plan, but without knowing what it is, how can I know if it's a good one?

"Or Cressida, how about I look into why Queen Priscilla's murder was never investigated? Even though it was obvious to everyone around at the time, why it wasn't."

My mother, already looking pained after her encounter with the prince earlier, pushes to her feet. "How dare you come in here and accuse us of these things with no evidence?!"

My father takes a healthy swig of his drink and closes his eyes, enjoying the chaos of it all.

"If I'm wrong, it should be no issue to produce documentation for all of the situations I mentioned, proving no wrongdoing occurred." None of the three councillors called out by Killian says a word. He gives them a rueful smirk. "I thought so."

"You can't punish me or my family for my father being lazy? Of course, I would have investigated more thoroughly, but I can't go back in time and change what he did." Cressida is indignant.

The meal is clearly over when Killian finishes his loop of the table and stands at my side. He extends a hand, which I take cautiously, then he pulls me to my feet.

"I'm giving you all a brief window to come to me with anything going on that might even have a whiff of impropriety. If we can fix it and move on, that's what I'll do. If not, well, I was going to find out anyway, and it'll be better for you in the long run if I hear it directly from your mouth and not gossip and whispers."

Low muttering erupts immediately around the table.

"And what if we don't want to have to come to you with all of our internal pack matters?" Rhodes looks like he'd love nothing more than to lunge across the table at Killian and stab him with his knife, but the prince's stare is keeping him pinned to his chair.

"That's completely up to you. But if I've managed to unearth some pretty unbecoming mistakes within your pack finances already, imagine what I might find if I keep digging. I think when you go to your packs with the good news that you've found some extra money in the accounts, it will go down much better than if I tell them I have to rifle your pockets for it."

Rhodes looks like he might pass out. A quick glance around the table, and it's easy to spot who looks angry or nervous, and who looks as perplexed as I feel.

"You have a week, ladies and gentlemen. And my door is always open." About to leave, he stops and looks at one man, who looks completely unconcerned at the end of the table. "Alpha Tate, I've read your proposal on the additional money needed for a shifter paediatric wing. It will be first in line when these other packs audit their accounts and stumble across some excess funds."

With one hand pressing gently against my lower back, Killian steers me from the room, Theo and Ryker immediately falling in at our backs. We're barely into the hallway when the dining room erupts into chaos, nervous arguing and hushed whispers firing back and forth among our guests.

"You couldn't have warned us?" Zane asks as he brings up the rear, glancing over his shoulder as snarls and growls carry out into the hallway. It sounds like things are getting heated in there. "And do you really think offering amnesty to someone stealing pack resources is the right thing to do? The rest of our wolves might not be so forgiving. And they should know the type of people who are leading them."

Killian stops and turns to face Zane, and I stand back, letting the two big males have their discussion. I admire him, his strong jaw and dark features, his unwavering dedication to doing the right thing.

"I decided we needed to expedite matters. Instead of me trawling through every piece of paper created in the last forty years, why not let them come to me with what they've been up to, or tattling on their neighbour's schemes?"

Zane stares at him like he's an idiot, speechless.

I decide I'll be the one to tell Killian the truth. I am supposed to be acting like his girlfriend, after all.

"Because now, instead of maybe one person trying to kill you, they all will be."

Killian shrugs, steely determination in his eyes. "I can't let that stop me from trying to put things right around here. My command is the only one strong enough to force them into it."

"But you'll get hurt," I say, pleading with him to be careful.

Zane stares at me, jaw clenched, my outburst totally inappropriate, if we're merely work colleagues.

I slam my mouth shut and remove my fingers from where they're wrapped around Killian's wrist. Stunned, I stare at his handsome profile as realisation slams into me.

The man gives dynamite orgasms. He's approving funding for children's hospitals. He's rooting out corruption in the elite shifter society with no regard for his safety…

And he stood up to my mother for being mean to me.

There's only so much sexiness a woman can resist, and I've about reached my limit.

I am so screwed.