by Jen L. Grey
"Whatever we need to do." Mason nodded at me and reached over to brush his fingertips on my arm.
"Okay." I took a deep breath and pulled up Brent, the alpha for Atlanta, in my contacts and pressed CALL. The line rang, and I felt my stomach drop.
Right when I thought I'd be sent to voicemail, someone answered.
"Hello?" His voice was deep and strong.
"Brent, hi." I took a deep breath. I had to be tough. "This is Elena. Sorry for such short notice, but we've landed at the airport a few minutes ago and plan to stay a few days."
"Have you really?" His voice was laced with humor. "After almost three months, you've finally decided to grace us with your presence?"
He wasn't going to give me any slack. "I do apologize for the length of delay, but between our coronations, the holidays, and some other very pressing matters arising, this was our first opportunity."
"It's odd that you find time now." He huffed. "So are you demanding that I meet you now? Is that what this is about?"
He was direct. That, at least, showed where we stood with him. "Of course not. I figure you're just as busy as anyone. I was hoping we might meet for breakfast. Maybe you could come join us in the morning at the Four Seasons?"
"Only if we meet downstairs in the main restaurant." He chuckled.
He was dictating to me what we were going to do and seeing how far he could go. I should push back, but then he might refuse to meet at all. I had to choose my battles. "Fine. Does nine work for you?"
"I'll be there." He paused for a moment. "Good night." Then, the phone line went dead.
He's testing us already. Mason reached over and intertwined his fingers with mine. I don't like it.
Me neither. Only tomorrow would tell whether we had another enemy to add to our list.
Chapter Eight
We pulled up to a large building in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia. There was a castle-like feel to the facade with five American flags on display, and it was attached to a huge, more modern building.
"Here we are," Tommy said as he pulled into the small, arch drive in front. "Let's get them inside so we can all get settled."
"On it." Kassie opened the door and began scanning the area, looking for any looming threat nearby. One of the workers immediately headed in her direction, and she pointed to the back of the car. The person nodded his head and made his way over to us.
Tommy opened the driver’s door and hurried to the back of the car, popping the trunk.
"Do you know where I should take the bags?" the hotel worker asked as he grabbed our luggage and put them on a cart that was nearby.
"The presidential suite." Tommy glanced in at Mona. "You guys can leave. Kassie gave the all-clear."
The worker glanced into the back as if trying to figure out who we were but apparently knew better than to ask any questions.
He was probably at a loss as to why we were getting treated in such a manner.
I opened the door and climbed out with Mason and then Mona close behind me.
"I'm running inside to get the room keys. Kassie will stay out here and continue security sweeps." She rushed past Tommy and headed toward the front desk.
The rest of the crew got out, and soon we were all heading inside. Mason stood close to me on one side with Kassie on the other.
It appeared as if we were all on high alert after the aircraft scare. Luckily nothing horrible had happened, just a mind game.
When we walked into the huge lobby, it kind of surprised me that no matter how nice the hotel was, it had a similar feel to any other. Yes, it was nicer than the ones I used to stay at before becoming Queen: golden touches, nicer furniture, and a fancy chandelier. Except, it still had the same feel, a huge open area where we could see all the way to the back of the building.
Mona walked away from the front desk and nodded at our group. "Let's move. The elevator is over here.”
We walked in the middle of two sets of large stairways that led to the second level. It was the same sort of style that we had back in the old NYC apartment where we used to live.
Following Kassie's lead, we turned toward the elevators.
Let me know if you smell or see anything weird. Mason held my hand even though he was so close to me that our arms brushed with every step.
Nothing seems out of sorts. At least, for now. The last time we were at a hotel, his best friend Alec had gone missing courtesy of the vampire prince. It was a long, drawn-out process to save him. And even when we did, he had been so severely injured he still wasn't back to his old self.
As all seven of us crammed inside the elevator, Ella let out a huge breath. "Was it only me who was ready for something to jump out or grab one of us the entire way in?"
"Don't jinx us," Kassie snapped as she turned her head in Ella's direction. "We haven't made it to the room yet."
Mona reached over and ran the key over a scanner and pressed nineteen. "Calm down, everyone. Whoever it is wants us on edge. We'll be able to relax in a few minutes."
It wasn't long before we reached the presidential suite. The elevator doors opened to a large foyer that led straight into a huge living room.
"Stay here," Mona instructed the four of us while the guards checked every room.
"This is almost as big as our house back home." Ella snorted and shook her head. "It sometimes puts things into perspective how the rich people don't understand the common middle-class people."
"That's what makes them so unique." Louis pointed at Mason and me. "They know and understand."
"Yet, we've been focusing on the alphas that didn't understand." Maybe we'd handled everything wrong. Brent was one of the same alphas in question, and he wasn't a fan of ours. Granted, that probably had more to do with his self-worth. He was the alpha over Atlanta, one of the largest supernatural hubs in the world. It was the third-largest.
"That's how the game is played, unfortunately." Louis glanced around the place. "It's weird; I've always grown up in places like this. Yet, the place you all consider home feels more comfortable for me as well."
"Hate to break it down for you, buddy, but it's your home too." Ella arched an eyebrow. "You're my other half, which means it's a damn good thing you like it."
"Duly noted." He chuckled.
We need to be super careful here. Mason wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close. I could feel the tension in his whole body, and our bond was flooded with worry. I can't let another bad thing happen to you.
The same for you. I'll never forget what it was like right after we had completed our bond back home in South Carolina. The vampire prince had just found me, and I was working at the Flying Monkey, which was a trendy bar on the outskirts of town. I'd worked there as the dishwasher. Mason had come to do some of his college homework and keep an eye on me. Little did I know that Darren already had his cronies looking for me. They'd somehow knocked Mason out and abducted him for leverage. When I came out of the kitchen, all I had found was his books and cell phone. There was no trace of him anywhere in the bar.
"It's clear." Kassie walked back in with Tommy and Mona following behind her. "However, don't let your guard down. If anyone goes out on the balcony, for the love of God, come grab at least one of us."
"I promise." For so long, the three of them had been there for me. I hated seeing them so stressed out. Despite that, even when I gave Mona and Kassie an out for raising me, they'd insisted on maintaining their roles as guards. At least, we were paying them a salary now.
We entered the living room. It was an open floor plan connecting to the dining area. There was a large, gray, L-shaped couch in the middle with the back butting up against a thick glass wall.
There was a seventy-inch flat screen hung opposite the couch and a small sofa to the side.
"At least, we have time to watch a movie or something tonight." Ella yawned as she sat on the couch. "And it's surprisingly comfortable."
A ding alerted us to the elevator door opening, and the man from downstairs r
olled in our luggage. "Let me know if you need anything."
"We're good. Thank you though." I smiled at him, just wanting to be alone.
"What are we going to do for dinner?" Ella huffed as she pulled her legs onto the couch and wrapped her arms around them. "I'm hungry."
After the day we'd all had, going out didn't sound like a great idea. "Why don't we order a pizza?” Even though I was hesitant to eat out, there wasn’t any other option here. At least, I knew what nightmare inducing herbs tasted like after the other night.
"A pizza?" Ella arched her eyebrow. "That's only enough for me."
"You know what she means." Mason rolled his eyes as he sat on the other end of the couch and patted the seat beside him. "And that sounds great to me."
"Thank God." Kassie yawned and shook her head. "I don't think I'd be up for doing anything else today. It's been rough. Remember, if the food tastes funny, you don’t eat it.”
"You're not kidding," Mona said as she walked over and grabbed my and Mason's bag. "I can run down to the lobby and pick it up if someone will order it."
"And for the love of God, please make sure there are at least two pepperoni and sausage pizzas. Otherwise, Ella won't let me have any." Louis frowned even though his eyes seemed to flicker with mirth.
"Hey, I don't share food. Blame it on Mason." She pointed her finger at him. "He would eat food right off my plate."
Just now, everything felt almost normal. I headed over to Mason and sat next to him.
"Because you'd take the whole meal, all the servings Mom fixed." He wrapped his arm around me and leaned his head down to my ear. "Mom loves making meatloaf cupcakes. She says it's so much easier than a big glob so it reduces cooking time."
"Okay." I wasn't quite sure why he was telling me this.
"Ella runs into the kitchen to get her serving and takes all twelve." Mason narrowed his eyes at his sister. "Everything! Didn't even leave any for Mom."
"And she said I was a growing girl." Ella dropped her feet back to the ground and crossed her arms. "When are you going to stop throwing that in my face. Let it go. It was so last year."
"Sometimes, I wonder how we were mated to those two." Louis caught my eye and shook his head. "They aren't quite like anyone else I've ever met."
"Watch it, Luey!" She tilted her head and leaned back against the couch and threw one of the pillows at him.
"I hate that name," Louis growled. "Stop it."
"What would everyone like?" Tommy pulled his phone from his pocket. "I think food may help the atmosphere in this room."
Ella did get angry when she hadn't eaten. Maybe once we got the food here, she would calm down. That’s what I was hoping for anyway. "I'm good with a pizza all the way."
"Same for me." Mason moved his arm down and took my hand. He stood and tugged me in the direction Mona had walked. "Let's go get situated."
"Yeah, I may change into some pajamas." Climbing to my feet, I took a deep breath.
"Just ordered the food." Tommy placed his phone on the table and sat on the small couch across the way. "It'll be here in thirty minutes."
"Got it. We won't be long."
The wall on the far-left side of the living room ended, making a small hallway to the left of the room. We entered the hallway and walked past a half bath to a door directly in front of us. It was wide open, and when we entered the room, Mona was out on the balcony, looking around.
Her eyes met mine, and she headed back into the room. "I needed to make sure nothing looked or smelled funny out there."
"Thank you for doing that." I walked into the room and sat on the large king bed that was centered against the back wall. The cover was white and soft under my hands.
"All right, I'm going to go get Ella and Louis's room set up now." She grabbed the blinds and slid them shut so the balcony couldn't be seen. "There is an adjoining room they will be staying in."
"Where are you guys going to stay?"
“There is a pull-out couch in part of the sectional, and Tommy plans on sleeping on the couch. Despite how big the combined hotel rooms are, there are only two real bedrooms.”
"But it's small." I hated the sacrifices they made.
"It's fine." She shrugged. "Worst case scenario, I'll take the couch."
"And Kassie and Tommy would sleep together?" I couldn't help the small smile that slipped through.
"What?" Mona's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand.
"Don't worry." Mason joined me on the bed and bumped his shoulder into mine. "We'd been suspicious all along."
"I didn't say anything." Mona rolled her eyes and laughed. "They think they're able to hide it, but more subtle things are beginning to show."
"But they hated each other." That's what I couldn't grasp. I remembered, when I was little, Kassie would constantly attack the poor man.
"There is a thin line between love and hate." Mona lifted her eyebrows and made her way to the door. "That saying is around for a very good reason."
As I watched her walk down the hall back to the others, a chill ran through me. That’s the same thing I had said to Tommy just last week.
I'm glad we got here in one piece. Mason sighed and turned to examine my face.
That's when I realized there were dark circles under his eyes. That wasn't normal at all. Were you that worried?
I believed that everyone was right and that they wouldn't mess with the plane, but hell, what do I know. He lifted his hand and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. The thought of losing you scares the shit out of me.
I'm right here. I lifted my chin and kissed his lips ever so softly.
A small knock came at the door. "Hey, do you guys have a second?"
Every damn time. I should’ve closed and locked the door. Mason huffed.
"What's up?" I glanced at Louis, who scratched at the back of his neck.
"I feel awful doing this, but I have a bad feeling." He bit at his bottom lip. "Do you mind if I come in here for a second?"
"Of course not." I waved him into the room. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, but I'm a little worried." He entered the room and glanced behind him. "Do you mind if I shut the door?"
"What the fuck do you want?" Mason's tone was tense. He's acting strange, and his heart is racing. Nothing good can come of this.
Mason's reaction startled me some, but I tried to contain it.
"I kind of deserve that." He took a deep breath and began pacing the room. "My dad is a wild card."
"Okay ..." I wasn't quite sure where he was going.
"By telling you this, I'm not sure if there will ever be a way for me to redeem myself in his eyes, but you two should know." He rubbed a hand down his face.
"Out with it." Mason's jaw clenched. "Or I'll beat it out of you."
Calm down. I understood he was upset. He'd been on edge all day, but we couldn't blow up. He's your sister's mate, for God's sake. He's family.
"No, look. I'm not quite sure how to say it, so I'm just going to put it out there." Louis took a deep breath and sighed. "My father helped your uncle kill your parents."
Out of everything that could be said, I hadn't expected this. "But ... why?"
Mason jumped to his feet and closed the distance between them. "And you're just telling us this now?"
"Look, I ..." Even before Louis could finish speaking, Mason reared back and punched him right in the jaw. Louis fell back into the wall and landed with a thud on the floor.
"What the hell is going on?" Kassie hollered from the living room.
Just as Louis grabbed his nose to pinch it, trying to keep the blood from pouring down into his mouth, the bedroom door flew open. Ella pushed her way into the room and crouched down beside her mate.
"What the hell?" She turned around and glared at her brother. "What is wrong with you?"
"No, I deserved it." Louis rose to stand back up on his own two feet. "I should've told them earlier."
"Told them what?" Ella's eyes narrowed,
and she took a step back.
"That my dad was part of the plan to kill King Corey."
"What?" Ella's brow furrowed, and she shook her head. "But that doesn't make sense. You've got to be lying."
The problem was we could all tell he was speaking the truth. Only, what we didn’t know was whether he was holding back any other information.
Watching the scene unfold in front of me caused my heart to drop. Even though it wasn't his fault, this kind of information would've been useful to have from the very start. He was telling the truth now, but why? All the possibilities made my stomach churn.
Chapter Nine
"Look, I'm sorry." Louis's nose continued to trickle blood. "I only recently learned about it. I found out about what happened right before we visited with you the first time." He sighed and shook his head. "That’s why there was so much tension between the two of us the night of the dinner."
"But why not tell us before now?" Ella's voice was nearing hysteria. "You've been with us for over two months.”
"I'm going to kick your ass," Mason growled again. "All this time, and you could have saved half of our efforts? Do you know who the witch is stalking Elena now?"
"Look, I get that you don't trust me." Louis took a step back and drew in a deep breath. "But I overheard Dad on the phone with someone after Darren died. He lost his shit and accidentally told me. We were already disagreeing on a lot of other things, policies, and such."
Louis rubbed his nose. "Shit. This hurts." He shook his head.
"Wait until I get done with you." Mason's body was tense and tight.
"Oh, no you don't." Ella took a menacing step toward her mate. "I'll be the one having the pleasure. I don't care if he's my mate or not. He hurt my family."
"Let's hear him out." If anyone had a right to beat the shit out of him, it was me. Though, royalty wasn't a privilege most of the time. It came with heavy expectations, and sometimes it was void of parental love. “But that doesn’t mean we trust him completely. It will take some time to get that trust back.”
