Once I was out in the hallway, though, I realized I’d never been by myself in the mansion before, and I wasn’t entirely sure where to go.
My arms wrapped around my chest protectively as I looked up and down the corridor. Today had been my first day in his office, and my eyes had been trained on the floor the whole walk here, “like a good omega.”
As much as a little voice in the back of my mind told me to run, to find a door that led outside and never look back, I knew I’d never even make it off the grounds.
“Ms. Hexwood?”
I turned around, an armed alpha vampire guard approaching slowly. He wore the same uniform as all the other guards, but there was something about the way he moved that felt different. Even his aura was strange. Powerful, like Victor’s, but more controlled. More…
Safe.
It didn’t hurt that he was quite handsome, too. Tall. broad shouldered, and lean, with dark, slightly tousled hair and deep, thoughtful eyes.
He reminded me of Ronan in a way, which, perhaps stupidly, made me want to trust him.
“Please,” I asked, wiping away the tear that had fallen down my cheek. “How do I get back to the Premier’s room?”
He didn’t answer right away, just inclined his head toward the hallway. “Follow me,” he said, his voice low and calm.
My footsteps were swallowed by the carpet, while his were heavy and echoing along the walls. I looked up for the first time, taking note of all the oil paintings of Victor’s family, the Premiers of Noctis, going back hundreds of years.
They stared at me, unblinking eyes full of disapproval, and I shivered under the weight of their haunted gazes.
After several twists, turns, and stairs, we stopped in front of a familiar set of doors.
“Here we are.”
I reached out to open them, but they were locked.
Just my luck.
“You wouldn’t happen to have a key, would you?”
He paused, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. “I could get you in without one, but I don’t think the Premier would be happy about that.”
A guard who joked? That was a new one.
“I’ll find someone who does, though. Just stay put.”
I gave a sad chuckle. “I mean, it’s not like I can go anywhere else.”
He paused before he stepped away, leaning in close, placing a hand on my shoulder. His voice was barely above a whisper. “When the time comes, stick with me.”
I closed my eyes, the feel of his touch so different from Victor’s. Calm. Steady. There was something about the way he moved and spoke, his voice a rich baritone… could he sing? I bet he could sing.
Then the words registered. “Wait, the time? What time? Wh—”
The “why” died on my lips as the guard disappeared around the corner.
My back hit the door and I slid down until my butt, still sore from Victor throwing me off his lap, landed on the floor.I brought up my knees, resting my cheek on top of them as I thought.
Why would he help me? Had…
No. There was no way Ronan could have orchestrated anything like an extraction out of the Premier’s Mansion. He was strong, but he didn’t have the resources or connections to launch any kind of mission of that magnitude.
He had to be talking about someone else, then. Accalia? Or maybe one of the other Premiers wanted to kidnap me to get to Victor.
It couldn’t be worse than here.
