Kai glances back at his beta, then to me.“Is she?”
“She’s right here,” Aurelia says acidly. “You can talk to me directly.”
Kai completely ignores her and Aurelia’s face twists in disgust, clearly offended. I grimace, knowing exactly what she’s thinking. To her, he’s being rude, but it’s actually the exact opposite.
By pressing my fingers to my throat, I’ve just told him that she’s my mate, and now he won’t even look at her again until I’ve introduced her to him directly. Shifters are dogmatic about our social rules and self-control—we have to be, because one slip, and the beast beneath our skin takes the reins.
Still, I’ve clearly been out of the company of other wolves and living among Fae too long, because I’m also finding this uncomfortable. Trying to imagine Daemon trying to speak on Alix’s behalf is laughable, and Kas and Dessa even more so. Odessa would have Kastian by the balls by now.
“Aurelia, this is Kai,” I blurt out, just to get it over with. “He’s a friend. We grew up together, and now he’s the alpha.”
“Hi,” she mutters, still sounding irritated.
“Kai, this is Aurelia…” I suck in a breath, bracing myself. “…my mate.”
As I expected, Aurelia stiffens and her tan skin visibly pales. I know she heard me claim her as mine in front of Viktor, but that could be interpreted in a lot of ways. Calling her my mate to someone I consider a friend is going to be harder to explain. I hold my breath, silently praying she doesn’t contradict me and ruin everything.
Before Aurelia can react, Kai turns back to her with a wide smile. “Happy to meet you.”
“Did you not hear me,” Viktor snaps. “She’s a fucking witch. I don’t know if I believe they really are mated, but if they are, it’s Fae business. Nothing to do with us.”
Kai’s brow furrows in clear irritation.“Get out.”
Viktor’s eye twitches, and I can see him fighting it. Kai isn’t compelling him like a natural alpha would—he couldn’t even if he wanted to. Viktor doesn’t have to leave, but for some reason he does. He huffs an agitated growl and casts a venomous look our way as he stomps out of the tent.
“Is he the beta?”I ask.
Kai nods, scowling, and lets out a breath. “Let’s sit down and have a drink.”
For the next hour, Kai and I catch up. I tell him about Dyaspora, my friends, and now living in the court of Vernallis.
When I’ve finished he stares at me, stunned. “You went from this shithole, to the most dangerous prison on the continent, escaped, and now you’re royal?”
“Not royal,” I correct. “Just a soldier in a different sort of army.”
“Friend to the king, though?” He grins. “I always knew you’d do something impressive.”
I scoff. He absolutely did not think I’d do anything of the sort. The asshole thought I was dead.
Kai tells me about what he’s been doing for the last several decades, which doesn’t sound all that different from what he was doing the last time I saw him—except that he’s the alpha now. He also apparently has children, which isn’t surprising, though I find the idea of Kai as a father hard to picture.
“How many sons do you have?” I ask blandly.
“Five,” he says proudly. “And another on the way.”
Aurelia suddenly sits up straight. The entire time Kai and I have been talking, she’s been staring into space. Now, she leans forward, eyebrows raised. “You have six children?”
“Seven. The youngest is a girl.” He beams with pride. “You’ll meet them and their mother at dinner later, but first, we need to decide what to do with both of you.” He looks suddenly serious. “Fox, it’s not that I’m not happy to see you, but it sounds like you have a good thing going in Vernallis. You have amate.” He gives me a meaningful look. “So what the fuck are you doing back here?”
Aurelia leans forward, her fingers curling around the edge of the table. “I need to reach the palace.”
Kai’s tankard freezes halfway to his mouth. A bark of laughter escapes him, and he guffaws as if it’s the best joke he’s heard in years. It probably is—that is, until he catches Aurelia’s serious expression. “Wait, honestly? You’re fucking serious?”
“I have business there for the court of Vernallis,” she says lightly.
I shoot her a deadly glare which she goes out of her way to ignore, firmly refusing to look at me.Infuriating woman.
By sheer virtue of the fact that she hasn’t yet revealed that we are not mates and hasn’t gone out of her way to say much, I knowAurelia has grasped that this situation is precarious. Now she’s making it sound like Daemon and Alix sent us here on purpose and her foolish, suicidal mission is somehow sanctioned by the king and queen.
