by K. Rea
“If my brother had tried to kill Alex, would you have treated him differently?” I asked.
“Your brother never would have tried to kill Alex; he went home to grieve with his loved ones and find peace. In time he may have sent someone to Court on his behalf; he is a lawyer, after all. You though, you didn’t grieve. You ran from the grief into the arms of vengeance. You’re headstrong and impulsive,” Aiden criticized and looked at me sharply.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“My family is not known for patience or leniency. The king is not a patient man. The truth is, your brother would never have made it outside the club. We would have captured him and served retribution before he ever left the premises. Not to mention he wouldn’t have been able to escape out the bathroom window,” Aiden said.
“You are not your brother, not an alpha, and barely an adult. Rage and grief taint your scent. Your neighbor Royce never should have brought you to that club. That scent of your emotional turmoil is like candy to the worst of creatures. I noticed it the first time we met,” Aiden explained.
“A young exiled grieving royal is the perfect pawn. I believe someone orchestrated your parents’ death, hoping your family would seek revenge against mine, perhaps to cause civil unrest or war. As a pawn, you deserved some leeway, but you abused it by attempting to escape. The Court, the king, will be harder on you now,” Aiden said, his irritation with my choices clear. He gathered the first aid supplies and walked away.
Eventually, Ruben’s voice announced our descent. Quicker than I liked, we were back on the ground. Aiden approached with the silver charmed necklace in hand. In a blink, he secured it around my neck, and the warm glow of wolf faded out of my reach, though still present.
“Wrists,” he ordered and pulled the handcuffs out of his back pocket. I held out my hands, and he cuffed my wrists.
“Where are we going?” I asked. I mentally prepared myself for a dark, dank dungeon.
“Typically, we’d go to the Justice Quarters where you would be tried, sentenced, and likely executed by the Council. Instead, you’re to meet the king first, then if you live, you’ll be presented to the Court and the Council,” Aiden explained, any warmth in his voice from before now gone. His tone was all business. I was in a sorry state to see a king, barefooted and in borrowed baggy clothes.
“Alex, I need to speak with father, alone. Ruben will handle the baggage. Can you help her off the plane, gently?” Aiden asked and gestured to me.
“My pleasure,” Alex said. He grinned, grabbed my handcuffs, and pulled me to my feet. Aiden left the plane through the open door. His countenance hardened, shoulders tense.
“So, what will it be she-wolf? I can throw you out the door, carry you, throw you over my shoulder, or you can try to walk barefooted,” Alex suggested. I’ll be damned if I let him carry me.
“Walk, I’ll walk,” I answered. Alex released his grip on my handcuffs and gestured to the door.
“Then get to it,” Alex ordered. “I’ve got places to be, duties to ignore, and women to please.” He escorted me down the steps as I limped on unsteady feet. I could no longer see Aiden, but we followed the trail of wood and citrus scent left in his wake.
“Welcome to the Kensley Palace, home to the Court of Shadows. A paradise on Earth. I believe you’re the first moon shadow to set foot here in more than a few decades. Well, the only one alive that is,” Alex explained.
Ahead I could see the outline of a mansion, or perhaps it was considered a keep at one point. The courtyard we walked through was in bloom. They organized flowers and bushes around gigantic wolf trees. The smell of jasmine, roses, and gardenia hung in the air. The sight of those black roses made my stomach flip, whereas the jasmine reminded me of my mother. This was the home of a violent and morally corrupt society, and still breathtakingly beautiful. The mansion appeared to be made of black marble streaked with quartz; it looked like shooting stars in the night sky caught in stone. Set back from the main house were smaller ones; those were no less intimidating despite their size. It looked like a small town had formed around the palace.
It was a beautiful palace to contain such darkness and hatred. I wondered if the dungeons would be as grand. When father wasn’t around during our camping trips, Orion would tell me stories about the new king and Dark Prince’s vengeance during the Shadow Wars. Stories father wouldn’t tell us, stories of how moon shadow packs were decimated during the night. Only women and children were left alive, with their homes demolished by sunrise. How alphas were rounded up and thrown into the belly of this palace until they went mad in solitude or submitted to the new king. The Blood King, an unforgiving vampire with a cold heart.
As we drew closer to the main house, I saw Aiden. He stood beside a man at the top of the stairs. They walked toward us, and the man at Aiden’s side became clearer. He appeared to be in his late forties, blonde hair, and furious. I limped toward the edge of a bush, hoping it would hide me from view. I wasn’t ready to face an irate, homicidal vampire.
“Where is the damn wolf? We can kill him and end this debacle. Should have killed them all before—” the king said until he saw me. Alex looked over at me, a bit startled not to see me next to him, but molded into the nearby foliage. Thorns pricked my side, and branches tangled in my hair. Alex looked more like the king than Aiden did.
“For all that is dark, Alex, pull her out of the bush! They told me the Wolfrik boy was involved. Where is he? Where’s the girl’s lover and whelp? Did you bring them, or are they already dead?” the king asked harshly. He quickly came to the wrong conclusions. A bit shocked, Alex stumbled over his words before he grasped me by the arm and pulled me roughly out of the bush.
“Ciara executed Jackson and Georgia Wolfrik, we believe, at the behest of someone through the Justice Quarter. Ciara completed the job without knowing they were moon shadows. She left Alex’s signature at the scene. As a result, Ms. Evelyn Wolfrik, their daughter, came to Elexon seeking revenge against Alex. She is the wolf; she was born one,” Aiden said swiftly. My parents’ names on his lips caused my heart to constrict. He summarized the key details, leaving out a few of my less charming moments. Alex released his hold on my arm.
“Daughter? Impossible! We cursed the Wolfrik clan for a reason. Your poor mother. Magic always comes as a price; never trust a witch. Those bloody Ossett witches and their ways, never can trust them to stay in line,” the vampire said as he turned to his eldest son. I retreated as far away as I dared into the rosebush. King Gaius turned around to face me. I surprised him; he didn’t expect to see me further away than before. Aiden frowned at me and shook his head in warning.
“Come here,” the vampire king ordered. The compulsion swiftly brought me scrambling forward, almost to my knees at his feet. My hands clenched before me, still in the handcuffs, did nothing for my balance. If I lived past the next few moments, maybe I’d live long enough to come into my powers and withstand the strong vampire’s charm.
“She is silvered, yes? Are you sure your sister killed her parents and not her husband or her lover? Do we know who ordered the kill?” Gaius asked Aiden but didn’t look away from me.
“I silvered her. Ms. Wolfrik has no husband. We’re still tracing the source of the execution order,” Aiden explained tersely.
“Any sign of her bond-mate? A moon shadow her age is dangerous without one. She’ll need a new one if she stays with us long,” the king stated vehemently. He narrowed his emerald green eyes at me, and I glared back before averting my eyes. He laughed harshly, then took my jaw in a punishing grip, forcing my eyes to meet his.
“Such disrespect, you are a Wolfrik. My name is Gaius Kensley, King of the Court of Shadows, and you will obey me,” the king commanded, his charm coating my every instinct in foggy submission.
“Yes, sir,” the words slipped out while my legs wanted to collapse beneath me. The wolf within me snarled in response.
&n
bsp; “Welcome to Court, Lady Wolfrik. Alex?” Gaius questioned.
“Yes, father,” Alex acknowledged.
“Whatever claim you may think you have—you don’t. You’re not to seduce or harm the lady, at least until I say otherwise. Aiden, you’re in charge of her until I decide what is to be done with her,” Gaius declared. He released his grip from my jaw.
“I wouldn’t dare. She may seem subdued now, but she has more bite than I care for. Technically, she tried to kill me for a crime I didn’t commit. By those standards, she should be my concubine,” Alex declared.
“Did you not just hear what I said? Thank me for taking the burden from you. People will try to kill her, and others might try to take advantage of her, thinking she’s a human blood concubine running around the palace. She may be silvered, but can’t you smell the magic in her blood? The air around her is humming with it,” Gaius asked.
“That wild, passionate fury hanging in the air—that’s her powers building. With that kind of power running through her blood, someone would drain her dry in a day if unchecked. We want to keep her longer. Aiden can watch over her for now,” Gaius threatened briskly. I feared I’d made a mistake by choosing life. Alex stalked off in a huff, only to turn around after he passed his father to smile. He purposely made a fuss so he wouldn’t be responsible for me.
“Aiden, send the werewolves away. Lady Wolfrik is the only alpha within a hundred miles; they and any other wolves in the area will follow her command. It’s an old moon shadow gift she will have inherited as a Wolfrik. Make it known there are to be no werewolves near the vampire quadrant. We will arrest any found,” Gaius explained. My father had never explained the alpha call. I suspected there was more Jackson Wolfrik hadn’t told me. Like, what the hell was a bond—mate?
“Go establish Lady Wolfrik in your quarters or with the blood harem. Chain her to a wall if you have to until we can make a more permanent arrangement. I will have to contemplate her future. Behave until we meet again, Lady Wolfrik,” Gaius commanded with a cruel smile before he walked away. Gaius’ charmed command felt oily against my mind.
“That went better than I expected,” Aiden said. He walked in the opposite direction, toward a side door. “Follow me, little wolf.”
NINE
The marble below my feet was cool to the touch. Our steps echoed down the halls. The black walls were unadorned, except for the occasional empty sconce to offset the artificial lighting above. The doors we passed were different colors; the symbols carved into the surface changed between them. We passed a set of yellow doors, then green. Aiden paused at a red door with roses carved into it but seemed to change his mind. We walked on.
We passed no one. This part of the palace still slept. It was too early in the day for vampires to be out and about, apparently. As I shadowed him, the halls followed a pattern. Many of the doors we passed were open to empty rooms. Through the doors, I could see an oddity of collections. If a room wasn’t bare, it was filled with instruments or hundreds of like pieces. It seemed like most of the hall was storage and not home to a multitude of vampires as I had been expecting. After several twists and turns, the maze of corridors ended, and we stopped in front of a black mahogany door with a single rose engraving and a simple iron handle.
“This doesn’t look like the door of a dungeon. Are you taking me to the harem?” I asked, and Aiden smirked.
“I considered it, that was the red door, but I wouldn’t dare. You’d start trouble or corrupt them all. I’d never hear the end of it,” Aiden said.
“Red doors lead to blood harems; black doors are rooms for vampires. The other colors signify other houses, packs, covens, and tribes. If a door has no color, it is a common area or storage. Any door with a rose on it leads to a room for the Kensley house. This leads to my quarters,” Aiden explained, pointing to the black door with the detailed engraving of a blossoming rose. “The ladies at Rose Hall have better things to do than watch over you.”
“Like what?” I asked. Aiden gave me a pointed look before running his tongue over a fang. I should have known better than to ask. Blood harem, a group of humans they fed from.
“Piper, for example, is looking into the death of your parents. Ruby is arranging protection for you while you’re here. And—” Aiden explained before the door opened. A blonde-haired girl careened through the door with a pile of sheets in her arms. She walked right into Aiden, and he caught her gently.
“—Lucy is refreshing the guest room for you,” Aiden finished. The girl looked barely a day over thirteen, perhaps even younger; it was hard to tell from the sky-blue dress she was wearing. Her emerald eyes sparkled with joy once she saw Aiden. The stony expression he wore since the plane landed melted away into a grin. He was handsome before; he was devastating now when he smiled.
“Prince Aiden! I thought I had more time, my apologies. The room is ready, as you asked. Ruben already delivered your baggage,” Little Lucy said. Her eyes grew round when they took in my appearance and the handcuffs.
“Lucy, do you need a hand with those?” Aiden asked and gestured to the linens.
“Oh no, thank you,” Lucy said, blushing from embarrassment.
“Well then, Lucy, best head back to Rose Hall. I believe Alex brought a gift for you,” Aiden said. With a smile on her face, she dashed down the hallway with sheets flapped behind her. Aiden walked into the room and held the door open. He waited for me to pass him. I refused.
“She’s part of your harem? Tell me you don’t feed off that child! By the Goddess, vampire or not, I will end you,” I said furious, I felt nauseous at the thought. His easy-going smile hardened, and he gripped handcuffs, pulling me into the room and shutting the door behind me.
“She is part of the Kensley harem, but as my ward. She was dying when I found her. She needed a transfusion, but it changed her. Until she adjusts and is an adult, she must stay at court. The ladies of Rose Hall, Alex, and I look out for her. For now, she goes to school and helps where she wants, nothing more. If you hear or see otherwise, you have my explicit permission to rip that person’s throat out,” he said coldly, yet it relieved me.
“If they don’t provide blood, then why is it called blood harem?” I asked hesitantly. He stood too close, so close he could probably hear my heartbeat. He chuckled at me.
“Members of a blood harem provide blood, except for Lucy. They’re tied to their vampire house or a single master through blood. They’re wards, servants, guards, mistresses or blood concubines. Some vampires enjoy the status symbol that comes with a harem. Some vampires only use them to slake their thirst, lust, or darker desires,” Aiden explained.
“What do you prefer?” I questioned.
“I’m over a hundred years old, I don’t need a harem to have my needs and desires met. My Rose Hall ladies are more important than that. Most of them work for me, earn a wage, and I protect them,” Aiden said stiffly before he locked his front door behind us. “Follow me.”
We walked down the navy carpeted hall, our steps barely a sound. The entryway opened up to reveal a spacious living room and a kitchen off to the side. Three doors lead off the main space. The floor to ceiling windows caught my gaze. Flanked by sheer navy curtains, they overlooked a small courtyard of trees and flowers, and a fountain with a bench was in the middle. The pool glistened in the morning light, but I couldn’t make out the figurine in the center.
“I can take you there later if you like. For now, it would be best if you got cleaned up and settled in,” Aiden offered before gesturing to an open door. Inside the door, I could see a bed with my duffel bag resting on top of it. “The bathroom is inside. If you come here, I’ll take the handcuffs off.”
“What about the necklace?” I asked.
“The necklace stays on. I can’t have you wolfing out right now,” Aiden said. He removed the cuffs; his thumb gently traced the red marks left behind. He frowned before slippin
g the cuffs into his back pocket. I limped over to a nearby plush velvet chair, sighed in relief as I sat down. Running would be difficult until my leg healed.
“For now, the rules are these don’t leave the apartment and stay out of—” Again, Aiden was interrupted, only this time by a knock on the door. “Stay out of my room,” he completed hastily before turning toward the knock.
“Come in,” Aiden commanded, his husky voice no longer as causal. The lock clicked, and two women in matching evergreen uniforms walked in. The slight tinkling of bells and swishing of their skirts following them with each step.
“Lady Evelyn Wolfrik, these wonderful ladies are Mistress Tessa and Mistress Rebecca. They will be around, for now, to help you with anything you need and to see to your leg. Be nice to them. You will not like the alternative. Ladies, as you’ve heard, Lady Wolfrik is a ward of the mine and the king’s prisoner. The king and I have business to attend to. When you’ve rested and are more presentable, the mistresses will bring you to me,” Aiden explained.
“Think about what you will say when the king summons you. If he does not like what you have to say, he will execute you, Evelyn,” Aiden warned. “Mistress Tessa, if I could have a word?” Aiden asked by the front door.
The older woman with red hair followed Aiden. They whispered between each other as they exited the apartment, the door closing behind them with a click. I looked to the younger woman; she resembled Mistress Tessa, but with blond hair. She had an embroidered leather satchel over one shoulder, a white apron tied over her green dress. She looked to be around my age. In the corner of the living room sat a small kitchenette. The younger woman pulled a tea kettle from one of Aiden’s shelves, filled the delicate-looking pot covered in swirls of paint with water, and set it to warm on the stove.