Page 34 of Wedlock (Vampire Bachelor Games #3)

I squeeze my phone tightly. If the woman on the other end of the line was here right now I’d fucking throttle her, princess or no princess.

Taking a deep breath, I consciously release my grip on the device.

I can’t keep replacing phones, I seem to lose all my contacts every time and my new butler is too stupid to figure out how to get them back.

“I’m not going to say it again, Revna,” I growl, trying to ignore Wolf’s guffaw in the background. “You overstepped the mark and I’m fucking pissed. Leave me alone and I’ll think about what you’ve requested, push me and you won’t like the result.”

“It wasn’t a REQUEST, Falco,” she screams, “it was a fucking PROPOSAL!”

I still for a fraction of a second.

“I think it would be best if we don’t see each other for a while, Princess.”

“What?”

“I can’t give you what you want right now, Revna. I may never be able to if how I’m feeling about you now is any indication, and I don’t want you waiting another two hundred years for me. I want you to move on.”

“You can’t be serious,” she gasps.

I nod as I think through what I’ve just said and all the ramifications, given she has the ear of the Queen, but I know what I’ve decided is final. I knew it the moment Angie entered my study last night.

“I’m deadly serious.”

“You’re making a grave mistake, Falco.”

The line goes dead, and I look across to Wolf, where he’s lounging, still laughing, and shake my head.

“Not helpful.”

“Hey,” he shrugs, “it’s not every day you hear your friend tell a princess, a member of The Families , no less, that you’ll rip her heart out and feed it to the dogs if she ever touches your wife again and, oh, ‘by the way, I don’t want to marry you.”

I snort.

“She got the drift.”

“You’re treading a dangerous line here. You know that, right?”

“Wolf,” I sigh, swallowing my whisky in one gulp before choking and spitting the whisky rocks onto the floor.

Kicking the rocks into the fireplace, I shake my head.

“I should never have listened to your advice to reignite anything with the Princess. Women are nothing but trouble. It doesn’t matter what species; they’ll all work their way into your intestines and twist you into a knot. And right when you’re doubled over in agony, they’ll kick you in the balls.”

“That’s why I stay away from them,” he smirks, “mostly.”

I laugh, because we both know that’s bullshit.

My laughter comes to an abrupt halt at the sharp, familiar rap on the door.

“Enter.”

Mother swans in, resplendent in all her court regalia, her expression worried, and I roll my eyes.

“Now what?”

“Viper’s body can be found on the Dartlore Estate.”

“Spider’s estate? You’re sure?”

“Yes,” she nods. “My Court informant is certain that’s where he was last.”

“Doing what?”

“I have no idea,” she says, turning away from me. “Although,” she adds in a casual tone, “if he was in league with Spider, as Angie asserts, this would make sense.”

I frown at her manner; clearly she does know more than she’s saying, but if her source doesn’t want her to reveal anything else, then so be it.

She and I both know that information coming from the palace could only be coming from one vampire, and neither of us can afford to compromise my half-sister at this stage, especially given the new information Revna had passed on about the Queen’s interference in my affairs.

The more inside information we’re privy to, the better.

“Or he could have been a prisoner again,” I scowl. “If he’s there this changes everything.”

I shake my head and begin a text.

“How so?” Mother asks.

I don’t look up from my phone as I answer.

“If Spider killed Viper it means Jaguar is telling the truth, in this regard at least, and I no longer need to seek him out and claim vengeance in my brother’s name.”

‘But it also means Angie is wrong. Viper was never aligned with Spider. God, I hope she’s wrong.

But if this is so, why did he place her in a thrall?

Was he acting alone to undermine me? Was it just another of his foul little games?

Questions upon questions…and no best friend to bounce my ideas off and help me gain perspective.

Only Mother, who has her own agenda, and Wolf, who’s hardly known for his wise counsel. ’

Mother interrupts my texting.

“Pardon? I seem to be missing something. You’ve heard from Jag?”

I look up at the hopeful and pleased tone in her voice.

“If by ‘heard’ you mean had messages passed on by Wolf, then yes,” I mutter.

“Wolf?” Mother turns to him where he lounges by the bar in the corner of my library.

He shrugs as he pours himself another drink.

“Jag said he didn’t kill Viper. He learned about his death after you did. I passed that onto Falcon, but he didn’t believe it.”

“Until now,” I shrug.

“There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to visit Spider’s estate and see if Viper’s body is there,” Wolf says dryly.

“Send your men, darling,” Mother says quietly. “There’s no need for you to go all that way yourself.”

“No,” I shake my head as I finish the text to my driver, ordering him to bring my car around. “I’ll go alone and on the quiet. No one need know I was there. If Viper’s there, I’ll find him. If not, then the truth will out.”

“I’ll come too,” Wolf offers.

“No,” I shake my head. “I need to do this alone.”

I don’t bother adding that if I find my brother’s body there I plan to kill Spider. The subtext is clear to both of them.

“You might want to start looking in the forest on the east side of the estate,” Mother murmurs as she leaves the room. “Just a guess.”

Wolf snorts and gives me a knowing glance, and I shake my head.

‘Guess, my ass.’

“Don’t get yourself killed,” he says as he follows Mother to the door, “and leave no trace of your visit. Actually, just in case, get your affairs in order.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I snort as he reaches the door.

Turning, he looks me in the eye.

“You’re the most bloody-minded, stubborn, hell-bent-on-vengeance, bad-tempered vampire I know, but confidence is not something you’ve ever lacked.”

“I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Wolf.”

“Let’s make sure it’s not the last,” he growls as he leaves.

Chuckling, I get to work, already calculating what weapons I’ll need and what affairs I still need to get in order, principally, naming my heir.

If I’m not going to marry the Princess, someone will have to inherit if I’m killed, and it may as well be the boy Mother and Angie are determined to say is mine.