by Jen L. Grey
Hey. Mason's comforting presence linked with me. I just heard from Alec. He's upset we didn't see him while we were in town. Do you mind if he comes up for a visit this weekend?
I didn't know Mason's best friend all that well, which was a damn shame. They’d been such a constant in each other’s lives. There was so much going on with my whole wolf situation when we’d met that we never had time to hang out like normal college kids. The last few weeks after Mason and I bonded, they hadn't been able to hang out at all. Of course. It's been long overdue. You can even send the plane to fetch him.
Thank you. His words were warm.
He and I would be traveling soon, so now would be the best time for Alec to visit anyway. Conversations like this made it feel like there was some distance between Mason and me. It felt as though he didn’t consider this his home or that he wanted to be a royal. I wasn’t sure what to do about it. This is your home. And we’ll always make time for our family and close friends. That was something so important to me, growing up with hardly any. Have I made you feel that you need my permission before making important plans like those?
No, you haven't at all. There was a moment of silence. It's just that this place is so different from the house back in South Carolina. It's taking me a bit longer to acclimate.
Even though his words were meant to comfort me, it did the exact opposite. Not wanting to delay the conversation any longer, I headed straight to the library.
As I passed the den where Ella and Louis were, I smiled at them. "Dinner is set. Let's be ready to leave around five-thirty. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes. It'll take less time to walk there."
"Ooh, we'll get to people watch." Ella grinned. "That's golden. But no peeing in the street. That’s not acceptable here."
“It isn’t in Europe either.” Louis chuckled and sighed. “It’s not like I’m from the jungle.”
Dear Lord. I left the conversation on that note. I hoped she didn't say anything inappropriate on the way there. Wait ... Who was I kidding? She definitely would.
Even though I didn’t want to have this conversation with Mason, it was inevitable, and the longer I waited, the more difficult it would be. He’d been by my side and stepped in when needed, but I needed him to be a partner, not just a protector. My people were looking for him to lead alongside me. I continued on toward the library, which was at the very end of the hallway.
Upon reaching it, I took a deep breath and then opened the double doors, walking in.
I'd forgotten how huge this room was. It was at least twice the size of our master bedroom, and it housed thousands of books. Bookcases lined the walls from the floor to the ceiling. Mason sat at the large, dark, mahogany table with at least twenty books surrounding him.
He flipped the pages of the current book he was scanning, and I took a second to just admire him. He wore a thin shirt, which molded to his body, emphasizing his muscles, and his wolf paw print tattoo peeked through the sleeve. "Are you enjoying the view?" His emerald eyes flickered to mine.
"Yeah, is that a problem?" He still made my stomach do funny flips every time I glanced at him. I hoped that never changed.
"Nope … in fact, I encourage it." He leaned back in his chair and held his arms out for me. "Come join me?"
"Sure." I strode over to him and sat in his lap. "You got a second?" I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"For you? Of course." He leaned forward, kissing my lips, and pulled back to look me in the eyes. I had his full attention.
I figured blunt would be the best route for this particular conversation. "If you aren't happy here..."
"Whoa." He lifted both hands in the air. "Is that the impression I’ve been giving off?"
"Well, you did allude to how different it is here." I wasn't sure how else I could have taken it.
"It's true, I did. But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing." He leaned into me and took my hands in his. "I want to be wherever you are. I'm sorry if I'm doing this all wrong. It's a huge adjustment for me."
Now that I understood all too well. "For me too, but your happiness is important to me." It appeared that both of us were struggling to find our new type of normal. "Maybe we should look for a new place? Or perhaps I should walk away from the crown." I'd honestly been thinking about both options for a while. Being the queen didn’t feel right to me. I wasn’t a natural leader even if I was born to be one, and if my mate was miserable, that was enough for me.
"I don’t want you to walk away from the crown. Whether you realize it or not, you were made for this, and we don't have to look for a new place. I didn’t mean to upset you earlier. There is nowhere else I’d rather be than right here beside you." He sighed and ran his finger along my waist. "I need a little time to settle in. That’s all."
For some reason, I was relieved that he said no to me walking away from the throne. "No, a new place wouldn’t be just for you." The more I thought about it, the better it sounded. "I mean, it'd still have to be in the city, but honestly, this place doesn't feel like home to me either."
"But your parents ..."
"We stayed in the Hamptons more often than here." That was a place that I'd never be willing to part with even if I was afraid to go there and face all the memories. "We stayed here half the time, but both Dad and Mom hated the city. Dad changed some while we stayed here. It was more stressful for him. I'd even overheard him tell Mom it was like he couldn't turn off here. I understand what he meant now."
"Are you sure that's what you want to do?" He leaned over and kissed my forehead. "I don't want to influence this decision and make you do something that you will regret."
"Honestly, if you feel the same way, I think it's the right call for us." I smiled at him and sighed. "We can pick a place out together. Somewhere we both can be content while we're here in the city and a place where we can make a home together."
"Okay." He nodded his head and grinned. "That does sound perfect."
"I'll get Tommy to start browsing the listings. He'll want to make sure it's easy to protect and ensure there aren't any huge security flaws." Being the queen, eventually there would be several attempts on my life. It came with the territory. Hell, I had learned that at the age of six. You weren't even safe from your own family. At least Richard and his mom were locked up in a supernatural prison.
"Do you think it'll be hard to sell this place?" He glanced around and then chuckled. "That's a very stupid question. It's so nice I'm sure someone will buy it in a heartbeat."
"Especially considering how hard real estate is to find in this area." I stood and leaned over to press my lips against his. "I'm going to talk to Tommy and begin getting ready for dinner." I had to be careful with my choice of attire for the evening. All the wolves there would be paying close attention.
Familiar footsteps entered my bedroom. Ones that I had been waiting for.
"So, Tommy informed us of a little decision you made." Kassie arched an eyebrow as she made her way over to me. "You want to buy a new place?"
"I thought we were going to be understanding instead of confronting her," Mona huffed as she walked behind me, running her fingers through my hair. Damn, the small gesture brought so much comfort to my aching heart.
The fact that they weren't acting strange and distant anymore eased some of the tension in my shoulders too. "Yeah, just here in the city. This place doesn't feel like home."
"Your parents had said the same thing so many times." A sad smile spread across Mona's face. "I think it's a wise decision."
After the way Kassie charged in here, this took me by surprise. "Then, why are you upset?" I turned toward Kassie.
"We had an idea we wanted to run past you." Kassie lifted a hand in the air. "What if you don't sell it?"
"No, I don't want to live here." Didn't we already go over this?
"Hear me out." Kassie snorted and shook her head. "What if you buy another place like you want but we also keep this house? Everyone will still think that you live here. You can come h
ere and do all your meetings and whatever. It might even help throw off that vampire who threatened you."
"I hadn't considered that." Her plan did have merit, and it would make it easier for us to have some privacy. "Okay."
"What?" Mona's brows furrowed and she pursed her lips. "Did you agree that easily? Are you feeling okay?" She touched my forehead.
"Here I was, ready to fight her." Kassie shook her head and laughed. "Well, okay then. Are you all ready to head out for dinner?"
"Yeah, here in the next ten minutes."Are you about ready to go?
"Yup, I'm here." Mason's voice sounded from behind me. He entered the room and stared at the two women surrounding me. He cleared his throat. "I'm thinking I'll go change in the walk-in closet."
"Oh, you don’t have to for our sakes. We don’t mind watching some eye candy strip." Kassie snorted as she winked at him.
“Behave.” Mona laughed and headed straight for Kassie, grabbing her arm. "All right, before we get a show before dinner, let's head down." She strolled over to the door, dragging Kassie behind her. "We'll be in the foyer, waiting for you."
“They really know how to make me feel uncomfortable.” Mason walked over to the door and locked it. “She was kidding, right?”
“Of course, babe.” I closed the distance between us, kissing his lips.
He responded by pulling me into his chest, “You taste so sweet,” deepening our kiss.
You’re not so bad yourself. My body was already buzzing from his touch and our bond. I pressed my body against him, wrapping my hands around his neck.
This is not making me want to leave this room. His hands rubbed down my waist, pulling our bodies flush together.
After a few moments, right when I didn’t give a damn that we had somewhere else to be, he pulled away. “Let me go change. I know we can’t be late. We need to make a good impression.”
I wanted to argue, but he was right. I couldn’t help my heart skipping a beat that he was worried about our impression.
As the six of us walked outside, the chill of the November air wracked through my body.
"It would be safer if we took a vehicle," Kassie grumbled as she zipped up her jacket.
"And it would take an hour to get there when it'll take us fifteen minutes on foot." It made sense, and I had two of the best guards with me. I doubted anything could go wrong.
Ella sped up to walk next to me. "So what's the place called again?" Her long red jacket complemented her complexion, and her hair was pulled into a twist.
"Bella Lupo." The food had great reviews even though that wasn’t the real reason we were going. “Don’t worry, we’ll get appetizers.”
"Beautiful wolf." Louis nodded his head and grinned. "What a perfect name."
Mason appeared on my other side and took my hand in his, tugging me close. "I'm famished." His hungry eyes scanned me up and down. I regret stopping at that kiss now.
"Ew." Ella lifted her hand and closed her eyes. "I'm going to pretend you didn't do something so blatantly creepy and think you're only talking about food."
A sweet pungent smell hit my nose, and I stopped dead in my tracks. That smells like the prince. My heart began racing, and I frantically scanned the people around us, looking for his face.
Chapter Seven
"Do you smell that?" I stopped in my tracks and glanced around, desperately searching for the prince. Even though all vampires had an over the top sweet smell, this particular one included a slightly spicy kick. "The prince is near."
"Uh ... yeah, I am." Louis arched an eyebrow, and his forehead lined. "I mean, you already know this."
"Not you." If I wasn’t struggling to breathe, I’d smack him. I forced myself to take deep, calming breaths as I continued to scan everyone around us. The vampire prince. That's his scent.
Baby, I don't smell anything. Mason's hand tensed in mine as he searched our surroundings as well.
"Elena, there isn’t anything out of place." Ella tilted her head. "Maybe Mason’s arousal is finally turning you off. I am tired of smelling it too if I’m being honest."
“Can we not talk about this now?” Mason glared at his sister. He turned toward me and placed his palms on each side of my face. “Hey, it’s just your nerves. Everything is going to be fine.” He leaned down, letting his forehead rest against mine. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
Maybe stress was getting the best of me. "Yeah, sorry." I made my shoulders relax and forced a smile. "You’re right, it's probably just everything that’s going on making me edgy."
You've had a lot on your plate. Mason pulled me into his chest and let go of my hand to wrap his arm around my waist. Maybe we need to get away.
I can't go away. I'm just now beginning my reign. I was stuck until I got my legs under me. I had to repair the damage my uncle had done. Even though that’s the best sounding idea I think I’ve ever heard.
"We need a girls’ night out." Ella lifted her hand and tugged me out of her brother’s arms. She pointed at me. "Let's be real. Ever since you and Mason stopped fighting each other, he's been glued to your side. It was just a matter of time before you felt claustrophobic."
“That’s not the reason at all, but I’m still down for that suggestion.” A girls’ night didn't sound bad at all, and we hadn’t hung out, just the two of us, in such a long time.
"Absolutely not." Kassie shook her head so hard I was afraid she'd get whiplash. "The last time you went out with her, she took you to an illegal fight."
"That was after I had to make her become my friend." Ella rolled her eyes. "And look at the positivity my friendship has brought to her life."
"Stress?" Mason grinned at her. “A clinger?”
"Oh, shut it. I’m not Connor." Ella waved him off.
“Watch it,” Mason growled.
“Let’s not bring up the worst mistake of my life.” I regretted sleeping with the guy the moment we’d finished. Connor was human, and we had zero chemistry. Except, that didn’t stop him from chasing after me for the next few months, much to my chagrin.
"We'll stay home, for God's sake. You two," she said pointing to Louis and Mason, "can go talk fights and politics while Elena and I will watch some trashy romantic film and do our nails or something."
Staying home would be safer, and maybe I could relax for a minute. "That sounds good, but no more bringing up past mistakes."
"See, I knew it." Ella snapped, ignoring the last part of my sentence and glanced at Kassie. "Problem solved."
"Maybe we should get moving?" Mona waved us in the direction of the restaurant. "People are getting annoyed and walking around us."
She was right. There were quite a few humans glancing at us, and the smell that had concerned me was gone. "Yeah, that's a good idea."
We continued to walk in silence, and we arrived at the restaurant right on time. As soon as we walked inside, I noticed it was far nicer than I had expected it to be.
The inside of the restaurant was dim with a large bar sitting on the left. It had displays of all the wines and beers available for purchase. I headed straight to the hostess desk where a young woman was working. Her wolf scent hit me once I got close. When her brown eyes landed on mine, they widened in what could only be recognition, and she tugged on her black dress. "Queen Elena." She bowed her head.
I hated that. "Good evening, I have a reservation for six." Maybe if I ignored her formalities, she'd lighten up.
"Of course." She reached down and grabbed menus. "Please, follow me." She headed to the right where there was a staircase leading to an upper floor.
Our group followed behind her, and she placed us right next to a window that overlooked Central Park. "Here you go." She placed a menu in front of each of the six chairs. "Is there anything else I can get you right away?" Her gaze was directly on me.
My skin crawled, but I forced myself to remain calm. "No, thank you."
"Your server will be here soon." She turned and rushed back down the stairs.
>
"Wow, I think you got greeted better than my father ever has." Louis chuckled as he glanced at the menu. "You didn't have to wait at all either. Normally, they make Dad wait a few minutes."
"Queen Elena." Matteo appeared as if out of thin air. "I'm very honored that you decided to join us tonight." His golden eyes shone even more in the dim light and contrasted starkly against his dark olive skin. He was handsome but had to be at least in his fifties.
"Thank you for making the arrangements so quickly."
Both Kassie and Mona sat against the window across from one another, their focus on everyone and everything around us.
"Any time you want to eat here, we'll make it happen." He glanced at Mason, who sat between me and Kassie. "And I’m ecstatic to see the Royal Mate once more." He arched an eyebrow.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever get used to that. Mason nodded and extended his hand toward Matteo. "It's nice to see you again."
"Same to you." Matteo chuckled and glanced at Louis. "And the Prince of Europe. I had no idea that you were visiting."
"No, unlike my father, I don't mind missing the spotlight." He opened the menu and began scanning it. “But I still have the same large appetite.”
“That’s always good for business, eh?” Matteo chuckled.
"Hi, I'm Ella." She flipped her wavy blonde hair over her shoulder and reached around the front of Louis to shake Matteo's hand.
"I'd remember a face like yours anywhere." Matteo smiled and firmly squeezed her hand. "Please let me know if there is anything that I can do for you." His eyes then landed back on me. "And I'd be honored if at some point I could introduce you to some members of my …" he said as he glanced around and leaned into me, "pack."
"I would love that." I smiled at him. "Maybe after we order?"
"That would be perfect." He pointed over to Mason. "And of course, the Royal Mate is welcome too."
"Wouldn't want to miss it." Mason nodded with a forced grin.
"It won't be a problem if I join, right?" Mona glanced in the direction of the kitchen.