Page 181 of Cruelly Bitten

The rest of us were all seated in the ample living space, watching the sun rise outside the windows.

The light would eventually bother the vampires in the room. It wouldn’t harm them, just irritate their enhanced senses.

From what I’d seen, there were blackout curtains lurking along the edges of the windows, suggesting a remote somewhere would draw them across the glass when needed. Or perhaps it would be automatic.

Regardless, only a few rays of orange and red had appeared thus far, painting the room in an eerie twilight rather than morning sunlight.

“Do you think Lilith left behind notes for Michael and Mira to follow?” Jace asked, his focus on Calina, not the others. “Or is there a silent partner we’ve yet to uncover?”

“Similar to Lajos?” she suggested, her brow creasing. “It’s definitely possible. We know she has other allies.”

“Jasmine and Ayaz,” Jace murmured. “Helias and Sofia, too.”

“Maybe Robyn,” Kylan added. “I know she punished her after everything that happened with Raelyn, but we haven’t seen it enforced yet.”

Jace nodded. “Yes, true. We also have so many unknowns, like Khalid and Hazel. It’s hard to say what side they truly fall on. We’ve all mastered this game of charades.”

“So hold a meeting and see how everyone reacts to the news about Lilith’s experiments,” I suggested, thinking aloud. “That’ll tell you what side everyone is on. But you’ll need several strategies in place to handle their reactions.”

“You also need a goal,” Cam stressed. “One that doesn’t involve me leading.”

Everyone, including me, stared at him.

Rather than meet their gazes, he focused on me. “I will not repeat the mistakes of my past, and that includes choosing humanity over myErosita.” He finally looked at Darius and then Jace. “I am not that man. Therefore, I am not your king.”

I blinked at him, his declaration not matching the one in his thoughts. He kept calling me his queen, saying we were equals in this life.

But now he proclaimed himself not to be a king, even though it was his birthright as the eldest vampire.

I’m nottheirking,he whispered into my mind.I’myourking, Ismerelda. I won’t serve them. I’ll only serve you.

“I think we’ve said enough for today,” Cam concluded out loud. “Ismerelda and I have things we need to discuss. Things that don’t involve all of you. So make your calls. Invite your lycan allies. And we’ll meet again after dusk.”

With that, he stood and left the room.

I’m going to cool off in the shower,he informed me softly.You’re invited to join. Or you can stay and talk with the others. But I need a break.

His mind was rioting with conflicting statements, his frustration at his memory loss palpable. Yet he seemed to be angrier at his former self for putting him—us—in this position.

I stared after him, the hallway he’d walked down vacant. However, his scent lingered. His presence did, too.

Do I want to follow him?I wondered.Or do I want to wait?

Jace cleared his throat. “I suppose we should… leave.”

“That’s what I gathered from that, yes,” Kylan drawled, his dark eyes taking in the sunrise. “I suppose it’s time to retire on this side of the world. Besides, we probably won’t hear from Ryder for at least a few more hours.”

“I’ll talk to him,” I said, referring not to Ryder but to Cam. “He just needs some time…” I trailed off. Because it wasn’t just Cam who needed time, but me as well. “I…” I cleared my throat. “We’ll figure this out.”

I hope,I added to myself.Maybe.

Did I want to figure this out?

Did I want to fight for us?

Was what we have worth saving when only one of us remembers the last millennium?

It would be like starting over.Do I even want to start over?It would be with this version of Cam, not the old one.Do I want this version?