Chapter 8

8

CHARLOTTE

I do a sweep of the downstairs, the blueprints of the house now burnt into my brain.

His scent calls to me. Much as I want to forget about him and this damned connection, my wolf is keen to ensure his safety.

I may as well give her this. Being close and helping protect him gives her at least some sense of behaving as a mate would.

"The easiest access point to the property is going to be the destroyed wing. Much of it is still open to the elements as the council is unwilling to release enough funding to repair it. They barely pay for the maintenance. It's a constant battle." Zane strides ahead of me, hands clasped behind his back, as we approach a set of double doors that look noticeably newer than anything else around them.

Fresh air flows underneath the door, a draft blowing under what should be an internal doorway. But the smell of charred wood is unmistakable.

Pushing open the doors, Zane looks unsurprised at the mess behind it. Given the palace is in his territory, I'm sure he's been here countless times. But the sight of the half-burnt furniture and smut blackened walls shocks me.

"With the prince's return, hopefully, we can finally get this work completed. But for now, all activity will remain on the other side of the house, and this entry point will need to be monitored extra carefully."

The heavy wooden doors are strong, but not angry-shifter strong. A stiff breeze carries through the space, courtesy of the collapsed corner and the glass-less windows. If anyone gets as far as the main building, this is the easiest place to hide and gain access.

"I'm getting lights and cameras installed, but for now, it is what it is." Zane shuts the doors again and continues our tour, showing us the various security features, the safe room, the surveillance cameras, and the weapons, all on site. It's subtly done. Unless you knew they were there, you'd never guess, like all of the best security systems.

"I've kept the unit small. Whoever might be planning something is almost certainly powerful and well connected. They're the only ones who have something to fear from the reinstatement of the monarchy, and something to gain from the prince's demise. We're going to need to be both discrete and ever present. One of you will be his constant shadow from now on."

Zane isn't taking any chances. And since the very people who might want to kill Killian are the same people who he'll be meeting and dining with, protecting him twenty-four/seven is going to be a nightmare. They only have to get to him once.

I don't envision getting much sleep in the near future.

"Am I the last here, sir? Should we wait for the others to continue?" I look around, wondering why I'm getting a private tour. And whether it's a good thing or a bad thing.

"I wanted to speak with you alone, because I have an idea." Zane's expression is, as always, impossible to read. "And I'm hoping it's something you'll be willing to go along with, at least, for a while."

Dread slithers down my spine like ice.

Resting my hands on my hips and taking a steadying breath, I meet Zane's cautious stare. "Let me guess, you make Elodie queen, and because my mother is terrifying, nobody will be after Killian?"

I'm being sarcastic, but Zane's narrowed eyes tell me I'm closer to the mark than I imagined.

"Something like that." He sighs, looking me up and down, no doubt, comparing me to my perfect sister in his mind. "I think it would be good to have someone that isn't obviously part of Killian's security team sticking close to him at all times. A woman."

My wolf sits up and takes notice, not one bit happy at where this conversation is headed. She doesn't want another woman anywhere near Killian.

"That would be too dangerous." It's the only excuse I can come up with, because whoever she is, she'll be directly in the line of fire.

"I agree. And she has to be someone that the outside world would accept as being suitable for the prince."

He raises an eyebrow, and stares at me, hard.

"Elodie?" I frown. "But she only has basic training. She'd be too worried about a nail to actually defend him if anything went down."

Zane hides his smirk and shakes his head. "Not your sister, Charlotte. You. You're well trained, you're already here, and your family is well respected. Nobody will blink twice at the idea that a Webster would be accompanying the prince to social occasions and pack visits."

My wolf loves the idea.

I, on the other hand, want to run for the door. Again.

"Think of it as going undercover."

I narrow my eyes, wondering if he meant the double entendre, but he doesn't give anything away.

"And as you know, my elite team does lots of undercover work in far-away places. You can consider this a trial run."

This all sounds very reasonable, except I know he's purposely leaving the main part out, because he knows all about my fractured relationship with the women in my family.

"And I'd be doing that because…?"

Zane sucks in a deep breath and holds my gaze, almost apologetic. "Because you're going to pretend to be promised to the prince."

I close my eyes, so Zane doesn't see my wolf pushing through to the surface.

This is great news for her, but not so much for me. How on earth am I supposed to resist Killian and avoid getting myself trapped in this mating, if I'm forced to act like his girlfriend?

When I open them reluctantly, Zane is looking at me with one eyebrow raised. "Problem?"

"With pimping myself out as the prince's arm candy? Yes."

Zane rolls his eyes at my overly dramatic reaction.

"And I doubt the prince will want this, either."

Zane shrugs. "Obviously, he'll have the final say. But you're the only highly trained guard I have here. I can bring in another female to do it, but he'll be unprotected for a few days until I can make that happen."

My claws lengthen at the idea of another she-wolf pretending to be in a relationship with my mate.

"Can I be blunt?" I ask, feeling like I'm drowning, as I imagine another woman draped over my mate, pawing and touching him, giggling at his jokes and fawning over his every move.

My wolf ripples under my skin, urging me to make sure that doesn't happen.

"Of course." Zane waits patiently, seeing the struggle I'm having with my wolf. He knows this is serious, and the answer is worth hearing. Most people find Zane cold and emotionless. I, however, find him calm and considerate. Not bad traits to have for a powerful man.

"Have you considered that I might not be as good in these social situations as my surname suggests? Not all Websters are born politicians."

My mother fully intends to pass me over when handing down her seat on the council, so I definitely wouldn't be her first choice to be playing happy families with Killian.

"I have. But I also have faith that you'll pull it off. And I'm sure if your mother believes there's a chance she could have a daughter as a princess, she'll help you out."

He clearly doesn't know my mother as well as I thought, or maybe, it's a calculated risk, letting her get closer to the palace.

"Of course, I haven't discussed this with the prince. He hasn't given away much about his personal life, but I don't see a mating mark. Hopefully, he has no objections."

Hopefully, he does, I think as Zane resumes our tour.

Nodding, I mindlessly stare at the dramatic architecture, the expensive art and ornate furniture, and I feel my blood pressure rise. This is exactly what I want to get away from, and why I've worked so hard to find a way out of my mother's web.

"If the prince is agreeable, I'll set up a meeting tomorrow, and you can discuss the finer details."

I can still picture him standing on the balcony at the rear of Blake Steel's pack house, staring out into the night after I slipped away. He has no reason to think I'm eager to be his now, but this could give him the wrong impression.

Will a prince, and a strong and dominant wolf, really take no for an answer?