by Leigh Walker
“First of all, the matter of Lady Briones. Having her return as a ‘guest’ was Mira Kinney’s idea. I don’t like it, as I think Maya’s being rewarded for her bad behavior.”
“Maya is already being a cow.” I sighed. “I don’t suppose there’s much you can do about it.”
“That’s true—she’s already been announced, the damage is done. And I am doing what Mira suggests because I’m trying to get back into her good graces, and it’s an uphill battle.”
I nodded, waiting for him to continue.
He sighed. “Mira was very upset that I told you how I felt about you last night. She encouraged me, or rather bullied me, into agreeing to make my dates with Lady Raine and Lady Phillips just as intense.”
“She told me. And I understand her position, at least from a ratings perspective.” I was in agreement with the scheme, even though I didn’t like it. “We have to keep the audience guessing. It’s like a game.”
“Fair enough.” The werewolf king bowed his head. “Still, I had to come and see you first. Hear me out, my lady.”
“I’m listening.” I hoped I could hear him over the pounding in my head. He was suddenly making me quite nervous.
“I meant what I said last night.” He put his hands on my shoulders and looked deep into my eyes. “I love you, Tamara. I want to be with you. If you would have me, too, I would stop the bloody contest right now.”
“We can’t do that.” The temptation was great, though. All I wanted was to throw myself into his arms and never be apart from him, but that would mean death to the show and a whole lot of bad will from King Black. “We can’t risk a bold move like that. It’s not safe. And Rhys, it’s only three days more. We’ll be fine.”
His gaze didn’t break from mine. “I don’t like lying or pretending. It’s not in my nature to be anything other than true to myself. I fear that I will hurt these other girls or, worse, hurt you.”
I reached up and stroked his face. “You won’t. You have told me your feelings, and I have confessed mine. I love you, too. We will be fine, Your Highness. There are plenty of storms coming our way to weather. We will survive them all.”
He took my hands and brought them to his lips. “Do you promise me, my lady, that you’re mine no matter what?”
My heart felt as though it might burst. I squeezed his hands and looked him square in the eye. “I promise you that I am yours. No matter what.”
A look of triumphant joy lit his face. It was like the sun coming out. “You have brought me great joy, my lady. I am honored and forever in your debt.”
“And I’m honored and forever in yours.” I leaned up and kissed him quickly, too quickly, on the lips. “Now you must go. If Mira catches us out here together, we’ll never hear the end of it.”
Rhys gave me one final chaste kiss. Then with a glint in his eyes, he bowed before disappearing back into the castle. All signs of him were gone before I was ready.
A light rain began to fall. I raised my face to it and grinned at the cloudy sky above. It was true. It was real. My happiness was within reach. By the end of the week, I could begin planning my wedding.
I, Tamara Layne, was going to marry the werewolf king.
After Giuliana asked me for every single detail of my encounter with the king, and I refused, Nan directed me to where Jenny was being kept. Her room was at the end of a quiet wing of the castle, one that hadn’t been put to much use yet. I crept down the hall, not wanting to call attention to myself. I wasn’t doing anything wrong exactly. But a human contestant in The Realm: The Bachelor King didn’t exactly have much business sneaking around the palace, looking for a vampire prisoner. I would have a lot of explaining to do if I was discovered.
Luckily, no one patrolled the wing where Jenny was being kept. Perhaps she wasn’t viewed as a threat, or maybe Rhys hadn’t shared the location of her new quarters with many of his men. In any event, I passed no one as I stole down the long, silent hallway. It was as quiet as a tomb.
Nan had directed me to the last room on the left. I knocked softly, but no one answered. I knocked again, and a faint voice called, “Who is it? Please come in. I’ve been alone for hours!”
I opened the door to find Jenny shackled to the posts of an enormous bed. Her face was still drawn, but at least her normal coloring had returned, and she was wearing warmer clothes. “It’s you.” She looked as though she might burst into tears. “Have you come to save me?”
“I came to visit, to see if there’s anything else you might need. Are you okay?”
“No, I am not okay. I’m no longer in the bowels of the castle, but otherwise my circumstances have certainly not improved. I know they’re blaming me for the attack on the werewolf king, but I’m innocent. You know I am!” She struggled against her restraints. “Am I crazy, or are they never going to let me out of here? Are they going to make an example out of me and stake me? Is that it?”
“Shh, there now. You’re very upset.” I patted her hand. “Have you had any blood?”
She nodded. “They’ve been a bit nicer to me, which actually makes me nervous. Like it’s my last supper, you know? But at least I think the wolves know that Maya’s the one who’s trouble. Still, I keep asking when I’ll be released, and no one will give me an answer. They won’t even look at me when I ask. It makes me feel sick to my stomach.”
“I’ll speak with King Rhys when I can, and I’ll let you know as soon as possible. Don’t worry. I won’t forget about you.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” But she frowned. “I don’t understand why Maya’s had the red carpet rolled out for her. She came in here earlier today and taunted me. You know—letting me see her fine dress, bragging about all the money that King Rhys was going to give her.”
I sighed. “I saw her earlier, too. It’s true that she’s gloating.”
“Yes, and she was going on and on about the werewolf king. She said he made her all sorts of promises. It’s quite scandalous if you ask me.”
“What’s so scandalous?”
“Are you in love with him?” she asked.
I was taken aback by the question, but I still answered truthfully. “Yes, I am.”
Jenny’s brow furrowed. “Maya said she’s to become his mistress.”
Ugh. Maybe I didn’t regret being mean to her, after all. “But you know she’s a liar,” I reminded her—and myself. “This is just another one of her schemes.”
“Yes, of course. But to see her like this is cruel. She was brought here as a prisoner, and now look at her! And I’m still being punished for her crimes!”
“I’ll speak with the king about it.” The situation didn’t sit well with me either. “Is there anything I can get for you, Jenny?”
“More blood.” She shrugged. “And a better turn of luck if you can manage it.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” I fluffed up her pillows and helped to position her as comfortably as I could with her shackles. Then with a promise to come back as soon as I could, I left the eastern hall. I met no one until I was just about to cross the threshold to the main castle. Then I had the misfortune of running into none other than Duncan.
“What are you doing over here, Missus?” He frowned, as though he’d already guessed the answer.
I straightened my shoulders. “I was just checking on Jenny. I feel responsible for her. She needs more nourishment, by the way. And I don’t think it’s necessary for her to be shackled. She’s too frail to run for it, and even if she did, she wouldn’t make it far.”
“I appreciate that you are concerned about the prisoner.” His voice held no malice.
I blinked at him. “You are?”
“Yes. It’s more evidence of that unfortunate bleeding heart of yours, but minding your captives is the mark of a good leader.” Duncan took a deep breath. “But unfortunately, you aren’t to be minding little Jenny anymore.”
“Why not? Please don’t tell me you’re going to hurt her.”
“I’m not going to tell you anything b
ecause I’ve been ordered not to.” Duncan pressed his lips into a thin line.
“What do you mean?”
“His Highness has told us that you’re to be kept away from the prisoner and that neither her care nor her fate is any of your concern.”
“Rhys told you this?” I shook my head. “I just saw him. He didn’t mention a word about it.”
“Probably because he didn’t want you to throw a temper tantrum. You have a tendency to do that.”
“I do not. A child has a temper tantrum, Duncan. A lady has a well-stated, passionately articulated position. Just because a man can’t handle it doesn’t make it an outburst.”
He laughed. “When you say it like that, you almost convince me.”
“Never mind about that.” I crossed my arms against my chest. “Tell me why His Highness has given you such an order.”
Duncan blew out a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. “Why, by the gods, am I put in this position?”
“What position? Speak now, wolf.”
He brought his gaze level to mine. “His Highness is concerned that the prisoner’s position is…sensitive. He doesn’t want King Black aware of her whereabouts or hearing any more mention of her. It’s easier said than done, of course.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“We might need to use Jenny in the near future. She’s a placeholder for Rhys’s attackers, and we might need to make use of that.”
“But you can’t punish her for a crime she didn’t commit!”
“As I said Missus, you’re not to be involved. This is exactly why. He wants you as far away from trouble as possible,” Duncan said flatly.
“I’m already involved.”
The werewolf shook his head. “Not anymore, you’re not. Now scurry off. You’ve got a wretched date to watch, don’t you?”
“Not so fast. Jenny just told me that Maya’s been making all sorts of claims—saying that Rhys has bribed her and that she’s going to be his mistress or some bloody thing. We need to keep an eye on her.”
“Ah.” A small smile curved Duncan’s lips. “That happened faster than I’d hoped. T-r-o-u-b-l-e. I told you so, my lady. The wench is all about the drama. She’ll flounce until she can’t flounce anymore and bring danger to all of us.”
“Great,” I said.
Duncan’s smile slid from his face. “Not really. And as much as I enjoy being right about things, I enjoy my freedom much more.”
“What is it exactly that you’re worried about?”
He shrugged and started loping down the hall. “Remember what I told you about your enemies. Once you give them an inch, that’s when you really need to watch your back—they’ll take their mile, they will. So watch your back, Missus, and I’ll watch mine.”
“I hope we have a more uplifting conversation the next time I see you, wolf,” I called.
“At least we can agree on something,” he called back.
Unfortunate
Joely and I had the unfortunate opportunity to sit together and watch the live feed of Dae’s overnight date with the king. It was worse than I’d anticipated. Maya was on duty and her commentary was horrible; Dae and Rhys hadn’t kept their hands off each other all night. Despite Rhys’s reassurance to me earlier, I was practically in the throes of despair.
The only upside was the wine, which was excellent. I poured Joely and I each another glass. We grimly clinked our chalices together as we watched Dae and His Highness tour the tree house, their arms wrapped tightly around each other.
Maya was gathered with some of the crew, watching from the production center. She’d been miked into the livestream in order to provide running commentary. Joely and I had to suffer through her grueling dissection of the date, which she littered with insults. In the first five minutes, her observations had managed to offend me to the point that my jaw was gaping open. Some of the highlights were stuck in my head:
•“I can’t believe the gown Dae chose. She’s supposed to be known for her edgy fashion, but this one’s just about to push me over the edge. The color makes her skin look quite drab. And don’t you think it makes her behind look huge? What on earth are her maids thinking, sending her out in that thing?”
•“You know, I’m no body-language expert, but do you see the way the king’s looking at her? He’s tuning out. He’s just not that into her, and I don’t blame him. She’s pretty, but she’s sort of a chore. ”
•“Who wants to be questioned like that? ‘What do you think about this, Your Highness? What do you think about that?’ Ugh! She’s a bit of a cipher, if you ask me.”
•“He needs a woman who knows her own mind, and also one who knows how to dress properly. I’m not saying that it should be me, but if that’s what you’re all thinking, I’m not going to argue.”
Joely chugged her wine. “Please tell me they aren’t going to air this with her nonstop insults. It’s terrible.”
“I’m going to give Mira a piece of my mind about this,” I hissed.
“Can you get the crew to shut off her feed so we at least don’t have to hear it? Watching the overnight date is bad enough.”
I hopped to my feet. “I’ll go and ask Rose. At least it’ll give me a break from the torture for a moment.” I nodded toward the screen, where Dae was looking adoringly up at Rhys.
I headed down the hall to one of the salons. The production crew was set up inside. Mira and the film crews were busy on location in the tree house with Rhys and Dae, but the rest of the team was working on sound, editing, and all the other jobs that took place behind the scenes of the production.
I burst into the room, and Maya said into her microphone, “Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in. Just another disgruntled contestant—and her cheeks are flushed as though she’s gotten into the wine a bit. What’s the matter, Lady Layne? Is this date too taxing for you? I believe you’re quite proficient in dishing it out, but not so great at taking it.”
I ignored her. Instead, I went to Rose. “Please turn Maya’s sound off,” I whispered. “She’s ruining the broadcast with her mean-spirited comments. I know you have to let her talk, but I beg you to give Joely and I reprieve from listening. It’s toxic. She’s giving us quite the headache.”
Rose looked grim. She pushed her glasses up on her nose. “I’ll do it,” she said, keeping her voice low. “Quite frankly, I’d like to come and watch with you instead. She won’t shut up, not even for a second.”
“Thank you, Rose.” I made a show of standing up straight and tossing my hair as I left the room. “Enjoy your evening, Lady Briones.”
“Oh, I am.” She still had that gloating tone in her voice. “Much more so than you are, I’m sure.”
I waved goodbye in answer. There wasn’t much I could say when she was being such a cow.
Joely and I watched the show for another two hours. Rhys and Dae toured the tree house, kissed each other for what seemed like forever, and opened yet another bottle of wine. They went into the master bedroom, and Dae sat uncomfortably close to Rhys.
“This is like déjà vu.” Joely took a large sip of wine. “Although between you and me, he seemed much more attentive last night with you.”
“Thank you.” I hoped that was true. Watching him with my friend was torture.
Dae continued to stare up at him worshipfully, and after a moment, he asked her the same questions he’d asked me the night before. “Lady Phillips, I have important things to ask you. Could you see yourself staying here with me in my kingdom? Do you see a future for yourself here?”
Dae sat back and watched his face. “I know you have to ask me these questions, Your Highness.”
He nodded. “I do.”
“Then I must ask you—do you truly care about my answers? Or are you just going through the motions?”
He gently took her hands. “I truly care about your answers, as I truly care about you.”
“But you do not love me, Your Highness.”
Joely
gasped. “I can’t believe she just said that!”
“Shh.” I gently elbowed her. “We need to hear this.”
Rhys looked pained. “I care for you deeply.”
Dae moved away from him. Her eyes were wide. “I’m afraid that’s not enough for me to declare myself to you. You must understand that I know my heart, and I do love you. So my answers to your questions are yes, I see myself staying with you in the Realm, and yes, I see a future for myself here. But these answers are conditional. I could not stay and love you, Your Highness, unless you loved me too. Unless it was your heart’s greatest desire.”
He took a deep breath. “I will never lie to you, Lady Phillips. I do have feelings for you, strong ones, that I believe could turn to love someday. But we’ve not gotten to know each other enough that I could say the words to you tonight.”
Her back stiffened. “But you can say them to Lady Layne.”
“I have known her longer, and she has been very brave with me.”
Dae’s jaw clenched. “It’s easy to be brave when you know your feelings are reciprocated.”
“True. And you have been brave as well, Dae. It’s not easy to leave your country and your home and put yourself out there. You’ve put your heart on the line, and you’ve been vulnerable to me. That makes you strong. You would be an excellent queen, you know.”
Tears shone in Dae’s eyes. “I do know that, Your Highness. I would rule by your side with patience, loyalty, and fearlessness. But it appears that you’ve given your heart to someone else. That place is already occupied, I’m afraid.”
Rhys’s shoulders sagged, and Dae stood. “I’d like to leave now, Mira. I don’t want to spend the night.”
“Dae, darling, please give it a moment.” The sound went off, and we could see Mira and Dae huddled together. Dae was crying—I didn’t need sound to ascertain that.
I rose. “I can’t watch this anymore.”
“But we’re supposed to.” Joely looked at me imploringly. “Dae and I stayed up and watched until you two fell asleep.”
I shook my head. “I feel so bad for Dae. I don’t want to see anymore. I feel like I’m seeing something that’s not meant for my eyes.”