This dinner was not going to have a pleasant ending.
With the greatest of care, I lowered my hand—out of sight—and placed it below the table. Cautiously, I whispered, “Father…let me try to explain.”
King Traevon’s livid attention jerked across the table to my soul mate, apparently, knowing I would lie once more. He shouted furiously, “Why is she wearing that?”
The King of Shifters slowly placed his utensils on the table and held my father’s stare. Hard-edged steel entered his solid black eyes in the quiet. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t waver. King Athon was about to make our lives messier; it was there in his stony resolve.
“No, no, no,” I whispered harshly.
My Fae damned soul mate did not listen to me.
The Shifter King’s accent was heavy as he answered unmistakably, “King Traevon, your daughter and I are soul mates.”
“Ah…shit,” Bishop mumbled softly.
There was a terrible, silent moment…
My king roared in fury and shoved from his chair as flames leapt from his body, instantly turning the long table before us to ash within the blink of an eye—royal firepower used faster than I had ever seen before.
I stayed seated and breathed in shallow pants, clasping my shaking hands together in my lap. I blinked once. Twice.
Then, a smidge deliriously, I sputtered breathlessly, “Thank fuck. I did not want to eat that bitch’s food.”
“This is not the time for that,” King Athon snapped in my direction before he slowly rose to his feet. He stepped toward the king made of flames, watching as my father quickly backed away from him and started pacing before the windows, the Elf King barely holding onto his restraint. My soul mate growled, “We don’t know how this is possible, but it’s true. We’ve been dealing with this since she and I met at High Pointe.”
“Hiding it, more like,” King Traevon spat, and fire flew from his mouth with every word. “The Fae will kill you both for this. What in the Fae fuck were you thinking? Did it not occur to you what was happening to your shifter dickwhen you were fucking my beloved, elven daughter?”
I quietly groaned and cracked my neck both ways.
“I may have noticed that a little too late, and there was a small incident when I did, which I am not going to go into with you. It is private.” King Athon rubbed at his slightly whiskered chin, and then he ran his fingers over his mouth in thought, keeping his tiger in check admirably. “Even now, I don’t know of a way this could have been ultimately stopped. We are soul mates. There’s no changing that.”
“There is a way to stop this,” Father snarled.
“You won’t be killing me. You’re too intelligent for that.” My soul mate’s eyes suddenly churned with blood and met the fire of my father’s. “You should also know that I won’t let you keep her from me. She ismine.”
The flames leapt higher on my father’s body.
Instantly, Mother stood to her feet. Her golden eyes flayed both men. “There are others in the room right now. What are you two thinking discussing this here?”
King Athon growled, “Bishop already knows.”
And…the two servants in the room suddenly exploded from the inside out, sending blood and bits all over us.
Except for my soul mate. Miraculously, he was clean.
“Are you fucking jesting right now?” I shouted and jumped to my feet, shaking the gore from my hands. Then I wiped my palms down my face and shook my hands again. I wascoveredin carnage. “Fae dammit, shifter!”
“He killed two of mine yesterday. It’s only fair.” My soul mate scowled in irritation when I continued to glare at him. “Hold still, elf.”
I did as he ordered while he used his royal bloodpower on me.
Blood and guts flew away from skin, hair, and outfit.
“Now, my mother. That was horribly rude.” I pointed at her where she stood, looking rather annoyed. My father was fine. His flames had taken care of the mess. “She likes that dress.”
“My apologies, Minnie,” King Athon stated—in what sounded like an honest tone—while he worked to divest my mother of her servants’ brains.
“You know, those were fine elves you just murdered. They hadfamilies,” Mother hissed and crossed her arms when she was clean. “I’m fairly vexed with you, Your Royal Highness.”
