Page 12 of Wedlock

‘And did I love her? I thought I did, once upon a time. But no. It was nothing like the feelings I have for my wife, even now. Nothing.’

“Not at all, my friend,” Wolf grins. “Perhaps a commotion will do you good, that’s all I’m suggesting.”

“Commotion is an understatement. Right now I’m up to my armpits in shit,” I snort. “The last thing I need is to have my Mother turn against me too. You know she vehemently opposed any union with the Princess.”

“Yes,” he shrugs, “I never could understand why she was so violently angry that you might marry a princess destined to become the Queen of Denmark. It’s still a mystery. I would have thought any mother would want her son to rise up in the ranks and become a king consort. And why you agreed to your Mother’s ultimatum, that too, is still a mystery.”

I roll my eyes. That discussion with Mother was so long in the past I would have forgotten it, had it not been for the wild look in her eyes and her desperation as she’d pleaded with me to break it off with the Princess.

“There was no ultimatum. The decision was mine. I changed my plans because Mother told me if I’d ever trusted anything she had said or done, to trust her word on this, and not marry the Princess. I had no reason to doubt she had anything but my best interests at heart. I agreed because, truth be told, my affection for the Princess was strong, but not insurmountable, and my affection for my Mother was unwavering. And anyhow, it was the Princess who was pressing for marriage. I truthfully thoughtwe were too young. I was perfectly content to continue on as we were.”

“Hard to believe,” Wolf murmurs, still studying the map. “It fits with who you are to see you rise. You of all people cling to tradition and title,” he looks up, one eyebrow raised. “Your feud with Spider’s family over power and your seat is just one example.”

“That’s entirely different,” I snap. “I’ll never let Spider get my title. It has nothing to do with me wanting power and everything to do with family dignity. I hold to my title because I represent generations of my bloodline.”

“Bloodlines I understand,” Wolf nods. “I, however, couldn’t care less aboutmytitle. I have half a dozen brothers and just as many cousins who could take on the responsibility any time, and I’d gladly hand over the reins, dignity be damned.”

“But youdon’thand over the title,” I snort.

“No,” he sighs, “because I need the money and influence to find my sister. But once I do, I don’t care one whit if I’m supplanted. I’ll live my days whoring and drinking in a chateau in the country somewhere.”

“We’ll see,” I snigger.

“Titles aside, my friend,” Wolf goes on, “I’ve never seen you so down in the dumps. Perhaps if you’ve been falsely convinced that vampires can love humans, as Jag so often bemoaned, a little refresher on whatreallove is, vampire-on-vampire, might not go astray. Unless you agree with Jag now?”

“Don’t mention that bastard’s name to me,” I snap.

‘And yes, obviously I fucking agree with him now, damn him to hell.’

“Jag’s still my friend,” Wolf glares at me, his expression suddenly serious, “and someone who always championed the underdog. I condemn what he did in sleeping with your wife; that is inexcusable, but given the circumstances, as much as I hate to say it, she’s just a human and he’s, well,Jag. When you think about it, it was somewhat inevitable.”

“Inevitable?” I hurl my glass into the fireplace and shake my head, although I know that as much as I don’t want to admit it, he’s right. Hadn’t I thought similar myself? That I’d thrust her into his arms?

‘No! Jag was entirely in the wrong.’

“If treachery is inevitable then what hope do any of us have?” I mutter, my shoulders slumping as I rise to lean against the fireplace and stare into the flames. “Fuck him! Is there no honour left in this world?”

Wolf clears his throat and claps a hand on my shoulder.

“There is honour, and deceit is not inevitable. I misworded Falcon — and I do you an injustice to make light of your feelings for the human woman. I apologise.”

“No,” I shake my head. “You’re right. Jag always took the side of the underdog. He protected my wife from me.”

“And ultimately stole her from you, apparently,” he sighs. “Although neither of us really knows the whole of it until we hear it from his lips.”

I don’t bother arguing as he squeezes my shoulder before sighing heavily and walking back to his maps.

“I appreciate your help here, Falcon, you know I do. I understand your need to get away from your castle to figure out your next move, but I’m trying to make light of a bad situation. You and I both know that in these matters there are also royal games to consider.”

“Yes,” I rub my hands over my face, trying to wipe away the knowledge that he’s talking sense, even though I don’t want to hear that right now. My title isn’t secure until I produce a real heir, and the Queen is not a patient woman. If she were to learn the baby was Jag’s, there’s no telling what she might do. I need to act before that happens.

“You know,” he turns to fill our glasses at the sideboard, “you did say at one time, unless I misheard you, that another woman was perhaps also carrying your child.”

“Sophie,” I sigh. “My spy told me she wasn’t pregnant upon her return to Spider’s castle, yet when last I saw her, she definitely was.”

“And it’s yours?”

“It hasn’t been confirmed, but the timing would suggest so,” I shrug.