by Jen L. Grey
"Of course not." He laughed and lifted both hands. "I've missed both you and Kassie these long years and expect no less from you."
A man who could have only been a few years older than me appeared in front of us. He was dressed in a white button-down shirt with a black tie and matching black slacks. He nodded at his alpha and turned his attention to us. "Good evening. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you would like to order any appetizers or drinks."
"Please give them three bottles of Dom Perignon on the house." Matteo patted the younger man's shoulder. "It's not every day that our queen visits us."
"Oh, of course." The waiter nodded and smiled at us. "Would you like anything else?"
"Yes, water for me and a sweet tea for her." Kassie tilted her head in Mona's direction. "We can't drink on the job."
"Got it. Anything else?" He smiled at us.
"Uh ... yeah." Ella grabbed the menu and opened it to the appetizer page. "I'll take some of the cheese sticks, alfredo dipping sauce, and bruschetta."
“All of those sound delicious.” Louis gazed at her with a grin.
“Then you’d better order your own.” Ella placed the menu on the table and arched an eyebrow. “Because I don’t share my food.”
His face scrunched in confusion.
"Uh … will do." The waiter nodded and smiled. "I'll be back shortly."
"I'm going to go make my rounds, but I'll stop back in a little while." Matteo bowed his head slightly once more. "Please let me know if you need anything."
He walked away while Ella snorted and watched his ass as he walked off. "He's something alright."
"Well, you were kind of throwing yourself at him," Louis grumbled as he kept his eyes on the menu.
I didn’t want her embarrassing us, and her antics were making Louis act weird. Also, it was odd that he took every opportunity to insult his father. When King Adelmo, Queen Elizabeth, and he arrived a few days ago, there was some tension, but I had thought it was just the formalities of the day. My father always told me that it even wore on the most experienced royal, but maybe there was true tension between the two.
"I was not throwing myself at him." Ella lifted her chin and huffed. "He may be attractive in the ‘older, distinguished gentleman’ type of way, but you don't need to worry."
"You do realize he has a mate, right?" There was no telling what she was up to. The prince needed to calm down.
“Stop trying to be the center of attention, Ella.” Mason rarely used this tone with her, but when he did, it meant she was pushing things too far.
"I’m not.” She huffed and waved her hand, dismissing him. “And yes, I know. He brought her there for your shindig." Ella rolled her eyes. "Speaking of which, why don't they call Mason ‘King’? They always call him your mate. It almost sounds scandalous."
I was afraid this conversation would come up.
"It's because they haven't performed the official mating ceremony and he hasn’t made the vows to protect Elena’s people. Once he does, the packs will then become their people." Louis placed the menu on the table and glanced up. "Even though Mason still holds some respect because of his relationship with Queen Elena. But since they haven't made it official in the royal right, he won't be called ‘King’."
"Wait ... What?" Ella tilted her head and glanced at me. "But you're mates."
"We are." I nodded, hoping that would end this conversation. The last thing I wanted to do was make Mason do something he might not want to do. Even though I desperately needed him by my side in the capacity of King, he was my mate. I didn’t want to force him to take on the formal King title and make the vow to treat all packs under us as equals. It was a lot to ask of someone. I wasn't even sure that I ever wanted the responsibility.
What have you not told me? Mason's voice was a little cold and distant.
This was not the ideal way at all to have this conversation. I didn't want to make you feel obligated or tied down like I am. I want you to have the choice.
"But he has to have a coronation of his own." Louis's voice turned tense when he glanced my way. "Which, of course, you haven't discussed yet." He cringed and mouthed 'sorry.'
It wasn't your decision to make for me.
But you never asked either. Even though the decision wasn’t mine, he needed to ask the question instead of me feeling as if I was forcing him into this life more than he already was. I was going to tell you after everything had time to settle. I'm sorry, it's just that I didn't want this responsibility for so long. I wanted to protect you for as long as possible.
He sighed before reaching over and placing his hand on my leg. I know. I'm sorry. It's just that after our conversation the other day, I want to be the strong alpha that stands beside you. You were right, I was letting you lead, and you need someone better than that. You need someone to help step in when you're tired.
If we weren't in a restaurant full of people, I'd be jumping him right now. I love you. Just tell me when you're ready, and we'll make it happen.
Then, let's get it planned. He squeezed my leg. Even though the King thing will take me a minute to get used to.
Now, that was something I understood all too well.
"With the way both of you are aroused right now, I'm assuming that we’ve got a party to plan." Ella clapped her hands as the waiter returned once again. “Just in time for a toast.”
He uncorked one bottle of champagne after another until all three were open and handed Kassie and Mona their drinks. "Now are you ready to order?"
I nodded my head, and within a few minutes, the waiter left with our table’s order in hand.
It wasn't long before Matteo headed in our direction. "If you'd like to meet them now, I can take you to the kitchen, or we can do it after you eat."
"Let’s go ahead and go now." I stood and stepped into the main walkway.
Matteo led the way with Mason, Mona, and me following behind.
The restaurant was packed, and there seemed to be a long line waiting outside. "Wow, your place is very popular."
We walked through a door in the back, and Matteo paused. "Well, that's because over half of our customers are wolves. We tend to support one another, so it helps business."
Mona moved so she was closer to me on my other side. "So, you're doing something right beyond the shifters' support."
"Well, we do our best." Matteo laughed. He began walking down the hall, and soon we turned right, entering the largest kitchen I'd ever seen. I'd always thought the Flying Monkey's kitchen was huge, but this was at least twice its size.
There were no fewer than fifty people either prepping, cooking, cleaning, or doing everything else in between. When Matteo walked in, he clapped his hands. "Can I have your attention for a moment, please?"
It didn't take long for everyone to pause and glance in our direction.
"I won't take much of your time." Matteo lifted both hands in front of him and laughed. "But our queen and her mate have joined us tonight." He turned so I appeared from behind his back. "Everyone, please meet the lovely Queen Elena and Mason."
Everyone bowed their heads.
Every time they did that it made me cringe. "Hi, everyone." Ugh, I'm not awkward at all.
"Hello, My Queen." An older gentleman, who had to be close to the same age as Matteo, headed straight over. "Now I'm nervous as to whether or not you'll like my cooking."
"From everything I’ve heard, it's the best in the city, and I'm looking forward to it." Small talk was like pulling teeth for me. I'd rather be at the dentist right now. "I'm sure it'll be some of the best I've ever tasted."
"Will you do me a favor?" Mason's eyes sparkled. "For the next bread that is served at our table, can you put extra garlic in it?"
Ella had been hogging it all and not letting Louis have any. You're being mean to your sister.
Anything that will help keep Louis away. Mason growled in my head. I don't like the way he looks at her.
Like he might be her mate? The fact
that he sensed it put me even more on edge.
Exactly. Mason nodded at the staff with a polite smile. She may drive me crazy, but there’s something about that prince I don’t like.
A loud, piercing scream infiltrated the air. "Help me!"
Mona stiffened and walked farther into the kitchen. "Does anyone know who that might be?"
"No." Matteo frowned as he quickly took inventory of every member in the room. "Where's Cecelia?"
"She was taking the garbage outside." The chef pointed to the door that was in the back corner of the room.
Another loud piercing scream rang in my ears. "She's getting hurt."
Without thinking about the consequences, I ran straight to the door.
"Elena, get your ass back here," Mona yelled at me.
If someone was being hurt and I didn't do anything, I wouldn't be any better than Darren.
Both Mason and Mona's familiar footsteps pounded behind me.
When I got to the door, I yanked it open and rushed outside. As I scanned the area, I spotted a person lying against the base of the alley wall directly across from this building. That same spicy-sweet scent hit my nose again.
No, that can't be just coincidence.
Mason and I ran over to the girl, who was lying face-down. These alleys smelled like ass. For her to be lying nose-down, it couldn't be on purpose.
"Oh my God." Matteo appeared right beside me. "This can't be possible."
I bent down and clasped my hand around one of her arms. I gently tugged her to face us. Her body was still warm, and when I could see her neck, my stomach roiled.
"Who would want to slit her throat?" Mason glanced over at the alpha.
"No one." Matteo winced and squatted so he could touch her arm.
Something right above her body caught my attention. At first, it looked like a random drawing, but when I took a few steps back, my heart began to race.
On the wall above Cecelia’s body, words had been written with her blood.
More will come.
Those words were both threatening and mocking me. The vampire prince had been here, and either he or one of his men had killed this innocent wolf shifter. I wasn’t quite sure how far they would go. Only time would reveal their intentions.
Chapter Eight
No matter what I did, I couldn't keep the panic from taking over my senses. I had smelled the vampire prince earlier and because I didn't follow my instincts, a young wolf lay on the ground covered in blood. "Does she still have a heartbeat?" I had to snap out of whatever fog was trying to overtake my brain and get shit done.
"Yes." Matteo lowered his ear closer to her chest. "But it's very faint. I can barely hear it."
So she's not dead yet. "I ripped the bottom section of my shirt and held it out to Matteo. “Tie it tightly around her neck but not tight enough that it’s choking her." I pulled out my phone and, with shaky hands, dialed Rose. The witch may be the only chance to save her; the fae healer was over fourteen hours away.
"Elena, is that you?" Rose's voice filled with surprise.
"If I send my personal airplane to you, would you be willing to come and heal one of my shifters?" At this point, I was desperate. If I could save her life, this would be worth it.
Is that Rose? Mason leaned over, lifting the girl's head as Matteo firmly tied the fabric around her neck.
Yes, she might be able to save her. I have to try. I turned my head to stare down the alley and noticed Mona was already heading back in our direction.
"Yes, of course I can, but it'll be the same payment as always." Her tone took on a trace of humor, which didn't sit well with me.
"That's fine. Please be at the airport in two hours." I turned to Mona. "The plane will be there ready for you to board."
"What’s the destination for the flight?" Mona glanced at Mason.
"Home. South Carolina," Mason answered.
Matteo laid the girl’s head back on the ground. When he lifted his hands, they were covered in her blood.
"She only has a faint heartbeat. Is there anything we can do to stabilize her?" I hoped the girl wouldn’t die before I could even get the witch to the city.
"How did she get injured?" There was movement in the background as a door slammed.
I tried to focus on my conversation with Rose but was relieved when I heard Mona talking to the pilot. "A vampire slashed her throat."
"With his teeth?" Rose zipped something up on her end. "If so, he should be dead nearby."
"No, it's all the way across her throat and a straight line. It had to be a knife or dagger." I glanced over, and now Matteo had her head in his lap.
"Get her somewhere safe, and I'll be there as quick as I can. In the meantime, boil lavender in water and soak it into a washcloth or towel. Then, apply it to the area. It should help slow down the bleeding enough until I arrive." She opened a door, and I could hear birds chirping on her end. "I’ll see you soon.”
"The pilot is on his way." Mona nodded. “I'll arrange the rest of the itinerary to get her here.”
"All right, that sounds good. We're working on your plans now." I stood over the dying girl as my eyes filled with tears. "Thank you for coming. See you soon." I pressed the red END button and immediately called Kassie. We have to get her to our place. The witch should be here in less than four hours. We need to get some lavender and water boiling at the house as soon as possible. Can you call Tommy to get everything set up?
On it. Mason wiped the girl’s blood on his pants and pulled out his phone.
"Hey, where the hell are you?" Kassie's voice held an edge.
"We're right outside the kitchen. A vampire attacked one of the shifters working here." I hoped we could keep her alive for the next four hours. "I need you to get a car here as soon as possible to transport her. Mason is calling Tommy. He’ll find some lavender to boil so we can treat her."
"You called that witch again?" Her voice was alarmingly smooth.
I didn't have time to argue with her about this. "Yes, I did. We need to move quickly or she won't stay alive for much longer. I need a driver here now."
"Fine." She hung up the phone.
"We need to get her down near the end of the alleyway." I hurried over and bent down to pick her up.
"I can carry her." Mason gently clasped my arm and pulled me away. "Just help me carefully pick her up. Matteo, please make sure the fabric stays in place."
"Okay." I leaned down and placed my hands under her head to keep it secure.
Matteo crawled against the wall, clutching the fabric and holding it against her throat. When the two of us were settled, Mason bent down and gently placed his arm under her back and his other arm under her knees.
"On the count of three." Mason glanced at me and then Matteo. "One, two, three." The three of us worked in unison as he lifted her.
The door to the restaurant opened, and Kassie stepped out with Ella and Louis following her. Kassie pointed to the road. "They'll be here in a few minutes. I told them to turn on the hazard lights."
"Is she still alive?" Ella's eyes widened when she realized the magnitude of the situation.
"Yes, but barely." Maybe I'd feel a little better when we got her to the house and situated. "We need to get home as soon as possible."
"I'll go wait for the car." Kassie glanced at Mona. "You got this?"
"Yup, the alley is clear." Mona sighed and shook her head. "I couldn't catch a scent for the life of me. You may want to try."
"Will do." Kassie hurried toward the main road, and the three of us slowly started our trek behind her.
We moved steadily and in sync, hoping to keep her stable. We moved so slowly that it took us several minutes to catch up with Kassie.
When we finally reached the road, there was a smaller car that sat low to the ground, waiting to carry this girl, and a Suburban sat behind it to take everyone else back to the house.
The older man driving the car jumped out of the vehicle and hurried to open the backseat�
�s passenger door for us to climb in.
"Let me get in on the other side so I can help hold her head stationary." Matteo rushed to get in the car and slid all the way across so he was sitting behind the driver. He leaned forward so he could take my place as we slid her inside.
"Do you need to go back to work?" I didn't want to assume that he was going with us.
"No, one of my pack member's lives is threatened. I'd like to stay with Cecelia the entire time if that's okay with you, My Queen." He stiffened as if questioning whether I’d deny his request.
"I understand completely." I would never refuse an alpha who cared for his pack.
Mason stepped into the car and slowly sat down as Matteo's hands replaced mine.
"You are welcome to stay for however long you want or need." I could only hope that she’d be better sooner rather than later.
Once they were settled in the car, I realized there wasn't any room for me to ride with them. "I'm going to ride in the front seat. I don't want to jostle her any more than we have to."
The driver tried to open my door, but I touched his arm. "Please get in the car. The faster we get there, the quicker we can stabilize her.”
He paused for only a second before he rushed back to the driver’s side and climbed in. The Suburban behind us squealed its tires as it peeled out onto the road to block traffic and make room for us to ease out. The driver shifted the car in gear and slowly increased the gas, careful not to jerk the vehicle.
The drive back to our place was not as quick as I’d have liked. The driver did the best he could, but we seemed to move much slower than I had hoped. He stopped at the elevator, and I jumped out and opened the back passenger door. Mason and Matteo once more moved in unison as they carefully climbed from the car.
Do you have it? For all I knew she was dead, but I wasn’t sure they would've said anything in the car.
The vehicle transporting everyone else pulled behind ours, and Ella hurried out of the vehicle to the elevator and pressed the button to take us up.
I think so. Mason moved painstakingly slow, but soon both he and Matteo managed to emerge from the car. "Shit, her neck moved a little."