One of the other vampires flicks his wrist casually and Ethel and Eustace fly out of their chairs. Ethel shrieks, and another flick of the wrist has them being dragged around the table. I knew there were vampires with serious powers, but I’ve never seen shit like this. I make an honest attempt to not gawk, but then Walter is levitating over the table, fighting against the control the guard has on him, but so obviously losing.
The two guards escort the three vampires outside, and the one who did the speaking rolls the scroll back up and tucks it into his pocket.
“Is…is that all?” I ask, unsure if there’s any protocol for something like this.
“I’m terribly sorry to have interrupted your meeting,” he says, taking a step toward me. “I’m Lord Alexander Grey, at your service.”
He does this dramatic bow, and I just give him a nod in reply, because again…what the fuck.
“Lord?” I ask.
For the first time since he blew into the place, he cracks a small smile. “I earned it when I was alive. I plan to keep it until it no longer suits me.”
“Well met,” I agree.
“They will not be returning,” Lord Alexander announces. “You can allow their heirs to inherit, or you can distribute the property and responsibility as you see fit.”
He produces another scroll from his jacket and hands it to me. The paper crackles in my palm.
“Thank you.”
“Have a good evening, gentlemen and ladies.”
After he’s gone, I collapse into the chair at the head of the table and a laugh bubbles out of my throat. I can’t contain it, and I laugh until tears are streaming down my face. The three vampires remaining at the table sit in silence until I’ve quieted.
“I apologize,” I say, wiping my eyes. “This entire thing is just…”
“It must be hard,” Clarice offers, “considering you don’t even want to be here.”
“I would prefer to be home with Declan while we heal.”
“No. I mean…here at all.”
“Yeah, well.” I tear open the wax seal on the scroll and scan the letter. It’s a detailed reiteration of what Lord Alexander told us before he left. Eustace, Ethel, and Walter’s property is to be divided as we see fit. I pass the scroll to Clarice, and the three of them take turns reading it.
Everything makes sense to me now. Why it was so important to my father for me to mate and assume this leadership role. Walter threatened our way of life, and in these few exchanges I’ve had, it’s clear to me we would have all met terrible ends had he been given the opportunity to rule.
It doesn’t make the sting of my new responsibilities any less painful, but I understand his reasoning. I only wish he and Henry had been honest with me. I wouldn’t have done the things I had if I’d known what was at risk.
“I do not believe their heirs should inherit,” I say.
“Agreed.”
“Can the three of you agree on a fair split for all of us?” I ask.
“We can,” Alejandra answers for all three of them, and Clarice and John nod in agreement.
It’s all so fucking clear to me that this seat isn’t mine. It’s mine on a technicality and I have the distinct feeling the crisis has been averted.
“May I speak candidly?” I slump against the chair, the events of the past few days catching up to me in a heavy rush.
“Always,” John answers.
“I’ve been mated barely a month. There’s…there’s things we’d like to do together, and there is one glaring issue on the top of our to-do list.”
“Which is?”
“I severed our mate bond,” I tell them. “Franklin was going to kill me, so I severed it, and I aim to rebuild it.”
