by Kate Bonham
The doors opened just as I dropped his body to the ground. Orphax stormed in, his eyes taking in the display before us.
“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded to know.
“Go back to the council,” I said, dismissively.
“I will do no such thing,” he ground out. He made a move to run at me, his teeth bared, when a blade flew through the air and landed in his chest. Orphax was stopped short, and he looked down at the blade and back up at me.
It was dead on in his chest. I turned around to see Hadrian, his hand still out from his amazing throw.
“I always hated him.”
“Brother!” Melonia shrieked. “Look what they have done to our family, you must avenge our parents.”
“Not if I believe them to be in the wrong,” he spat back. “Melonia, how can you not see what I see?”
“I will see them avenged,” she said, picking up her skirts and running for the door. “One day, I will avenge them!”
She was gone faster than I could have imagined. I turned back to Hadrian, unsure what he truly felt in all of this. Mae was slowly getting up, tying the jacket around herself.
“Wow, looks like I missed a party.”
“My queen,” Kolten got down to one knee and bowed his head. Hadrian followed suit and then Reina. She looked to me, but I didn’t know what to think or even do. Had I just done the worst possible thing and made her a queen so she couldn’t come back with me to Romania?
“I am no queen,” she said, backing away from them. “I’m just Mae.”
“You are the new queen,” Kolten told her. “With your new standing, you can bequeath the throne to whom you see fit.”
He was aiding her, and she started to realize. “I am no queen, and as a hybrid, I cannot claim this throne. I wish to see Hallec’s next born son as King.”
Hadrian nodded his head. “I accept the honor.”
“Let it be known!” Sehrenna announced. “Hadrian is the new King, as it should be.”
“Take your throne,” Mae motioned for him to move up to the throne. Hadrian did so hesitantly.
“King Hadrian,” Sehrenna moved to stand in front of the throne. “In the last few moments, we’ve seen the King and Queen slaughtered by a Nosferatu, a stranger to this court. What will be your punishment?”
Mae looked to me, scared, and ran to my side. “No, he was protecting everyone. How could you, Sehrenna?”
Sehrenna moved to the side of Hadrian, and I could see him straightening on the throne.
“It is a grave offence, indeed, however, there be no witnesses here. If asked, I will say I banished Nosferatu from my court, and with them, the mystery of the disappearing royal family.”
He was giving us an out, and offering a solution to this crazy plan we’d had.
“Abram Norwood, I suspect you would be leaving London at your earliest convenience.”
“I will be and with me, I’ll be taking Mae.”
“So be it,” he nodded. “This was never a moment to be noted. Our memories of this night will be blank when asked, is that clear?”
“Crystal,” I said in unison with Mae. We looked at each other, and smiled.
Could this be… a happy ever after for me?
Epilogue
Bram
Romania
Months Later
My friend Ferenc, the alpha of the Lycans who lived in the forests outside my castle, stood at my front door. Last night had been a full moon and there was absolutely no news of any deaths or young cubs causing havoc. Ferenc was a great alpha, and a good friend. He’d kept my castle from being pillaged while I’d been gone.
I handed him the letter. “Can you make sure this is posted.”
Ferenc took it and nodded. “Who is Xavier?”
“Someone a friend of mine needs me to get in touch with.”
“Nosferatu business?” he asked.
I nodded. That was that. Lycans didn’t care for Nosferatu business, much as Nosferatu’s don’t like to fuss over Lycan business.
“I’ll have my best runner send it on,” he said. “Is there anything else?”
“No,” I smiled. “You’ve done more than enough for us. I’ll let you get back to your pack.”
Ferenc nodded and headed out of the castle.
I closed the door and turned around to see Mae on the staircase, smiling mischievously.
“Okay, what have you done?”
“Hey!” she exclaimed. “You gave me permission to change things up a little.”
“By a little, is what I’m concerned with.”
“Come on, you scaredy cat.”
I joined her on the stairs, and let her lead me up into the bedroom. Gone was my large bed, replaced with an even bigger bed with purple covers, bed side tables were decorated with books. The bookshelf I once had was now filled with newer books, and the desk I’d had for writing had been updated with a laptop and a glass of flowers.
“This is a woman’s bedroom,” I said.
“It is not!” she rebutted. “It’s a modern adult couple’s room. I can get rid of the purple if that is what is bothering you.”
“No, that I don’t mind, but flowers? Where are my old books?”
“I didn’t throw anything out, relax,” she said, moving into the room and laying down on the bed. “They’re all downstairs in an empty room.”
“How did you do all of this in one day.”
“Well, actually, I’ve slowly been moving things for the past couple of months.”
“I only told you about updating some of the things last night,” I replied, surprised she’d been able to get away with it for so long and I hadn’t noticed.
“So you can’t be mad, can you?” she said with a smile. “If even you hadn’t noticed your favorite items being replaced.”
I rolled my eyes and looked around at all the new items with scorn, but really, it wasn’t unpleasant. I hadn’t changed anything for over a century, so it might be nice to have someone spruce it up a bit.
“You really are going to be the end of me.”
“But what an enjoyable end it would be.”
I found myself chuckling as I looked over at her. She was now naked on top of that purple cover and I found myself loving it even more.
“Using sex every time you want to win an argument isn’t fair.”
“No, but it works, so I think I’ll stick with it,” she smiled. “Plus, I got you a present.”
“Oh?”
She jumped off the bed and opened the door to the bathroom. A young blonde was led out, completely naked, but she held no candle to Mae.
“I figured we could enjoy some foreign fruit,” Mae smiled, her amber eyes appearing once more. The girl was obviously a human, and had no idea what we were, which only added to the excitement. I knew what Mae was suggesting and although I’d sworn off doing this, I knew with Mae by my side, I’d be able to stop myself from becoming the monster I once was.
With her, anything was possible.
I closed the distance between us, and watched as Mae kissed the girl’s neck, and I kissed her wrist. The girl moaned as Mae looked up at me, her eyes amber, and her fangs descended.
In one swift move, we bit into the girl. Her screams echoing throughout the room as Mae and I were having our fill.
Now, this I could get used to…
Other Books by Kate
FALLEN FROM GRACE
Fate
CRAVING CRIMSON
Revelations
Redemption
Sacrifice
Broken
DEADLY WOMEN
(Non-Paranormal)
Mine, Forever
Havoc
STANDALONES
Becoming Santa
Stormblaze
ABOUT KATE
Amazon Bestselling Author Kate grew up in Western Sydney, Australia, hoping to one day have a pet dragon and castle to roam around in. Then the Khaleesi stole her life and she was forced to reinvent herself
.
It was around the age of 15 when she really thought she could make it as a writer, and after course after course on different writing styles, she finally gulped down her fear and pursued independent publishing.
When she's not writing, she's spending time with her boyfriend and their zoo of pets that include snakes, a tarantula, bearded dragons, blue tongue skinks, a cunningham's skink, scorpions, turtle, axolotl and 2 noisy cockatiels.
Her writing genres are Paranormal & Dark Romance.
Email: [email protected]
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Website: https://authorkatebonham.net