Page 25 of Kingly Bitten

Maybe I’d give in.

But only if she gave me what I wanted first.

“James says you’ll be more willing to talk if I confirm that I don’t work for Lilith, but I already tried that route, and you essentially called me inferior.” I canted my head to the side. “Do you still feel that way?”

Her nostrils flared. “What did you do to James?”

I arched a brow at her, impressed and irritated by her haughty tone. “Perhaps I wasn’t clear here. I’m the one interrogating you, not the other way around.”

“You need me alive because of what I know,” she said. “And I need to know if James is okay.”

“And if he’s not?” I wondered out loud, honestly curious.

“Then you might as well kill me because I won’t give you a damn thing,” she bit back.

Both my eyebrows shot upward. Had I misread their connections? I assumed he was with the mother of his lycan pup, but maybe he and Calina were romantically involved. Except, no, that didn’t feel right. They’d had no palpable chemistry earlier. He’d merely obeyed her command. And it hadn’t been Calina he’d worried over, but Gretchen and their child.

“Are you trying to negotiate?” I asked, attempting to discern her strategic play.

“I’m telling you that I’ll cooperate, but only if James and Gretchen are left unharmed.”

“Well, too late for that,” I admitted.

“Then too late to negotiate,” she countered.

I searched her expression for any hint of vulnerability and found none.

She meant every word.

“How do I even know you’re worth negotiating with?” I inquired. “You sent that transmission of bogus reports. But other than that, I have no proof of your ability to give me anything useful. You can’t even tell me about Cam.”

I was baiting her, and the flicker in her gaze told me she knew it.

But rather than call me on it, she considered me in a manner similar to the way I observed her. “King Jace,” she said as though tasting my title and name. “I’ve never heard of you.” She glanced around the room. “And this isn’t your room.”

“How do you know that?”

“The scent is too fresh,” she replied almost absently. “If you lived here, your woodsy cologne would be a fixture in the room, not a fragrant afterthought.” Her multicolored irises refocused on me. “James and Gretchen are still alive. If they remain that way, I’ll tell you everything I know. But you’ll need to set them free first. Those are my terms. Take them or leave them.”

8

Calina

King Jace.

The title suited the vampire before me, his icy blue irises and perfectly chiseled features the epitome of regality. Age and experience radiated from him as well, telling me without words that he was one of the ancients.

Lilith had never provided names for the royals or alphas that she put in charge of the various regions. However, I suspected this handsome vampire was one of the royals. He was too powerful and old to be anything other than a leader of his kind. And the way he openly evaluated me and this situation told me everything I needed to know about his strategic abilities.

He would be a worthy chess opponent.

So let’s play,I thought, waiting for him to make his move. I’d played my cards on the proverbial table. Now it was his turn.

“How do I even know your information is valuable?” he asked.

“If you didn’t think I was valuable, you wouldn’t have fed me your blood.” I recognized the aftereffects of imbibing a vampire’s essence. And the potency of his impact on my senses had confirmed his age, too.

“I only saved you because I want answers. But if you’re not willing to give them to me, then I’ll just finish you off like the snack you are meant to be.”