by Riley Storm
Moving to the closet, he pulled out his martial uniform and put it on. Though it wasn’t necessary for this meeting, he wanted Natalia to feel comfortable, and that meant dressing to match.
“So, who is it that I’m meeting?”
“Someone important.”
Although he knew it had to happen, Kirell was nervous. If the Queen didn’t approve, or if Natalia screwed up, they would be in big trouble. The deadline was barely more than twenty-four hours distant and finding someone new to portray his mate would be flat-out impossible at this point. He had to make it work with Natalia.
Finishing doing up his buttons, he turned to see Natalia was already dressed. Her hair was wet and still up in a bun on the top of her head, but that couldn’t be avoided.
“If it’s someone important, why are you taking me through the secret passages?” she asked when he moved over to the wall and not the door, popping open the panel.
“Because I’m not ready for the rest of the House to see you yet. Not until you have the approval.”
“The approval? That sounds ominous, Kirell. Should I be worried?”
“No. I think you will be fine.” It was the truth. He did feel as if she would be an acceptable choice, but Kirell wasn’t going to presume to know everything that his Queen did.
“I’ve heard that before.” But she followed him anyway, walking with her spine straight, proud and unflinching, even as they skulked around through hidden passages.
It wore on him to act so secretively, to hide things from his family members, but it wasn’t up to him. The Queen’s position was just as at risk as his own if someone found out what was going on and brought it to the attention of the rest of the House. Though she would try to distance herself from him, to claim that he had done it unbeknownst to her, she would be tarnished, and her already unstable position couldn’t handle that sort of black mark.
No, he had to act like the Assassin of the House if he hoped to be successful. Once he and a few other supporters of the Queen were firmly entrenched as Title Holders, things would begin to calm, but—for now—they were operating on very unsteady ground.
“Kirell… Who am I meeting?” Natalia asked as they approached another panel in the wall.
He slipped ahead of her and lifted both hands, one upraised to have her stay there, the other to rap twice on the door; this was followed by a pause, then two more raps, then a pause and one rap.
“The Queen,” he replied softly as a panel slid open in the wall and the muzzle of a gun became visible on the far side.
“The what?” Natalia yelped.
A voice sounded through the door, the muzzle of the gun tracking over toward Natalia. “Who is it?”
“Kirell. I’m here to see the Queen. She will want to see me and my mate.”
It cost him a lot to say those words when he knew they weren’t true. To lie to his fellow Ursidae was something Kirell had never expected to do, something he’d never wanted to do. He’d always been a prideful man, but today he was ashamed of himself.
Not ashamed of Natalia—she was a good woman—but of the way he was purporting her to be something she wasn’t. The shifters had always banded together to face external threats. In the past, Canim and Ursidae had fought side by side against the forces of humans when they’d been attacked, regardless of any ongoing disputes. They were almost like brothers in that regard.
“Come in. Slowly.”
He nodded, knowing he was being watched, and gestured for Natalia to come stand close to him.
“You’re taking me to see your fucking Queen? I’m so not ready for this,” she hissed at him, lashing out with her voice even as she stood firmly at his side.
“It’s fine, trust me. Kaelyn is not someone you need to worry about impressing. She hates the official trappings of the office as much as everyone else.”
“Says the guy in his dress uniform looking smart as hell.”
He blew air out between his lips. “I’m wearing this to offset the glam of your dress. Normally, I’d wear a shirt and jeans. It’s not a formal visit.”
“I picked up on that when you dragged me through the back-alley entrance instead of through the front doors. What are you hiding, Kirell?”
“You.”
The doors opened and two guards, weapons raised, followed the doors back, using them to obscure much of their body, just in case.
“Uh, they have guns,” Natalia observed, shuffling closer to him, her voice and body-language fraught with fear.
“It’s just precautionary. Since we’re not here to cause any harm, you have nothing to worry about.” He nodded toward the waiting room and together they walked forward.
It wasn’t the Throne Room. Kirell didn’t want to risk meeting there, so he’d gone to the office, where the Queen spent most of her time when she wasn’t officiating over some sort of ceremony or greeting visitors and such.
“Kirell!”
He turned as Kaelyn strode across the floor, her short blonde hair contrasting vividly with the black jumpsuit she wore.
“Your Majesty,” he said, bowing. Beside him, Natalia whispered a curse that he was fairly positive was about him and dropped into a clumsy curtsy.
“Oh, stop it. Use my name, for the love of the gods.”
“Gods?” Natalia asked, before biting her lip to stop herself. “Sorry.”
“You’ve really got her wound up, haven’t you?” Kaelyn admonished, whacking Kirell gently on the arm with the back of her hand as she passed him by. “Sorry, I haven’t been informed of your name yet.”
“Natalia.”
“Natalia. It’s nice to meet you. But seriously, don’t listen to this jerk. He likes to follow the rules and traditions and thinks I should be treated like I’m some form of royalty, instead of the head of a household.”
“You are royalty,” he muttered, but it only earned him a reproving glance.
“Gods is correct, you didn’t mishear,” Kaelyn continued, otherwise ignoring his outburst. “I’m not sure how much Kirell has told you about the world you actually inhabit, compared to the one you believe you do, but trust me when I say gods, and mean it.”
“Right.” Natalia sounded anything but certain.
“I like her,” Kaelyn laughed. Then she looked over at her shoulder at the guards. “Into the passageway with you. I am perfectly safe.”
One of the guards looked ready to argue, but the Queen drew herself up, the simple act transforming her from Kaelyn to the ruler of High House Ursa in an instant. “Now.”
The guards didn’t argue this time, stepping out into the secret passageway and pulling the doors closed behind them, so that the trio could have some privacy.
“This is the one?” the Queen asked him, dropping the act.
“Yes. She’s aware of what I need from her, and I’ve slowly been bringing her up to speed on the background of the House, and all she’d be expected to know as a new mate to one of the Ursidae.”
The Queen nodded. “You’re aware that once this is over, you will be required to stay at his side for some time before returning to the regular world?”
“I do,” Natalia said.
“You understand that if you say a word of what you saw here, or of what has been discussed between the three of us, you won’t survive to see the next sunrise?”
Natalia stiffened, looking at him, but Kirell just stared at the wall. He’d tried to avoid threatening her, but he wasn’t about to contradict his Queen. Her word was law to him, and he would carry it out if necessary.
“I…was not informed it would be such a permanent solution, but I was told to keep my mouth shut. I know how to keep a secret, and I’m being well compensated for my part here. I don’t need more of a reason.” Her eyes were glowing with reddened anger as she stared directly at him.
“She has spine.”
Kirell tried not to let his amusement show. “She does, yes. More than I initially thought. She is strong, my Queen. I have faith.”
Kaelyn looked at him oddly for a moment. Giving Natalia a final once-over, she nodded. “Yes, I do too. She was an excellent choice.”
“I’m right here,” Natalia muttered unhappily.
“I know, dear,” the Queen said softly. “Can you give Kirell and me one moment, please? Then you two can be on your way.”
Natalia looked to him for confirmation and he nodded, wondering what the Queen wanted to discuss.
“How can I be of assistance?” he asked as he watched Natalia walk to the far side of the room, arms crossed. There was going to be trouble after they left here, he could tell.
“You must start assuming your duties, Kirell. She will work well, and we cannot wait any longer without a Captain of the House.”
Kirell hesitated. Why did it bother him so much to act this way? The Queen wanted him in this capacity, and their scheme seemed to be bearing fruit. “What is the urgency, Your Majesty?”
Kaelyn sagged in irritation at his formality, but Kirell wasn’t about to change now.
“We both know we didn’t get all the traitors,” she said quietly. “And if Klebra is the leader of those who remain in secret, I’ll eat my crown.”
“You don’t have a crown.”
His Queen just glared. “Now you develop the ability to have a conversation without falling all over yourself to keep me happy.”
Kirell gave her a little smile, one that he didn’t let reach his eyes. “I will find the traitors, my Queen. Like you, I don’t suspect Klebra to be their leader.”
“Good. You have my utmost trust in this matter, Kirell. Do as you see fit to handle anything that comes of it. Just keep me informed.”
“Of course.” He bowed his head respectfully.
“Now, go patch things up with your mate.”
He almost said, “she’s not my mate”, but the twinkle in his Queen’s eye told him she knew perfectly well.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he said with extra formality and a low bow that he punctuated by dropping to one knee. It was completely unnecessary and over the top in such a situation, and he heard a whispered touché from above. It was more than enough.
Motioning to Natalia, the two of them headed back into the passages. Kirell wanted to breathe a sigh of relief that the meeting had gone so well, but the instant the doors closed behind them, he felt his soul pinned to the wall by Natalia’s fiery gaze.
Uh oh.
21
She was shaking.
Her arms trembled as she fought down the urge to throttle him with her fists. Not because she didn’t think it would be nice, but because it wouldn’t do a damn thing. Kirell’s modified DNA would shrug off her attack like it was a fly landing on him, while she would probably end up with—at least—bruised knuckles.
And that is why she resorted to words. “I can’t believe you would do that to me,” she hissed, slapping his shoulder despite her earlier thoughts. Ow.
“I told you it wasn’t anything to worry about.”
Natalia stopped in her tracks. “I’m sorry, your Queen, a proper bad-ass-bitch if I’ve ever met one, just threatened me with my life if I didn’t keep your secret. Maybe you’re used to living in a crazy-ass world where things like that are normal, but most people aren’t! You don’t just walk around and say you’re going to murder someone if they slip up and say something.”
That was the real root of her anger toward him. Fear. Never before had she met someone who so dispassionately discussed killing someone, as if it would be the commonest thing in the world. Not even the thugs back home had the same look of Death about them, as if it was a literal thing. Just thinking back to it made her shiver as she saw the look on the Ursa Queen’s face.
It wasn’t a threat, she decided. It was a promise, a mathematical equation. If X equalled anything but silence, then the result would be minus one, Natalia’s life snuffed out. Cold. Precise. Uncaring. Natalia had been reduced to a nothing.
“Listen, Natalia, I’m sorry. I should have given you more warning.”
“More warning?” She laughed. “How about you should have told me the day you brought this up, that it could involve loss of life? I would have walked away from that then and there. You’re hot, but a bit of bedroom Olympics isn’t enough to compensate for that sort of outcome!”
Her voice was rising as she spoke, bouncing off the small hallways. Kirell was looking around in a panic, like he was fearful someone was going to come in after them because they heard her shouting. Good. Maybe they would, then the jerk would stop being ashamed of her and be forced to admit that she’s my mate.
Natalia snorted at that thought.
“What’s so funny?”
“You don’t want to be seen with me,” she said. “You’re afraid you’ll be judged. Is it because I’m a human? Or am I just not good looking enough for you? Maybe that’s it, you don’t want “the boys” to know how low you sunk?” She shook her head. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it earlier.”
She ignored his protest and stormed off, hoping she remembered the way back to his room properly. The last thing she wanted was to get lost and be forced to go to him for help.
A few turns later, a familiar-looking door loomed up in front of her. Of course, every door they’d passed looked familiar, but it felt right. Pushing forward, she emerged, immediately looking toward the real door.
The couch was there, propped against it. Unless Kirell had started a new fashion trend, she didn’t think it was anyone else’s room. Reaching behind her, she closed the wall panel. It wouldn’t slow Kirell down, but it would be a nuisance, and that was as much as she could ask for just then.
He came through a few seconds later.
“Natalia.”
“Stop it.” She held up a hand, digesting her own thoughts. The comments she’d made to him about being ashamed of her had touched on a nerve, hitting closer to the truth than she’d intended. There was something more to it, something else bothering her.
You don’t feel worthy either.
That was it, she realized. All the secrets and lies they were holding, made her feel like she wasn’t good enough to be his mate, even a fake one—like there was some impossible standard she was supposed to meet, and she didn’t.
“I’m not good enough to be your mate,” she said softly. “That’s the problem, isn’t it? That’s why the sneaking around. Not that you’re ashamed, because you need me, but nobody is going to believe someone like you would settle for me.”
Kirell frowned. “Natalia, this isn’t real,” he said forcefully. “We’re just faking this. That’s why you’re being kept hidden except when it’s absolutely necessary. The more people see us together, the more they’re going to expect to see us together. So, unless you want to stick around, then staying hidden is the best bet. Remember, in a week or two, you’re going to go back to your old life, and you’ll probably never see me again. This is fake.”
She nodded, acknowledging the truth of everything he was saying. It was a sham. A lie, a construct built out of necessity.
So why did it hurt to be told that?
“You’re right,” she said after a minute, her voice dull and emotionless. “It’s all just a sham. Even the sex is just for fun. I think the death threat got to me.” She looked up, giving him her best fake smile. “Sorry.”
Kirell looked like he’d bitten into something rotten but he didn’t fight what she was saying. “I need to go talk to the guards. The Queen wants me to start the job now.” He looked around the room. “Are you going to be okay by yourself for a few hours? There’s a tv and everything. We have cable and the specialty channels.”
“I’m just gonna sleep,” she said, wandering over to the bed, wishing she felt comfortable enough to strip out of her dress immediately, instead of waiting until he’d left. “I’m pretty tired.”
“Okay. I’ll be back soon. We’ll talk about the ceremony tomorrow and what will be expected of you.”
“Sure.” She sat heavily on the edge of the bed, stari
ng at the red and gold patterned carpet.
Kirell took a breath, sounding like he was about to protest, but whatever it was died on his exhale. “I’ll be back in a bit,” he said instead.
She waited until the door panel clicked closed on the wall, before ripping off the dress and pulling on the sweats that were now dry. Sleep wasn’t going to happen. Not now. There was too much for her to think about.
I shouldn’t hurt this much…
22
The word went out through the House. The Captain wanted to review his guards.
His guards. They were Kirell’s guards now, and by the end of tomorrow, that would be official on all levels. All at once the mantle of responsibility settled about his shoulders, weighing heavily on him.
This was no small task. Usually, when a Title Holder died or relinquished their position, the transition was smooth, with everything in order to help onboard the newcomer. The senior members in that section would shoulder a bit more workload while everyone adjusted, but in the end, there was very little in the way of disruption.
That’s not going to happen here.
Kirell was inheriting an office devastated by the rebellion. The guards were the best-trained warriors in the House, with the exception of the Queen’s Own. He liked to think they were all loyal to the House as well, but they weren’t. More of them than he’d like to think about had gone down in the internal fighting.
Now, a unit that should be upward of three dozen strong barely numbered fifteen. It didn’t take long for them to assemble in the training room on the second sub-basement. He watched them from his new office as they entered in ones and twos, milling around, talking to one another. The cameras were wired for audio but he wasn’t going to eavesdrop. Nobody would be saying anything interesting right now.
They’d be wondering what the meeting was about. They would be talking about him, too, all the typical gossip. None of them out there, if they were traitors, was going to offer themselves up in this environment. Accidents happened of course, but anyone who had been committed to the traitorous cause but remained unfound was very good at hiding their true feelings. It was how they were still alive today.
