“I don’t care about protocol either.”
“What do you care about?” Sadie asked bluntly. Arching one eyebrow, she studied him closely and watched for his reactions. “I mean aside from this club. You don’t seem to care about much. Not your parents’ approval. Not the throne. So tell me, Killian Bane.” Sadie lowered her voice to just above a whisper. “What do you care about? What matters?”
“You,” Killian murmured. Inching closer, he curled his large, warm hands over her jean-covered thighs. Pulling her legs farther apart, he tugged her butt to the edge of the table. The sudden movement made her gasp. Her hands flew to his waist and clung to him for dear life. Killian’s eyes widened in response and his fingers gripped her thighs tighter. Dipping his head low, he brushed his stubbly cheek over hers and kissed her earlobe, his warm breath puffing over her neck. “Getting to know you, Sadie. That’s what matters.”
A lock of his hair drifted against her forehead, his mouth hovering an inch from hers. The steadily thrumming beat of his heart called to her like a beacon. With the pace of his breathing increasing and the heat of his body surrounding her, Sadie’s last ounce of restraint evaporated. In a blur, she captured his lips with hers and held on. Killian’s tongue slid between the seam, and Sadie opened to him eagerly. He lifted her legs and tugged her against him as he suckled and plundered.
Breaking the kiss, Killian trailed his lips down her throat. Sadie wrapped her legs around him, holding him to her. A desperate moan escaped her parted lips as her head fell back, giving him unfettered access. Needing to get closer and wanting to feel his flesh against hers, Sadie tugged his shirttails free from his pants and groaned when her fingertips met the skin of his lower back. Cradling her neck with one hand, he lifted his head and kissed her deeply. He rocked his hips against her, and Sadie moaned as the rigid length of his cock found her most sensitive spot.
Heat fired over her skin, sending her desire for Killian over the edge and her bloodlust into overdrive. Her fangs burst free and Sadie gasped, immediately breaking the kiss with Killian. Movement across the room captured her attention and brought everything to a screeching halt. With the fog of lust clouding her senses, it took her a moment to realize they were no longer alone.
Three figures loomed in the shadow of the doorway, along with three pairs of glowing amber eyes. She recognized two of them instantly—the smaller one was Christina and the man to her right was Ivan. The taller figure in the back, however, the one whose face was hidden in the shadows, wasn’t completely clear.
At least…not at first.
Panic swelled in her chest and she immediately stiffened in Killian’s arms when she realized who the other man was. Sensing the sudden change in her demeanor, Killian stopped nuzzling her breast and lifted his head, giving her a quizzical look. Trapped somewhere between horrified and mortified, Sadie swallowed the urge to shrink into a corner and vanish. She jutted her chin toward the door as she dropped her legs from around Killian’s waist and tugged her hands from beneath his shirt.
Breathless and looking entirely disheveled by lust, Killian snapped his head toward the door, a growl rumbling in his chest. Standing to his full height, he released Sadie and turned around to face the intruders. Sadie smoothed her hair and straightened out her shirt while Killian remained in a protective stance in front of her.
Letting out a beleaguered sigh, Killian slipped his hands in his pockets and said, “Hello, Father.”
Chapter 12
“I told you he’d lost his mind,” Christina hissed. She started toward them, tossing her long, blond hair over one shoulder, but Ivan grabbed her around the waist, preventing her from coming any closer. “How dare you humiliate me like this, Killian?”
“You’re humiliated?” Sadie asked with more than a little sarcasm. Peering out from behind Killian, Sadie became the focus of Christina’s furious, burning gaze. “How exactly is any of this about you?”
“Watching him run around this disgusting city chasing after you is a complete insult.” Christina shoved herself out of Ivan’s embrace and adjusted her expensive suit jacket and skirt. “Everyone knows that Killian is going to mate with me, and yet here he is, wasting his time whoring around with you. A filthy vampire slut.”
“Oh no, she didn’t,” Sadie seethed. “She did not just call me a slut.”
She wanted to fly across the room and rip Christina’s pretty blond hair out of her head, but she didn’t. Losing her cool would be the worst possible move at the moment. Flicking her attention to Killian, she sensed tension in his body but also picked up on his restraint. She desperately tried to emulate it.
“That’s enough.” The king’s clear, strong, and decisive voice cut through the club.
Stepping out of the shadows of the doorway, he moved past Ivan and Christina with all of the regal grace one would expect of a king. The two of them bowed their heads and took a step backward, giving way for their leader. Wearing a pristine charcoal-gray pin-striped suit with a pressed white shirt and a cobalt blue tie, he looked like the usual wealthy tycoon so easily found here in the city. The only difference was the air of absolute power the man exuded.
Power and confidence—just like Killian.
She’d met King Heinrich once before, about a year ago, and he still looked exactly the same. He was a bit grayer at the temples and possessed a few more lines on his face, but all in all, he looked very much like his son. Werewolves might not be immortal, but they aged far slower than humans.
“What are you doing here?” Killian asked in a surprisingly calm tone. “I wasn’t expecting you and Mother to visit until the club opened next month.”
“Your mother did not accompany me on this trip.” The king flicked a dark, intense gaze at Sadie and his eyes narrowed. “If she had, I’m quite sure she wouldn’t have appreciated walking in on you and…your friend. The poor woman may well have passed out.”
Friend? Sadie touched Killian’s mind sharply. Right. He doesn’t want me to be your “friend.”
Let me handle it. Killian shot back.
“You didn’t answer my question, Father.” Killian tucked his shirt in while he spoke. “Why are you here?”
“I received a phone call after your outing at that vampire club last night. Apparently, you and this young lady disappeared together for quite some time. They were concerned that you’d lost your focus, the reason you’re here. Given how important you are to the future of our race, they thought it would be best if I paid a visit.”
“They?” Killian asked with a growl edging his voice.
“Yes.” King Heinrich clasped his hands in front of him and leveled that powerful stare at Sadie. “Ivan and Christina. Christina expressed her fears to Ivan and apparently he concurred. I was willing to allow you some freedom to live and work here so you could sow the last of your wild oats. I also hoped it would help strengthen our relationship with the vampires.” His brows lifted. “This is not quite the tactic I had in mind.”
“Father—”
“I’m not finished.” King Heinrich didn’t raise his voice, but his meaning was clear. “I had hoped that this added responsibility would serve as a good training ground before you assume the throne on your thirty-fifth birthday.”
“I see,” Killian said evenly.
“Based on what I’ve just witnessed, I’d say they were correct in their assumptions about your interest in this woman.” King Heinrich moved closer while keeping his sights on Sadie. “I know I told you to learn more about the vampires, but I don’t see how dalliances like this will help us. Tell me, Killian…why would spending time with this woman be of importance?”
“I told you, Your Highness,” Christina simpered. A smug, satisfied look covered her heavily made-up face. “It’s just like I said. Killian has completely lost his focus. I mean look at this place,” she sputtered. “There’s no way it will open in a month. He’s wasting his time an
d our money.”
“You are dismissed.” King Heinrich, who seemed visibly annoyed by Christina’s interruption, waved them off without looking back. “Ivan, take Christina back to her hotel. She and her ladies will be coming back to Alaska with me tomorrow.”
Christina started to protest, but Ivan leaned down and whispered something in her ear. Whatever it was, it made the woman go silent, that smug, shit-eating grin reappearing on her face. Fury crawled up Sadie’s back while she simultaneously fought the urge to flash that bitch her fangs.
“While you’re at it, Ivan, you can go ahead and pack your shit too.” Killian’s hands curled into fists at his side. “I’ll expect your room to be empty before I return to the penthouse. You’re fired.”
“As you wish,” Ivan said tightly. He bowed his head, grabbed Christina by the hand, and disappeared out the door.
“You are the future king of the Werewolf Society. Do you really think it’s wise to fire half of your security team?” King Heinrich turned abruptly to Sadie, and in spite of her bravado, she went absolutely still. “You look familiar.” A sad smile played at the king’s lips and he took a deep breath, as though carefully choosing his words. “If I’m not mistaken, I met you last year during my meeting with the czars. What is your name?”
A combination of fear and uncertainty whirled through Sadie’s gut like that Tasmanian Devil from those old cartoons. How much should she admit to? What was she supposed to say to this guy? Saying too much could single-handedly cock up the treaty with the wolves in about thirty seconds. She shot a glance at Killian, trying to get a bead on where he was with all this. So far, he wasn’t giving her much to work with. She still wasn’t entirely sure what was happening between her and Killian, or where it was going, so how could she possibly explain it to the king?
“This isn’t about her,” Killian interjected in a cold, flat tone. He didn’t even spare Sadie a glance, keeping his eyes on his father. If she had a heartbeat…it would have stopped. He seemed so totally dismissive of her, acting like she wasn’t even in the room. “You’re here to see me, so leave her out of it.”
Her? Was this a fucking joke?
Sadie tried to touch his mind with hers but was met with an impenetrable wall—the son of a bitch had shut her out. She knew the sensation all too well from past fights with her sisters. What the hell was Killian doing? Why would he close his mind to her now? Why act so callous and cold? If he really wanted to be with her, wouldn’t he gather her in his arms and stand by her side? Why was he—?
Tears pricked the back of her eyes as one answer filled her head—because being with her wasn’t really about her. Not at all. Her wide eyes drifted between Killian and his father as the pieces came together. Killian didn’t want to participate in the life of a royal—she knew that from his blood memories—and he didn’t want to be king. And what better way to get out of it than to tell his old man he was going to mate with a vampire?
That deep ache in her chest, the one that made her feel empty and hollow, the one she felt when her family died, throbbed as the cold, hard truth settled inside her like ice.
Had Killian been using her?
Sadie almost laughed out loud at her foolishness. For a moment, for just a moment, she’d actually allowed herself to feel and to entertain the notion that maybe she could have something more with Killian.
What. A. Fool.
“My name is Sadie Pemberton.” Sadie hopped off the table and stood next to Killian, forcing herself not to cry. She might have been embarrassed, but she’d be damned if she was going to hide behind him—or anyone else. These wolves were about to see what two centuries of survival could do to a girl. “I’m the new owner of The Coven, and, yes, you and I met at the Presidium offices here in the city.”
“I see.” King Heinrich looked her up and down with an expression that she couldn’t quite decipher. His narrowed gaze lingered on the rips in her jeans before locking his eyes with hers once again. “I’m sure you can understand Christina and Ivan’s discomfort regarding your dalliance with my son.”
“Father, there is something I need to tell you.”
“Silence.” King Heinrich held up one hand and didn’t look away from Sadie. “I’ll deal with you in a moment. What is the nature of your interest in my son?”
The nature of her interest? Love? Lust? Friendship? Fun? Bloodmate? Partner? All of those words, among others, rolled through her head, and every one held far more meaning than the word she finally chose to utter.
“Sex,” Sadie said with a casual shrug. “That’s it. I’m a vampire, King Heinrich. I’ve been around for over two centuries, and sex isn’t a big deal. Killian and I are both adults. It’s just about sex.”
“Is that so?” He arched one eyebrow and smiled.
“Yes.” Sadie let out a short laugh. “I know how what you saw here looked… Well, let’s be honest. It looked pretty bad. You caught your boy, the heir to the throne, in a compromising position with a vampire. Namely me.” She jutted a thumb at her chest before sticking her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. “But you have nothing to worry about. It didn’t mean anything.”
“Sadie…” Killian said her name with an almost warning tone.
“Relax,” she said abruptly. She looked Killian up and down. “I get it.” She turned her calm gaze to the king. “I know that you’re only here because you love your son, and you want what’s best for him and for your people. You don’t have to be concerned.”
“Why not?” Heinrich folded his arms over his chest and seemed genuinely interested in her answer. “Why shouldn’t I be concerned?”
Sadie swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself not to look at Killian. She could feel his eyes on her. Even though she wanted to scream the truth, Sadie looked the king dead in the face and lied her ever-loving ass off.
“We had a fling, but it’s done.” Sadie curled her fingers around the specimen bags in her back pocket and fought the flood of tears that threatened to bubble up. Keeping her voice steady, she squared her shoulders. “I know Killian’s future includes being king of the Werewolf Society, even if he’s doing his best to sabotage that. I won’t be a distraction for him anymore.”
“So you don’t wish to be queen?” the king asked quietly.
“Queen?” Sadie practically choked on the word and let out an incredulous laugh. “Yeah, right. A vampire queen for the Werewolf Society. I’m a vampire, Your Highness.” Unable to bring herself to look at Killian, she dropped her voice to just above a whisper. “I cannot change who or what I am. Neither can Killian. I am a vampire and I always will be.”
“Well, this has been quite enlightening,” the king said with a wide smile to both of them. The smile faltered as he clasped his hands tightly in front of him and peered intently at Sadie. His brown eyes crinkled at the corners and his voice hovered somewhere around wistful. “What on earth would happen if the future king of the werewolves were to mate with a vampire?”
“I’m sorry you had to make a trip all the way out here.” Sadie started for the door and spoke as though the sun was coming up and she was about to get fried. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to the Presidium’s offices.”
“Sadie, wait!”
“There’s nothing left to say, Killian.” Sadie stopped by the door and curled her fingers around the knob. Glancing over her shoulder, she said, “We had our fun, Your Highness. I’d say it’s time we get back to reality and down to business. Let’s be honest. This thing between us never had a future. Not really.”
Without waiting for a response, Sadie ran out the front door of the club. She turned the corner of the building and stumbled into the dark safety of the alley. Pressing her body against the rough, cool stone of the wall, she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to stem the flow of tears. It was no use. A loud sob escaped her lips before she shot up into the night sky like a bullet. Wit
h the sounds of the city surrounding her, she whisked through the darkness and let the tears fall. Like the silly young girl she once was, Sadie had allowed herself to believe in fairy tales. Tonight, reality had come crashing back in.
Bloodmate legend or not, Killian would never and could never be hers.
* * *
“You bastard.” Never in his life had Killian spoken back to his father with such outright fury. He knew he was crossing a line but he didn’t care. The wounded look on Sadie’s face was more than he could take. He wanted to tell his father exactly who Sadie was and how much she meant to him, but he’d promised her he wouldn’t discuss it with his father yet. Respecting her wishes hurt a hell of a lot more than he thought it would. “How could you speak to her that way?”
His father moved closer, standing eye to eye with his son. A deep, guttural growl rumbled in his barrel chest, his eyes glowing a burning shade of orange. For a moment, Killian thought his father was going to strike him. Instead, his father studied him closely and invaded his son’s personal space with ease. The king was pushing him, daring him to back up, but Killian held his ground. It was the first time in his life he didn’t back down from the king.
“The better question, Son,” Heinrich said with a sad smile, stepping away from his son, “is why did you let me?”
“What?” Killian blinked as though his father had struck him.
“You heard me.” King Heinrich let out a sigh and unbuttoned his jacket, the formality he’d been displaying swiftly dissipating. “Why did you let me speak to her in such a way if she is so important to you?”
“I—I don’t understand.” Killian shook his head and stared at his father in total disbelief.
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