Ignoring it, I sat back and watched as we passed the market stalls and crowded stores, and then drove up the hill to the king’s palace. There were thousands of white twinkling lights dotting the road up to his home, like you would use on Christmas. Not to mention a total traffic jam going into the gates. Our driver kept glancing back at me and then forward again.
Something was off.
“Did you ever get a hold of a fey blade? I could try to get one to you.” I lowered my voice as we were stalled in the drop-off line.
He stiffened. “Why would you do that?” He glared back at me.
I frowned. “Werewolves are our equals where we’re from,” I told him.
Luka nodded. “My best friend is the alpha of the Werewolf City pack in Idaho. He said that any of you who want to defect are welcome with him.”
The dude bristled as if he was offended. “Alpha?”
Oh, that’s right. Milika had said that alphas were against the rules here or something.
“Two alphas actually. Husband and wife. Mates. It’s a long story.” I chuckled.
The line started moving again, but he looked back at me with a worried glance. This time Luka noticed.
“You’re acting strange, bro. You good?” Luka asked. Tink didn’t respond as he pulled into the gates, the guard not even asking for invitations as there were so many people. He then careened the tuk-tuk off into a parking spot on the grass.
When he turned to finally face Luka, he wore a haunting expression. “I don’t care about bloodsuckers, okay, but your woman did me a solid last time, so I’m going to tell you something.” His voice was so soft that even with super hearing I had to lean forward.
Luka was as still as a statue and simply nodded.
The werewolf swallowed hard, looked at the front doors of the house, then back to Luka. “King Constantine wants your lady. Hasn’t stopped talking about her since you left, says she makes him feel alive again. He intends to fight you once more. He will kill you this time and take her.” He inclined his head to me.
Oh. Shit.
Luka didn’t move an inch. “You’re sure?” was all my fiancé asked.
The driver nodded. “I hook up with his assistant, Carmen, sometimes. She blabs the entire time.”
That was the dark feeling I had carried all day. The king wanted to kill Luka to get to me?
Luka nodded. “Thank you. I won’t forget this. I owe you. Come with us tonight when we leave.”
The guy chuckled and pointed to his neck and the collar that rested there.
“Let me worry about that,” Luka stated.
The guy shrugged. “I didn’t say anything. You heard nothing from me.”
We both nodded and he stepped out of the little makeshift vehicle and lit a cigarette.
“He asked if I had a friend. Liv?” I told Luka. Wondering how the king could be obsessed with me and ask for me to bring a friend.
“A cover,” he growled. “So that I wouldn’t question his mild flirting with you.”
“But … he’d have to be crazy to kill a fellow king,” I whispered.
Luka looked at me, deadpan. Okay, he was slightly insane already.
“What do we do?” I asked.
Luka took my hand and kissed the top. “This changes nothing. Plan forges ahead.”
“What? But he’s going to try and kill you!” I whisper-screamed.
