Page 47 of Kingly Bitten

Swallowing down the urge to growl, I walked around Darius—only then realizing his hand was still on my shoulder. I met his gaze as I passed. “I’m fine.”

“Are you?”

“Yes,” I snapped. “Let me go.”

His brow furrowed, but he didn’t hold me back. Instead, he said, “Maybe we should let Calina see the boy as a show of good faith. If he’s in the room while she works, it could motivate her to comply quickly. Especially with your threat hanging over her head.”

I considered that and dipped my chin. “Yes.”

“What threat?” Willow asked.

“Nothing I intend to follow through on,” I promised her. “But Calina doesn’t know that.” And from what I’d observed, her senses weren’t enhanced, so she couldn’t hear any of this. “Juliet, darling, do you mind holding the child for a little while?” I softened my tone for her, the female having earned my respect and admiration over the last few months.

Rather than answer me, she looked to Darius. He gave her a nod, telling her without words—or perhaps through their mental connection—that he approved. “Of course, my liege,” she murmured, her pretty brown eyes finding mine briefly.

When we’d first met, she couldn’t even be in the same room as me without falling into the requisite bow. Darius had worked wonders on her innate programming, providing her with the backbone she needed to survive in this political arena.

She stepped forward and held out her hands for the child.

Willow looked at Ryder.

Which had him looking at me. “If that child so much as cries in our absence, I’ll destroy you for upsetting my mate.”

Normally, I’d remark on a threat like that, but I found myself to be all out of retorts, so I merely acquiesced with a nod. Because my focus wasn’t on that toddler. It was on Calina.

Rather than wait to observe the exchange, I headed back to Damien’s room and the en-suite office he hid off to the side of his dining area.

The door was open, showcasing Calina at a desk with Damien hovering over her shoulder. He wasn’t touching her, but his mouth was too close to her exposed neck for my liking.

“Ryder needs you in the hallway,” I said, my tone sharper than I’d intended.

Damien glanced back at me. “Does he now?”

“Lilith photo shoot.”

Those two words had Calina stiffening. “Lilith’shere?”

“Yes,” I replied. “She’s in there.” I glanced at the hidden door that led to the item in question. “Show her, Damien.”

He didn’t even try to fight me on it, too excited by the prospect of showing off his two trophies.

Pressing his palm to the wall, he revealed an electronic panel that required a very long password. He keyed in all the numbers, then stepped back as the wall parted like slats on an elevator.

A whooshing sound accompanied the action, revealing a freezer inside and a barely breathing female tied to a chair. “I see you haven’t removed the axe from Benita’s stomach yet,” I commented.

“Oh, I did,” Damien replied. “Then I had Tracey put it back.”

“Foreplay?” I guessed.

“Something like that,” he drawled.

I glanced at Calina to find her gaping at the head on the shelf. “As I said,” I murmured. “Lilith’s here. She’s just not alive.”

Calina stood, leaving the screens behind, and stepped into the freezer as though in thrall.

Damien moved to stop her, but I lifted my hand, telling him,Don’t,with a look, curious to see what she would do.

She crept up to Lilith as though she might come alive at any moment. Then she canted her head to the side in evaluation.