I went back to my dad’s office, ready to find out what my first “test” would be.
Fuck, I really hoped he wouldn’t make me kill anybody.
Two suited alphas stood outside the doors as usual, hands folded in front of them.
“He in?”
With a nod, the guy on the left slid the door open for me, and I stepped through, surprised to see Maia was already here.
“Good morning, dipshit,” she grinned. “Sleep well?”
I grunted my response, taking the empty chair next to her. I’d barely slept a wink, and she knew it.
My dad didn’t notice or care. “As much as I look forward to longer talks about your return, I won’t insult you by taking too much of your time. The return of your mate is our priority right now.”
I raised a skeptical eyebrow. Making me take a bunch of performative tests to prove my “loyalty” seemed like the exact opposite of making Sage’s rescue a priority, but as Maia pointed out, reconnaissance would take time anyway. Hopefully not less than this kraken shit, though.
My dad could read the doubt clearly on my face, and I realized I’d have to remember to school my expressions around him. Any sign of dissent, snark, or weakness, and I’d lose what little goodwill he had for me at the moment.
“If she’s your mate, then that makes her the future mother of my grandchildren. That makes her family.” He leaned forward with a sneer. “And we don’t turn our backs on family.”
My dad had turned his back on me more times than I could count, so his words weren’t exactly landing on me the way he’d probably hoped, but I flinched to make him think otherwise.
“And besides,” he added, leaning back in his chair. “I fucking hate vampires. Especially Corvane.”
“Ugh,” Maia agreed, sticking her finger in her mouth and pretending to gag. “He’s the worst.”
On that, at least, I could agree.
I sat forward, placing my elbows on my knees to keep them from bouncing. Something else my dad hated. “So what’s the plan? For me and for Sage?”
“I’ve always got eyes and ears on the Premiers,” my dad answered, a proud smirk just starting to tug at the corners of his mouth.
I expected no less.
“And those eyes and ears are about to multiply in Noctis, because what do you know? Corvane is currently looking to double the security detail at the Premier’s mansion.”
“I told you,” Maia chimed in, her sing-songy response light.
“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “So you got a couple of vamps on the payroll. Do you know anything already?”
“Nothing that doesn’t already coincide with what you’ve told us. That for the past five years he hasn’t slept at the mansion, that he’s increased in strength and power, and has refused to drink blood he doesn’t bring himself to social events. And that he was employing a pretty heavy glamour the past two weeks.”
I sighed, rubbing my face in my hands. Why hadn’t I looked into all of this myself before I’d signed that stupid contract and made that Ravaric-damned deal? It would have been obvious he was hiding his mate.
But if I’d never looked into Sage, I wouldn’t have discovered that she was actually my mate. And as much as I hated the road that had led me back here, it was worth taking it if she would be the one walking by my side.
“What about his wife?” I asked. “She’s an alpha werewolf, and she’s just given birth to their child. Does she know about Sage? Is she a risk?”
Alpha werewolf moms could be territorial and vicious. Everyone knew you didn’t mess with one, so I could only imagine the damage she might do if she knew the Premier was keeping his “mistress” in their actual home.
It wouldn’t have been as shocking a hundred years ago or so, but these days, it would be a huge scandal to discover a Premierstepping out on their spouse. It still happened, of course, but they were expected to at least be discreet.
My dad closed his eyes for a moment before responding. “We’ll look into it, but from what I learned, she and Corvane lead very separate lives behind the cameras. She might not be as committed to him as she appears.”
Well, I didn’t really know how she appeared in terms of her feelings towards the Premier, but I supposed I would have to take his word on it for now.
“Fine. Can you just tell me what it is I need to do now? I want to get this over with.”
