Feeling a little better, I walked over to grab my necklace from the table and clasped it around my neck again. It would come in handy while sneaking back into the castle. I’d just have to figure out where to hide it afterwards, or maybe I would bring it back with me to the Alpha stronghold. I was more familiar with their castle and surrounding area now, so surely I could find some place to safely secure it.
Draven and Kieran got up and kissed each other. It was sweet and casual, but I wasn’t prepared for the sorrow that slammed into me. They were so fucking happy, and on top of that, they were both mated to Samara, who they loved just as much.
If I could find one person to love me like that, to look at me the way they looked at each other, moonsdamn it all, I’d never ask for anything again.
“Ready?” I rasped when Draven kissed Kieran one last time before walking over to me.
“Yes.” Draven gave me a kind smile that told me he saw everything written all over my face, but thankfully he didn’t say anything.
I nodded gratefully and looked past him to Roth and Kieran. “You’ll get Sam updated on everything?”
“Of course,” Roth answered. “And I’m overdue for a visit to Drudonia. I’m fairly certain the crest isn’t there, but I’ll take a look anyways.”
“And I’ll ask around—discreetly—about it as well,” Kieran offered. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and someone has seen it.”
“When are we ever that lucky, Kier?” I sighed.
He looked at Draven. “I don’t know. I may have been once or twice.”
Oh spare me.
“You’ve gotten awfully sappy.” I wrinkled my nose. “Not sure I like it.”
“I mean, you too could get lucky, at least temporarily.” A devilish light lit up Kieran’s eyes as he grinned at me. “How many nights will you be spending alone with Bastian on your way back? And how does that work? Separate rooms or . . .”
I felt the burn racing up my cheeks, and both Kieran and Roth chuckled. Argh. Why did I have to be such an easy blusher?
“Time to go.” I grabbed Draven’s arm and pulled him across the room, practically shoving him through the mirror before making a rude gesture at Kieran, which only made him laugh harder, and stepping through myself.
Draven wore an amused, close-lipped smile but didn’t comment as we both headed towards the exit.
“We need to move fast,” I told him. “I have no doubt my brother has noticed I’m missing, but he won’t be able to track me.”
“What about Bastian?” Draven tapped a glyph on the wall and the stones split, revealing the stairs cutting through the water of Lake Malov.
“What about him?” I stared at the water flowing against the invisible walls on either side of the stairs, not a single drop making it in.
Draven paused and glanced at me, the amusement in his expression gone and replaced with concern. “Are you worried he’ll notice your absence? I’m assuming you know how to handle your brother, but Bastian is a nosy bastard and doesn’t tend to let things go until he gets his way.”
I eyed the fallen Moroi Prince, because there was a genuine bitterness in voice.
“Something happen between the two of you?” Something you haven’t told Kieran about? I didn’t ask that second question out loud, because while I’d never question Draven’s loyalty to me, we weren’t that close. Yet. Maybe we’d have time when this was all over to hang out and get to know each other better.
“Nothing like that.” His lips twisted in disgust. “Bastian is the most observant person I’ve ever met, even more so than Kieran or Samara. He was a fairly frequent visitor to the Sovereign House over the years, and he picked up on the fact that I was hopelessly in love with Samara . . . and later Kieran.”
That wasn’t new information. Cade might be the leader of the Alpha pack, but Bastian was the public face. “What did he do?”
For a long moment, Draven didn’t answer, then he finally let out a long breath. “In the grand scheme of things, he did very little with that information. I mean, he could have blackmailed me, because I’m also fairly confident he knew something wasn’t quite right with my mother long before anyone else caught on. Instead, he played these fucking games. Making comments here and there, ones crafted to inflict maximum pain.” Draven’s eyes darkened as he looked at me. “Bastian has a cruel streak. I know you’re being careful around all of them, but don’t be fooled by his charm. He’s a prick.”
“I won’t,” I assured him as I processed what he’d just told me.
Draven’s experience and opinion of Bastian lined up with my own. When I’d first come to the Alpha House, Bastian had often made underhanded remarks that weren’t insults exactly but had left me feeling shitty. After a couple of months, he’d knocked it off, but that was when he’d started throwing out casual endearments I knew he didn’t mean. Then there were the last few days . . .
Was Bastian just toying with me? Setting me up for something else just for his own amusement?
“I need to get the fuck out of that place,” I murmured to myself.
“Yes, you do.” Draven started up the stairs. “But until then, keep your guard up.”
