Page 71 of Night’s Fall (The Four Realms #1)

Wrong

I was ensconced in the daybed in the Princess’s Retreat Chamber ( I named it that myself), reading (not really, I couldn’t concentrate) and cuddling Nova ( I was doing better at that) while Jupiter lay on the back of the daybed, his tail swinging lazily, and Comet was giving his pudge the opportunity to spread by laying on his back on the floor.

I was waiting for everyone to be done with work so I’d have people to hang out with, but more to the point, I could grab my gals and get their take on what was up with Aleksei .

I was also recovering from the two comms I’d just made.

I’d asked Nata to get me the sequences for Antheme’s family, as well as the wife of the man who’d died yesterday.

I hadn’t had the opportunity to ask the queen if this was the right thing to do, and I didn’t ask Germaine because I didn’t want her to say no.

I could imagine both families being angry with me, because if not for me, their loved ones would be alive.

But no matter how hard it was going to be (and I knew it was hard before I found out exactly how hard it was), I also couldn’t ignore the fact, because of me, their loved ones were no longer alive.

During the comms, I got the opposite of anger, which weirdly made it worse.

Both were openly moved I took the time to connect, express sympathy and chat with them.

And Antheme’s mom and dad were both reduced to laughing tears that heartened, at the same time broke me, when I shared how much I liked their daughter and the reasons why.

In the end, it was the right thing to do, but it was horrid all the same.

It was on this thought Aleksei walked in.

After my convo with Timothee , I’d decided to give him his bad mood of the morning, considering all that was going on, and pretend it didn’t happen.

So I smiled at him.

He did not smile back.

He took us all in, looked to me, and asked, “ Enjoying your day?” in a tone that said, The rest of us are taking this threat seriously, and you’re in here, chilling out .

I ignored his tone, put my book down and replied, “ I’ve been waiting for your meeting to be over.”

I did not share it was nearly three in the afternoon, his meeting was at seven in the morning, and maybe it lasted that long, but I was guessing it didn’t.

And if it didn’t, in between times, he didn’t come to me.

“Did you get anything accomplished today?” he asked.

I was in a holding pattern with work, something he knew.

His mother was away from the Palace for an appearance, something I suspected he knew.

So I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to accomplish.

But I offered, “ Timothee and I had a conversation about Caelyn Knightstar and the Battle of the Chasm .”

“You asked Tim to explain the instincts of a male shifter?” he all but sneered.

No.

It wasn’t “all but.”

He straight-up sneered.

It was hard, but I ignored that too.

“I couldn’t say he was leaping for joy at the opportunity to tell me, but he was helpful,” I said.

“A miracle shines out of the murk,” he muttered.

Do not ask me why, but a protective instinct surged in me regarding his brother.

“He helped me out, Aleksei . I had a question, and he took time to answer it.”

Something you did not do , I left unsaid.

He ignored that and inquired, “ Did you get a tour of the Palace ?”

“I wandered myself.”

“That isn’t a tour.”

“No,” I agreed. “ But staff have things to do. Aleece disappeared after breakfast, she was checking on Errol . I didn’t see her after, and I didn’t comm because I didn’t want to bother her in case she was busy. Your father was otherwise engaged. Your mom was gone. So I did the best I could do.”

An odd brittleness seemed to infuse his features when I mentioned Errol , but he didn’t explain that or say anything.

He simply inclined his head.

“I also spoke to Antheme’s mom and dad, as well as the wife of the male who was lost yesterday,” I told him.

His brow creased. “ Did Germaine approve that?”

“No.”

He put his hands on his hips, like a father preparing to educate a small, dull child. “ Laura , I believe you’ve already learned, in sensitive matters like that, you need to discuss them with Germaine .”

Do not rise to the bait, Laura .

“They were moved I took the time to comm,” I shared.

“We’re lucky for that,” he murmured and then declared, “ I have a meeting in ten minutes. I’ll be in my study and shouldn’t be disturbed.”

“Is this meeting about what’s happening?”

“No. I still own controlling share of twenty-seven businesses, regardless of what happened yesterday. And in so doing, I’m required to discuss issues and render decisions on how they operate.”

And now I was not a small, dull child, but I was getting another you’re-a-dim-bulb tone from a prince of the realm.

Patience and understanding. He considers his mate in danger and vulnerable. Don’t add fuel to the fire .

“Will you share about your meeting this morning after your imminent meeting?” I asked.

“I said I would.”

More odd, I sensed he was lying.

Since I couldn’t understand why I had that sensation, I didn’t call him on it.

I nodded and said, “ Okay . Can you tell me why you were called away last night?”

“No.”

I waited.

Nothing.

So I guessed that was again all I was going to get.

“Are there any more questions you have in order to detain me before you get back to reading, and I return to doing important shit?” he asked.

Patience and understanding instantly took a swan dive out the window.

“I’d appreciate it if you’d stop throwing in my face that I confided in you I was worried I was self-absorbed when we got together. I’m not Anna , Aleksei .”

“You are, indeed, not,” he agreed. “ And I’m not doing that.”

“It feels like it.”

“So there are issues you wish to use to detain me,” he noted, his voice beleaguered.

Beleaguered!

I was beleaguering him!

I picked up my book, saying, “ Go . I’m not a fan of you in this mood.”

“I’m not in a mood, Laura . I simply have things to do.”

“Fine. Awesome . Feel free to do them,” I muttered to my book.

“It didn’t take you long to learn to be a princess. Now that, love, is very Anna .”

My attention snapped back to him.

Nova slunk away.

Jupiter jumped off the daybed and disappeared under it.

Comet rolled to his belly and stared up at Aleksei .

My beast retreated.

His bulged.

“Did you just say that to me?” I asked.

“It seems to escape you that I’m not a fan of your mood either.”

“And tell me, Aleksei , what is my mood?”

“I almost lost you yesterday.”

“That might be an explanation of your mood, not a good one, but an explanation. It isn’t your take on mine.”

“You seem not to understand there are pressing matters at hand. Very pressing.”

“How exactly have I shared with you I don’t understand that?”

“I don’t know,” he drawled. “ Maybe something like, I told you I have a meeting in what is now less than ten minutes, I have to prepare for that meeting, something that will take longer than the time I have, but I’ve no choice but to do what I can, and I’m not doing that. I’m having this conversation with you.”

“As I said earlier, your highness, you are free to go. I’m not detaining you. You’re not leaving but instead hanging around in order to throw barbs.”

“And now she plays the victim,” he murmured under his breath, turning to leave.

That was it.

I was done.

I slapped my book down on the daybed.

Comet dashed under it.

“Oh my gods!” I cried. “ I am not playing the victim.”

He turned to me, all too eager, despite his assertions that he wasn’t, to be detained.

I shook my head and did it hard.

“No. Nope . I’m done with this discussion. You have pressing matters. We’ll reconvene when you have time.”

I picked up my book again, opened it, and it wasn’t the page I was on, but I pretended it was.

“I’ll warn you now, there is much that was discussed this morning that I can’t tell you,” Aleksei said.

This did not make me happy.

I absolutely didn’t share that at this juncture.

“Consider me warned,” I replied to my book.

He didn’t leave.

I continued pretending to read.

He still didn’t leave.

I quit pretending to read and looked at him. “ Anything else, your royal highness?”

His eyes sparked purple, and he growled, “ When you call me that when you’re pissed, it takes everything I have to stop myself from turning you over my knee.”

“I’m not a child,” I snapped.

“Darling,” he purred. “ It wouldn’t be that kind of spanking.”

Drat it all, my sex dampened.

He sensed it or smelled it and the spark in his eyes became fire.

“Though, you’d learn your lesson,” he finished.

He wasn’t to be believed.

I stared at him.

He stared at me.

I continued to stare at him.

He kept staring at me.

I carried on staring at him, and I did it resolved it wouldn’t be me who spoke the first word.

He broke our staring contest. “ I’ll see you at dinner.”

No, you won’t. I’m dialing one, ordering food, eating in here and giving you loads and loads and LOADS of time to get over whatever this is .

“Later,” I replied, turning back to my book.

He left.

I suddenly felt like crying.

I didn’t.

I needed to pin down the queen.

Or I needed to talk to Mr . Truelock . He seemed like he might know where Aleksei’s head was at.

Either way, I needed someone, anyone, to tell me what was going on with my mate.

I needed this so I wouldn’t kill him.

I put my book down, found my Palm and text commed Mr . Truelock , asking if we could have a chat when he was done with work, but before dinner.

I knew him better, that’s why I picked him.

I also didn’t have the queen’s number. Anytime we made plans, we did it through aides.

I barely set my Palm aside before the tone sounded.

It was Mr . Truelock .

He was just the best.

I took his video comm. “ I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“Are you all right?” he asked, appearing concerned.

I looked to the door.

It was open.

I got up and walked to close it, saying, “ I have something personal to discuss.” I shut the door and said quietly, “ About Aleksei .”

“Is he all right?”

The answer to that was a big fat no.