Page 26 of Wedlock

“Yes,” she snaps, “my sentiment exactly. Moreover, an heir will not be required any longer, awifewill not be required any longer, and my eldest son will become, eventually, the King-Consort of Denmark.”

I hear what she’s saying, but my heart had stopped when she said Viper’s name, and all I can think of, on a loop, is that he’ll be back here and all-powerful.

I can’t even speak; my horror is so all-consuming, but Eleanor isn’t waiting for my thoughts anyhow; she’s gone.

22

I keep my eyes on the phone in my hand as though I’m holding a deadly silver weapon, just pulled from my chest, and I’m awaiting death.

I don’t think I’ve taken a breath since Wolf uttered the words.

The call had been short, but the ramifications were long, lifelong.

It can’t be true.

I don’t believe it.

I won’t believe it.

If this is a fact, then everything that I’ve said and done over the past three years, everything that’s happened to me and those I love, was all coordinated.

If this is true, my brother has done something so heinous that only death will suffice as a punishment.

IF this is true.

‘What had Mother said? Something is ‘askance’ with Angelina. Understatement of the fucking century.’

“No,” I groan out loud in the privacy of my jet, “Viper is a scoundrel, true, but this? This is beyond him. He would never do something like this. Jag is either mistaken or lying in order to excuse his affair with my wife and his plan to destroy my brother.”

‘But Wolf believes him…’

“I’ve taken the time to corroborate with his source before phoning you,” he’d said. “I’m sorry, Falcon, I know you love him, but your brother is true to his name.”

Shaking my head, I dial Viper’s number. Wolf and Jag have always despised him, and truthfully, he’d done some shitty things over the years. But this? This I can’t wrap my head around.

Reaching his voicemail I leave a simple message.

“Brother,” I clear my throat as the word sticks in my throat. “Call me.”

23

I know it’s a risk. It’s a big fucking risk. But I have to take it.

Looking out the window this morning I’d been flabbergasted to see Falcon, cloaked all in black, running in daylight from his limo into the castle. I’m not sure if I’m mistaken, but I thought he’d seen me too, only he hadn’t acknowledged me in any way.

Less than half an hour later he’d left again, this time with a retinue of guards.

I imagine something crazy must be going on for him to be risking death in the sun and, moreover, to force his vampire guards, all of them, to do the same. And I know he took all of them becauseI’ve been keeping count of how many he has for some time now. I’ve given most of them nicknames based on their looks. The inside, night guards, including his personal SWAT team, are vampires, but the daytime guards who look after the grounds are just normal humans.

Today only the humans remain, which means the castle hallways are clear, and this might be my chance to make a move.

Ever since Eleanor told me I have three years left to live, but refused to say why that length of time was important, I’d been determined to get to the one vampire who might tell me the truth. If there’s any information that can help either me or my baby, I have to have it. But now that I know Falcon isn’t even going to wait that length of time, since he’s back in the arms of an old vampire lover and planning on becoming a fucking king, I have no time to spare.

It’s been four days since Eleanor’s last visit to my rooms, which is unusual, and I’ve seen her leave the castle every day dressed in all her splendour, suggesting, I guess, that she’s visiting the Court. I don’t know if she’s trying to figure out a way to make Falcon stick to his seat and give up his royal princess, or if she’s just securing her own future because she can see the writing on the wall. But I’m jumping at shadows every second now that I know what’s going on, and I need to act. I can’t escape, I’m bound by the bite to stay in this castle, but perhaps, just perhaps, I can save my baby. Viper hadn’t prohibited that because when he’d bound me he hadn’t foreseen a pregnancy.

The only problem is the one vampire who might inadvertently give me some information which might unlock my ability to spirit my baby out of this castle, also knows I’m under Viper’s control. She might be able to pass a message on from him. If that happens I don’t know if by third-party control I’d be forced to undertake whatever order he gives. I don’t know enough aboutobedience bitestoknowifhehastobeintheroomwithmetogiveadirective — although I sense that might be the case. I have to go on gut instinct on this one.

Either way, I’d tried to wrangle a visit from Asumpta through Eleanor, and failed. Now I have to get down to the kitchens through my own devices.