by Riley Storm
No, not against us. I can’t afford to instinctively think of them that way. I have to start thinking of them as members of the House, not enemies.
At the head of the grouping, naturally, were both Miriam and Leonen, the two biggest thorns in his side. Somewhat conspicuously absent, however, was Heather. Although Logan’s eyes prowled the assembled ranks, he didn’t see her.
That was probably for the best. Things between them would need some time to cool down, he was certain. After his latest screw-up, cooler heads would definitely be needed to figure out just how the two of them were going to proceed, going forward.
Logan had dedicated a lot of his brainpower to that in the two days since they had accidentally slept together, and he was no closer to finding a solution than he had been right after. Currently, his efforts boiled down to hoping and praying that she didn’t actually wind up pregnant from the ordeal.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much else to be done, so he’d kept his distance, giving Heather space. Whenever she was ready to talk some more, he was there. But for now, he assumed—given the lack of communication—she wasn’t interested in speaking to him just yet.
“Do we know what this is about yet?” Lucien asked under his breath, the words just barely audible enough for Logan to hear while sitting three feet away.
“I have an idea,” he said.
“And?” Lucien prompted.
Logan turned his head, trying to look contrite. “My bad?”
Lucien sighed. “What did you do this time?”
“What did he do?”
The words came from the shifters standing in silent ranks at the foot of the elevated dais upon which the throne and the other Council members sat. Logan’s right eye twitched ever so slightly at the distinct voice.
“I’ll tell you what he did,” Miriam said, taking a step forward.
Logan’s guards, standing at attention at the base of the throne, stiffened, hands twitching toward the swords on their backs. After the attack by the Asp, and then the way Leonen had set them up at the meeting, his men were all on guard for any sort of trouble. Logan had tried to tell them they were over-reacting, but he’d just been greeted with stony looks that told him he wasn’t going to get anywhere with that line.
“This man,” Miriam continued, turning to face the rest of the Council and then her own supporters. “This man who would be King, is abusing the power given to him by the members of the House.”
Logan managed not to frown at that. House Canis was not a democracy. The King or Queen ruled at their leisure. They could not be voted out, but that was the way Miriam was making it out to be, as if his position on the throne was in their hands.
She knows that since I haven’t officially been crowned yet, I won’t speak up to contradict her on that point just yet. The bitch.
“Twice now, he has engaged in violence with one of his subjects. Not in a duel. No formal challenge has been issued. Instead, on both occasions, he has struck without warning in a private setting. He has—”
“Your point?” Lucien drawled, interrupting Miriam before she could get too worked up into her speech.
“My point, which I was getting to, if you would have let me finish,” Miriam said icily, her face mirroring the emotion, “Is that his actions are disgraceful for someone who sits where he does. It is expected that a King acts with more grace, more dignity, than what he shows, and that is—”
“Since when has House Canis shied away from violence?” Linden asked, the next one to interrupt. “You assume that his actions are disgraceful, as if your pet standing next to you is the model member of House Canis. We have always accepted that sometimes, a punch to the face is necessary when someone steps out of line. It’s quicker, easier, and more meaningful than lecturing someone on their actions for twenty minutes.”
The subtle jab at the way Miriam liked to drone on in her speeches wasn’t lost on anyone in the Throne Room. Logan saw more than a few eyes turn on the Captain of the House because of that comment, glaring with open hostility.
He needed to diffuse the situation, and soon, before it got out of hand. Much as he appreciated the support of his followers, Logan didn’t want the House to come to blows with itself. They needed to work together, not against one another.
“What my Knight and my Captain have said is true,” Logan said, his voice silencing everyone. “But Miriam has a point as well. As King, and also as the superior fighter, it is only right that I should announce my intention to hit Leonen in the future. The foreknowledge that I am about to attack will help him defend himself, negating the surprise that I do not need in order to win.”
Miriam’s nostrils flared but she remained silent. Logan had admitted he’d acted out of line but phrased it in a way that made it seem as if he’d taken advantage of someone who needed help, and that he would ensure that didn’t happen as such in the future. She couldn’t then say that his apology, such as it was, was inadequate, because then she would be admitting Leonen was an idiot, which would therefore have given Logan reason to hit him in the first place.
So, she didn’t bother trying.
“This lapse of judgment, such as it is, might be acceptable,” Miriam said, skewering him with a glare. “if it was only the first glaring error made by the man who would be King…”
“He is King,” one of the guards hissed, angry at Miriam’s lack of respect.
“However,” she went on. “Given the failed raid, which so tragically led to a loss of life of this House’s brave soldiers—all of which was planned by our King showing poor judgment—and these two incidents, I think I speak for a great many of us when I say I am worried.”
Logan stiffened. She couldn’t possibly be trying to oust him from power like this, could she? The two power blocs weren’t aligned with one another, not formally, and even if they were, she couldn’t force him to abdicate. The best Miriam could hope for was that Leonen and his followers supported her every decision, and at best could work to neuter much of his powers.
So where was she going with this, he wondered, watching her through slitted eyes. There had to be a reason, a plan behind her actions, but he wasn’t entirely sure what. She had to know this wouldn’t work. That it would only serve as a warning she wasn’t willing to follow him blindly.
A warning. Of course, that’s what it is. This is a show of force. This is Miriam telling me that if I don’t start doing more of what she wants, then this is what she’ll bring against me. This is how difficult she’ll make my life. Every day, she’ll demand audience, as is her right, and every day she’ll waste my time with this sort of pomp. The show of strength, the long-winded speeches. She’ll make my life hell even if she can’t overthrow me.
Logan understood.
His temper flared at the blatant threat to misuse the King’s time and energy, along with that of the rest of his Council. The only thing that kept him in his seat, however, was the fact Logan knew he’d screwed up. In this case, at least, Miriam wasn’t wrong, and that had a much heavier impact on him than it might if she’d been protesting a decision he knew to be right.
The raid on the suspected location of the Tyrant King had been a disaster almost from the start. He should never have let it proceed, just as he should never have punched Leonen in the face. Twice. The man deserved it but Logan shouldn’t have been the one to swing first. He’d have to use his words to get Leonen to attack, and then retaliate. That was how it had to be now.
I fucking hate politics.
But he had to play them. His House needed the unity, needed everyone to be working together. If he was to save House Canis, then Logan would need to play politics, and play it better than his foes. Otherwise, the House would stay broken and weak, easy prey for one of the paranormal entities if they decided to make a move.
All of the above were reasons Logan would have been perfectly content handing over the reins to someone like Lucien. He didn’t want to be King. Who in their right mind wanted to deal with these sorts of
people on an everyday basis?
His eyes roamed out over the crowd, passing over Miriam, Leonen, their closest cadre of supporters, and the wider members of their power blocs as a whole. It was depressing, really, to realize just how many members of his House were involved in this sort of sneaky maneuvering.
These people, they cared about power for the sake of power. They wanted it for themselves so they could do whatever they wanted. If Miriam ever truly became the one calling the shots, either as Queen or as the puppet master of whoever was on the throne, the House would disintegrate. It would be another Tyrant King all over again.
Logan couldn’t let that happen.
I just can’t. There are too many people here who deserve better. Who deserve to have a House that looks out for their best interests, not for the few at the top. Those are the people I have to care for.
To do that, he was going to have to put aside his own desires, his own wishes, and truly focus on the House. There were so many things he had to do, including filling the empty positions on his Council that he had been avoiding, namely because Logan did not want to rule. He was there because others thought he could do a good job.
So far, he’d done little more than let them down. No matter how good punching Leonen felt, he’d taken it too far.
It’s time to become the King in action as well as name.
“The past is the past,” he said calmly. “What has happened cannot be undone.”
Miriam stared at him suspiciously. She had to be wondering where he was going with this, his words almost admitting she was right.
“I thank you for bringing this to my attention. As King, I want to ensure that all members of the House, of any position, may feel comfortable coming to me to air their fears. I thank you for standing by the throne through these trying times. It hasn’t been easy, reuniting our House. Much blood has been shed. Too much. I’m glad you agree that we need stability going forward.”
Miriam had said no such thing, but she couldn’t now say the opposite either. Logan had trapped her neatly into the role of worried supporter instead of angry challenger. Unless she was prepared to openly split the House, something which would doom her given the current climate and desire for peace, then Miriam would have to simply say thank you for listening.
“Do you have any other concerns you wish to present to the throne today?” Logan asked, pretending to be as generous when truthfully, he just wanted her gone.
Her face was so perfectly still that for a moment, Logan wondered if Miriam had died and just hadn’t fallen over yet. Then she blinked. Just once, but it was all Logan needed to know he’d won this round. The battle wasn’t over, of course, and it would continue on until she died, but she’d had her chance and she’d lost it by giving him the option to fall on his own sword, which Logan had done.
Too bad she didn’t expect it, because it’s not an option she would ever consider for herself. Which is precisely why she would make a terrible Queen.
“No,” Miriam said tightly. “I do not.”
One of the guards growled at her.
“My King,” she added belatedly, tilting her head forward the tiniest fraction of an inch. “Thank you for listening to us.”
Then she turned on her heels and exited the throne Room, Leonen hurrying to keep up, the other members of their blocs also dissipating.
“Lord, I hate that woman,” Lucien said once the room was empty.
“As do I,” Logan agreed. “But she’s not wrong.”
He sensed more than saw the heads of his Council pivot to stare at him.
“I need to start acting more as King, not as Logan. My own personal feelings and thoughts can’t influence my actions. What I do must be for the good of the House. And that includes putting some of her supporters on the Council,” he added to a chorus of groans.
“Not enough to sway a vote of course, I’m not that stupid. But giving her an ear or two on the Council will go a long way toward placating them and the games they want to play.”
Lucien nodded. “I suppose.” He tapped his chin in thought. “What are you going to do about that, uh, specific personal issue?”
He means Heather.
The comment could be interpreted a number of ways, but Logan had known Lucien for too long now.
“I’m going to do what’s best for House Canis,” he said more calmly than he felt. “Whatever is required of me for that is what will happen.”
“You’ll lose her,” Lucien said quietly.
“I don’t have a choice,” Logan replied, his eyes straight ahead.
27
“Don’t even think about it!” she snarled as she approached the first set of doors to the King’s working offices.
The guard who had stepped forward—hand going to the sword on his back—hesitated. He was made of stern stuff, she had to give him that, but Heather was not in the mood to deal with any of that bullshit.
“The King isn’t seeing anyone right now,” the guard said, coming to a compromise by not fully moving into her path, but not simply standing by either.
“He’ll see me,” she snapped, angling around him and walking down the hallway, where two more guards stood to either side of the doorway, casting uneasy glances at one another as if trying to figure out who would be the one to say no to the raging woman flying down the hallway.
“The King is in closed session,” one of the guards said as she drew nearer. “You are not allowed in.”
Heather got right up in his face. “Lester isn’t it?” she asked, eyes afire, arms trembling with rage.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Open that door, Lester,” she hissed, pointing at the thick metal barrier.
The guard swallowed, and then shook his head. “I can’t do that ma’am. Not even for you,” he added.
His last words caught her off guard, and for a moment, she faltered. For her? Why would that matter to him? Unless… Heather looked directly in the man’s eyes.
He knew. The sonofabitch, he knew. Or at least, suspected.
“Stand aside, Lester,” she said, trying to soften her voice just a bit.
“Ma’am?” he asked, sounding confused.
“I won’t ask you to open the door. But I am going in there. Got it?” she snarled, her fury back in full force as she recalled just why she was there.
Lester frowned and stepped to the side.
Heather went up to the door and, without hesitation, blew it in with a vicious kick. Metal squealed as hinges bent and Logan looked up sharply from where he was staring down at something on a table.
“You could have knocked,” he said dryly, walking over to the door.
Heather strode in before he reached it. “We need to talk,” she hissed. “Now,” she said when he looked ready to say no.
Sighing, Logan grabbed the door and with a flex of his massive arms, bent it mostly back into place. “This is going to need to be totally taken apart now,” he complained, looking out into the hallway beyond. “No visitors, Lester. This time, I mean it,” he added.
The guard had the good graces to swallow and nod furiously.
“It’s not his fault,” Heather said from where she stood next to the table Logan had been bent over, her arms crossed as she stared at her King.
“When I say I wish to be undisturbed, I mean it,” Logan said tightly. “As the King, I am a busy man.”
“Busy beating up your loyal subjects, you mean?” she snapped at him as the door was forced closed with a powerful shove.
“Loyal?” Logan barked with laughter. “I may have screwed up, which, by the way, I admitted to your troglodyte of a mother this morning, but don’t insult me by acting like Leonen wouldn’t snap my neck and take my seat on the throne if he could.”
Heather started to speak, but Logan wasn’t done.
“Which he did try and do, by the way. He had an ambush ready to go, he tried to kill me and two of my guards, including Lester.”
Heather hadn’t known that, and now sh
e was struggling to find more words.
“It wouldn’t have been an issue,” she snarled as they came to her. “If you hadn’t gone to see him in the first place. That’s not your job, Logan. It’s not your responsibility to make Leonen treat me a different way. I can handle myself you know.”
“I’m aware that you aren’t helpless,” Logan said. “But I don’t need this lecture from you. Not now at least.”
Heather was forced to resist the urge to pick up the table and hurl it at Logan. She eyed the map spread out on it, noting the markings, wondering what it was all about. It was very clearly a small cluster of buildings several miles just outside of Plymouth Falls, the nearest town. But what was so important about it, she wondered?
“You wouldn’t need this lecture if you’d just done as I’d requested and not gone to talk to him in the first place, Logan. I asked you to let me handle it. Politely, I might add. So, what did you decide to do after that? You went and disregarded my request and then you ended up fighting him.”
She didn’t care so much about the fact Leonen had gotten punched in the nose. That was just a fact of life. The idiot deserved it and would probably have to endure it happening many more times over the course of his life. No, it was that it rang all too familiar. As if they’d been there before.
Which we have.
“He needs to learn how to behave,” Logan growled.
“It doesn’t matter what he does or doesn’t need to do,” she snapped. “That’s not what this is about. This is about you, Logan. And about how you never listen to me. You never have. Of course, if you had, you wouldn’t have had to deal with the Council this morning, or any of the other bullshit they’ll be sending your way soon.”
“What would you have me do then, oh wise one?” he mocked. “If your advice truly is so good, tell me then, how to handle whatever it is they’re going to come at me with?”
Rolling her eyes, Heather worked to refrain from destroying things. It wouldn’t be fair to the objects in the room since they hadn’t done anything wrong to deserve her wrath.
Of course, hitting Logan would probably be frowned upon.
