Page 133 of Ascendant King

He shot me an annoyed look but turned to the door, back straight, shoulders set, as though there was a firing squad on the other side. When he opened the door, there was no one in the hallway, and we walked as quietly as we could. I could hear voices downstairs, but when we reached the top of the stairs, there was no one in the entryway.

Someone rang the bell, and a footman ran forward, grimacing and straightening his uniform before opening the door.

Sonja and Tyson stepped in, and she handed her coat to the footman. Tyson was back to his healthy self, tall and broad in all the right places. Shirtless, he displayed muscles that any bodybuilder would be proud of.

The dark collar around his neck gleamed as though recently polished.

“Alexander and Chloe Bartlett should be expecting us?” Sonja smiled politely at the footman and nodded when he indicated they were in the morning room.

“We’re just headed there,” Cade said, descending the stairs. I started to walk next to him but then remembered how the other consorts had moved at House Bartlett, a half step behind their masters.

Uncomfortably, I shifted my position, noting how Tyson trailed Sonja as she strode forward. She looked Cade over, briefly glancing at me dismissively before returning her gaze to Cade.

“I suppose it will be about the engagement.” She tightened her lips, and they went pale under her perfect red lipstick. “Now that Leon is recognizing you, it’s not like we can avoid it much longer.”

I felt an odd wave of revulsion and couldn’t stop myself from asking, “Aren’t you cousins?”

Sonja looked at me again, her gaze laser-focused, as though seeing me truly for the first time. She was a bird of prey, and I was the small mouse that had made the mistake of moving in the field underneath.

“Fifth cousins.” Sonja turned her gaze to Cade. “I thought you explained it to him. You said you explained it to him. Is this going to be a problem?”

“Let’s go,” Cade said, glancing significantly at the footman, who still loitered near the door.

The two mages walked in front, Tyson and I both trailing behind. They murmured their conversation, and I turned what we knew over in my head.

“You said you were fine with this,” Tyson said suddenly, his voice low enough that the humans in front couldn’t hear.

I rallied. If Cade could put on his costume, I could put on mine. “Iamfine with it. I just got concerned about the genetics of it all.”

Tyson shot me an annoyed look. “It’s not like Cade will actually father any child of hers. Or if hehasto lend his genetics, there are ways around it.”

I nodded, silent until we reached our destination.

Sonja reached forward first, opening the door and revealing a room lit by warm light, the chairs and sofas on one side, a small table on the other side with four chairs around it. Sitting on adjacent couches, two people looked up when we came in. The man put down his newspaper, and both stood, smiling at Cade and Sonja.

“Good. I’m glad you were both able to join us,” the man said. He extended his hand to Cade while the woman opened her arms for a hug from Sonja.

“We know it’s a hassle, and both of you are still so young, but with the ceremony tonight, we wanted to make sure everything was in place.”

“Of course, Chloe,” Sonja said. “It’s only right that we get this dealt with.”

Cade was staring at the man, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. His breathing had gone uneven again, sharp gasps that sounded painful.

“Father.” He didn’t say anything else, standing unmoving in the doorway.

Cade’s father looked confused. “Are you all right, son?”

“Yes.” Cade shook his head, and I nudged him forward. Tyson had moved aside, standing on the wall, and I saw two other people there, a slender young woman and a dark-skinned man. All three of them were staring at me in horror.

Belatedly, I followed Tyson, standing against the wall. This gorgeous room, shirtless, my collar on display, I suddenly felt very small.

I was an alpha in charge of the fastest-growing pack in California. I was someday going to be the Emperor Wolf, and now here I was, standing to the side, a slave.

My stomach went tight, and I stared at the back of Cade’s head, urging him to turn around and see me, needing him to acknowledge that I was there, that I was real, that this was the dream and the life where I had power equal to his was reality.

Cade finally moved, reaching out and clasping his father’s hand. Chloe had let go of Sonja and embraced him as soon as he released his father’s hand.

The ice on Cade’s face began to crack, and he wept in his mother’s arms.