by Leigh Walker
I winced. “Maya’s no favorite of mine, but that seems cruel.”
“She only has herself to thank for her predicament. I have to smuggle her into the Realm because of the lockdown. Don’t tell anyone about it, please. But I wanted you to know. She’ll be locked up in the dungeon next to her little messenger friend, and she’ll pay for her crimes.”
“No. Rhys, stop. Think about it.” I sat up again. “What Maya did was a nasty trick, nothing more. She shouldn’t be dragged back up here and locked in a cell because she was jealous of me. That’s not justice.”
Rhys sat up, too. “She’s the reason I went out into the woods and got attacked.”
“Then you should thank her because at least now you know what you’re up against.”
He didn’t say anything for a minute.
“Can you agree with me about that?” I asked.
“I don’t know. It seems to me that you, as a human, have a different take on crime and punishment than I do. I don’t see doing wrong as having a lot of nuance. Maybe that’s the wolf instinct in me—once someone or something crosses you, you never trust it again. You never forget. That’s survival.”
“I appreciate that, but in this instance, the someone who crossed us is out of the country.” I shook my head. “We neither have to trust Maya nor worry about her. She doesn’t matter.”
“But she went to the trouble to trick you once she’d left the show. That means that she’s vindictive.” Rhys frowned. “People who have an axe to grind are dangerous. She’s jealous. I’ve seen it happen time and time again—jealousy eats at people. It influences their decisions, their demeanor, their beliefs. She thinks you’re getting something that you don’t deserve. She has tried to tear you down, and she’ll do it again.”
He looked me in the eye. “I don’t trust people who cross me. I don’t give second chances. As a king and a pack leader, I will do anything to protect you and to protect those I call my own. When someone puts one of mine in danger, they will have danger returned to them.”
I sighed. “I think you’re making more out of this than you should.”
Rhys brushed the hair back from my face. “And I think that leaving your enemy unattended is folly.”
“Okay, okay. Bring her here if you must, but remember that Maya didn’t actually put me in danger.” I patted his hand in an attempt to calm him down. “She only tried to separate us.”
Rhys stared at our hands. “I see that as dangerous, my lady. And I won’t forgive or forget it.”
He left before the sun came up. I went back to tossing and turning.
His word echoed in my head. When someone puts one of mine in danger, they will have danger returned to them. I might not care about Maya as a friend, but she didn’t deserve to be locked in the dungeon for the rest of her life. Rhys would have to listen to me. I would make him see my point of view.
Unfortunately, there were bigger things to worry about. Rhys believed that King Black was aligning himself with the rebels in an attempt to sacrifice the Realm. If there was evidence of that alliance, Rhys wouldn’t hesitate to fight him.
That much I knew, and the idea petrified me.
But King Black was a dangerous opponent, and our relationship to him was complicated. He was an ancient, powerful vampire and was married to Queen Serena, who was also ancient, powerful, and quite scary in her own right. King Black was the father of our dear friends Prince Dallas Black and Prince Austin Black. Their wives, Princess Blake and Princess Gwyneth, were two of my best friends. King Black ruled the settlements as well as the Black Guard, which Eve and Balkyn served. Then there was the fact that all my friends and family were settlers living under the rule of the supernatural being that Rhys was contemplating waging war against.
I stared at the ceiling, lost in my thoughts. If I won the competition, I would become queen of the Realm. What if King Black was conspiring with the rebels to take down the werewolf leadership? That meant they would be coming for all of us—me, my husband, and my home. There was much more at stake than just a silly dating competition. There was a future, one that seemed quite dangerous.
There was no way I could know what would happen. To some extent, the details didn’t matter. In and of itself, marrying a king was dangerous. A leader such as Rhys, who was also a soldier, would always be at risk. He would fight for his people and his lands, and he would always choose to be in the front lines. That was who he was: fierce, reliable, and loyal.
If it wasn’t a war against King Black, it could be a war against the rebels. If it wasn’t the rebels, it could be some new enemy—someone who wanted to come for our lands, our wealth, and our people. If I married Rhys, I would always be worried. That came with the territory of becoming a royal, especially if I were the wife of someone such as Rhys.
I’d always pictured myself in a position of importance. Since becoming a Goodwill Ambassador, I’d come to enjoy working in the political arena. When I’d let my fantasies take over and imagined being queen of the Realm, I’d pictured myself running the country alongside my husband. Nothing in me had shied away from the idea of that massive responsibility. I wasn’t afraid of fighting for what was mine or defending the people who relied on me to protect them.
Thoughts of those responsibilities and dangerous rivalries were necessary and pragmatic, but they were secondary. I saw the future with new eyes. I had to face the truth—I loved Rhys so much, I couldn’t bear to think of being parted from him.
I could lose him in the contest. Or I could lose him for good on the battlefield.
I tossed and turned some more for good measure. Sleep eluded me, as did answers. There was no relief in sight.
Ready For It
Giuliana hummed to herself as she packed my overnight bag.
“You seem very cheerful about this whole thing.” I eyed her warily as she folded a short silky nightgown and added it to my suitcase. “You don’t need to pack so much. I might not spend the night.”
She clucked her tongue. “Of course you will. No use arguing about it—you and the king are in love. You’re meant to be. And I’ve heard that the overnight suite is to die for.”
I arched an eyebrow. “That’s saying something, coming from an immortal.”
“Ha ha.” She packed another flimsy negligee, and I decided to stop watching. “All I’m saying is, you won’t want to leave His Highness’s side, and for once, you won’t have to. I bet he’s beside himself about your date. I’ve heard Nan is cooking up a feast!”
“That’s lovely.” I wanted to be excited about the overnight date, but I just couldn’t rouse myself. Lack of sleep and worry about what was to come had toned down my excitement, turning the energy mostly to nerves.
I wrung my hands together, and Giuliana noticed. “Are you nervous?”
“Of course.” Just not for the reason you might think. I needed to change the subject. “Tell me, what is the chatter about the children’s center?”
Giuliana’s smile dropped. “Lady Raine’s maids are making it out to be a bigger deal than they should. I’m barely speaking to them at the moment. They’re going on and on, making fools of themselves when everyone knows you’re the front-runner.”
“What are her maids saying?”
“That the children’s center is a massive success.” She rolled her eyes and continued. “And that King Rhys is going to all sorts of trouble to make it spectacular because he’s trying to win Joely’s heart. Which is rubbish, as far as I’m concerned. He needs to make the center great because it belongs to the Realm and it’s important. But it’s got nothing to do with that redhead.” She sniffed in disapproval.
“Ah, Gi. Your loyalty warms my heart.” I smiled at her. “But I think we both need to face the fact that the king is making a very large commitment to the center—and maybe also to the woman who masterminded it.”
“My lady—”
“Now, now, I’m not saying this to upset you. It’s just that you should be prepared for anything, inclu
ding His Highness choosing one of the other girls.” I kept my tone light. “The facilities for the center are huge, and the land around it is expansive. They’re making a playground, of course. It’s going to be charming.” For some reason, thinking about the playground made me sad. What if there was a war, and none of the wolves ever got to marry and have families? What if someday it were Joely’s children playing on the swings, not mine?
“Please, my lady, don’t become maudlin.” Giuliana straightened her spine. “No matter what her maids say, the rest of the staff and I know the truth. His Highness loves you, and he will choose you.”
I put a smile back on my face. “Thank you. That means a lot. The good news is, it won’t be long now. He’ll choose the winner soon. Then all the guessing will be over.”
Giuliana nodded and went back to packing. Elsa roused herself from bed and whined.
“Is she feeling all right?” Gi peered at her. “She’s not her rambunctious self.”
I sighed then knelt by the gnome bed and scratched Elsa’s head. “Would you like to go and stay with Beast tonight?”
Suddenly, she was a quivering mass of fur, her tongue lolling out. She whizzed around the room in excited circles, making Giuliana jump out of the way, laughing.
I laughed too. “I guess that’s a yes! Gi, will you see to it that Roger takes her over to the Northern castle? I’ll write a quick note to Blake.” I didn’t want to part ways with my pet, but it hardly seemed fair to make her stay home if I was going to spend the night with the king.
I quickly wrote a note to Blake, explaining that I had my date and that Elsa sorely missed Beast. Don’t try and keep her, please, I wrote. And you know I don’t often beg! Blake would understand, of course. But just as I had enjoyed having both gnomes with me, she would have fun with them, too.
“Let’s just put the final touches on your makeup, my lady.” Giuliana beamed at me. “It’s almost time.”
Gi had to redo my lip gloss three times because I kept kissing Elsa goodbye, but finally, I was ready. I descended the steps with my overnight case in my hands. Mira Kinney had sent express instructions: dress in a fine gown and carry my case. She wanted me filmed coming down the stairs, prepared and nervous for my night with the king.
I was both. Truth be told, although Rhys had already spent more than one night in my bed, this seemed different. Not only would we be filmed, but there had been so much talk about the romantic overnight suite. My heart thudded as my heels clicked down the stairs. Mira was taking a risk with these dates. Twelve whole hours alone with the werewolf king stretched out in front of me. Joely was right—the whole thing felt rather scandalous.
“Here she is. Ladies and gentlemen, here is our contestant, Goodwill Ambassador Lady Tamara Layne. As you know, Lady Layne hails all the way from Settlement Eleven.” Mira beamed at me as I reached the bottom of the stairs. “You’ve come a long way, Lady Layne, and not just in distance.”
My television persona kicked in immediately. I grinned and tossed my hair over my shoulders. “I expect I haven’t reached the end of the line just yet.”
“How are you feeling about entering the final stretch of the competition?” Mira asked.
“First of all, I hope it isn’t the final stretch for me. I’ve become quite accustomed to blessing the Realm, not to mention His Highness, with my presence.” I grinned wickedly. I didn’t know how much longer I would be in front of the cameras. I should have some fun with it.
“Ah, Tamara.” Mira chuckled as she air-kissed me on each cheek. “You always put a smile on my face.”
I didn’t know if I was imagining it, but I thought the vampire television host looked paler than usual beneath her makeup. “I’m happy to hear that, Mira. You know I’ve enjoyed our time together. Joking aside, I hope it isn’t over too soon. I’m not ready to say goodbye.”
“It’s not over until it’s over, darling. And your evening has only just begun.” Mira’s eyes sparkled. I knew her well enough to know that something was troubling her, but she would never break down in front of the cameras. “I’m pleased to share that His Highness has prepared a very special night for you. From dinner to the incredible overnight suite, every detail has been attended to. I assure you that you’ll be very well taken care of.”
“That’s lovely, Mira. His Highness has shown me every kindness since I’ve come to the Realm. I’m sure that tonight will be no exception.”
“Are you surprised to hear that the other contestants will be watching the live feed of your date tonight?” Mira shoved the microphone beneath my nose.
I knew she was only doing her job, but I had to resist the urge to groan. If Dae and Joely were being forced to watch my date, it meant that my turn to be tortured was next. “I didn’t know that. I’m sure it will be, um, an experience. And I’ll have the pleasure of seeing them on their respective dates later this week. You sure know how to keep us on our toes, Mira!” I winked at her.
She seemed relieved at my humor and laughed. “We just want to keep the audience in the loop.” She turned back toward the cameras. “Every minute of tonight’s date will be filmed, and all the best parts will be shared with you. Also, you’ll be able to watch the other contestants’ reactions to Lady Layne and King Rhys’s date. You won’t miss a thing—and trust me, you won’t want to! Without further ado, let’s bring out His Highness, King Rhys. I know he’s eager to begin his evening with the lovely and enchanting Lady Layne.”
Right on cue, Rhys strode out. He wore a tight-fitting black leather tunic molded to his sculpted chest, and his hair was back in a sleek bun. His muscles bulged beneath his uniform, and his eyes were clear and bright. I resisted the urge to fan myself when he got closer and swept into a bow. “Mira, Lady Layne.” His eyes glittered as he smiled at us. “I’m looking forward to tonight. Thank you for this opportunity.”
He took my case and handed it to a nearby sentinel. “Please put this in the overnight suite.”
I shivered. There was a lot of mention of this suite, and it had me on edge. Rhys held out his hand for me, and I took it. As we started out of the room, Mira yelled, “Cut! Let’s get set up in the dining room.”
“Excuse me for one moment.” I squeezed Rhys’s hand before releasing it and ducking back to see the vampire host. She was neatly wrapping up her microphone wire as I approached. “Mira, is anything wrong? You seem as though you’ve got something on your mind.” I made sure to keep my voice low.
“You’ve obviously been working with me too long. Any small chink in my armor, and you’re onto me.” She chuckled, but I caught another flash of emotion beneath her makeup.
“You can tell me, you know.”
“But you already know, Tamara. You’re well aware of the danger we’re facing. I just want the show to go on, and I want it to end well. These shows are my babies.” She raised her gaze to meet mine. “So enjoy your date tonight—you’re doing a good job of entertaining the audience. Please keep it up. The higher the ratings, the safer we all are.”
“Yes, Mira.”
Before I returned to Rhys, I fluffed my hair, smoothed my dress, and raised my chin. Not only must the show go on, but we needed to make it flawless.
Our lives might very well depend on it.
Crash
Rhys laced his fingers through mine as we traveled down the corridor to the dining room. I was reminded of our last formal dinner date, which had started off as a disaster. In front of the cameras, both the werewolf and I had been as stiff as boards. Mira’d had to stop filming and make the crew leave. She’d locked us in the dining room until we found a way to relax around each other.
We’d figured it out pretty quick—as soon as we were alone, the werewolf had kissed me. Rhys’s lips against mine had made us quite chummy indeed. By the time the camera crew had returned, the werewolf king and I were practically best friends.
My cheeks heated at the memory. I wondered how much longer I would have to wait to kiss him and if, in fact, we would be up kis
sing all night.
Rhys glanced at me, and as if he’d read my mind, he said, “I’m not talking much or trying to kiss you because I’m saving it for the cameras. I don’t want to get into trouble before our date even officially starts.”
“Staying out of trouble sounds like a great idea. Let’s just have fun tonight.” Mira’s warning rang in my head: The higher the ratings, the safer we all are.
Rhys and I waited in the hall as the camera crew hustled in and set up. I stayed close to the king’s side as Mira swept past us without a word. After a minute, one of the production assistants came out, followed by one of the mobile camera crews. The PA briefly checked us over and nodded. “Are you ready?”
Rhys gripped my hand. “Yes.”
“Let’s do this,” I said.
She raised three fingers. “We’re ready for you in three, two, one.”
The lights blared over us, and the camera focused in on our faces. Rhys smiled at me. I smiled at him. Then he bowed deeply as he motioned to the room. “Are you ready for dinner, my lady?”
“Yes.” I grinned at him. “I’m starving.”
“As am I.” He looked me up and down. “Shall we?”
“Absolutely.” I wasn’t exactly sure what I was agreeing to, but I felt giddy with excitement as Rhys held me close and we headed into the dining room together. All my worries—about what was troubling Mira, about King Black, about the other candidates, not to mention how much fun Elsa would have at her sleepover—somehow melted away for a moment. Being arm in arm with Rhys, so close to the warmth of his big body, reassured me in a way that little else could.
The formal dining room, always elegant, had been utterly transformed for our special evening. The chandelier was lit with hundreds of flickering candles, and more candles and bouquets of flowers decorated the room. An enormous fire roared in the fireplace, and the table was set with sumptuous linens and fine china. Rhys beamed as I moved about the room, sniffing the floral arrangements and smiling because the lovely setting cheered me.