tell them. I want them to stop ignoring me. I want them to get down on their knees the way they so obviously want to every time they look at you. And for that, I’m going to need you.”
“How?” Kevin asked.
“Exactly the way you already offered.” Carol slid off him then, moving to lay beside him on the grass, propped up on one elbow, so that to anyone watching they would have looked like a happy couple enjoying the sun. “We’re going to get married, Kevin. And before you start complaining, remember that you suggested it first. You’re getting what you wanted.”
She reached out to stroke his face. “And I want you to know that I do want you. If I’d thought that you’d give yourself to me willingly… that you actually cared about me rather than her … I just want you to know that, so you don’t think it’s all about the power.”
“What power?” Kevin demanded. “It sounds like you’re offering to make me the werewolves’ king.”
“There you go thinking like a man again,” Carol said. “Deciding that you must be more important. You’re a bitten wolf. You’re a powerful enough alpha to make a play for the throne, but I’m the one who was born a werewolf. You wouldn’t be king, Kevin. You’d just be a consort.”
“And you?”
Carol smiled. “I have no parents. Two of my brothers are dead, and the one who’s left is too busy playing around in other worlds to look after his people. I think the werewolves need a new queen.”
Chapter 8
B riony headed back to her room with Archer in tow, practically running through the palace in search of a good place to leave from. In her room, she checked that the head of the scepter was safely stowed around her neck, and then started to hunt through the room’s furniture in search of her old clothes. There was no sign of them though.
“It looks like I’m going to have to go home like this,” she said aloud, trying not to think about how she’d look walking down the main street of Wicked dressed like something out of a Renaissance Faire. Then she looked at Archer and smiled. Somehow, she suspected that flying in on a dragon would make people stare a little more than the dress.
“Come on Archer, let’s get going.”
She strode over to the open window and the balcony beyond. It would be easy for him to transform there, and then… then they would be on their way, looking for a gate to take them back. Briony didn’t have full control over them yet, so they’d have to find one, but if anyone could find a route back to Wicked, Archer could.
“Briony? What are you doing?”
Briony turned to see Fallon coming back into the room. He was staring at her like he knew that something was wrong. Maybe he did. “I thought Sophie was giving you and Josh the tour.”
“She was. I slipped away to see you.” He moved forward to catch hold of her elbow. “What’s going on, Briony?”
“I have to go back to Wicked,” she explained. “I saw it in one of the reflecting pools they have here. Pietre is transforming people, and I can’t allow that.”
What she didn’t say was that she couldn’t stay there when that would mean marrying Josh. When it would mean unleashing whoever it was who would kill all the vampires, including Fallon, Jake and George. It was easier to think about the need to protect the people of Wicked, and to concentrate on the way she was meant to be heading up the Preservation Society. She couldn’t do that in Palisor.
She couldn’t see Kevin again here either. Josh had been wrong about that part. She didn’t have to marry him to see Kevin
“How?” Kevin asked.
“Exactly the way you already offered.” Carol slid off him then, moving to lay beside him on the grass, propped up on one elbow, so that to anyone watching they would have looked like a happy couple enjoying the sun. “We’re going to get married, Kevin. And before you start complaining, remember that you suggested it first. You’re getting what you wanted.”
She reached out to stroke his face. “And I want you to know that I do want you. If I’d thought that you’d give yourself to me willingly… that you actually cared about me rather than her … I just want you to know that, so you don’t think it’s all about the power.”
“What power?” Kevin demanded. “It sounds like you’re offering to make me the werewolves’ king.”
“There you go thinking like a man again,” Carol said. “Deciding that you must be more important. You’re a bitten wolf. You’re a powerful enough alpha to make a play for the throne, but I’m the one who was born a werewolf. You wouldn’t be king, Kevin. You’d just be a consort.”
“And you?”
Carol smiled. “I have no parents. Two of my brothers are dead, and the one who’s left is too busy playing around in other worlds to look after his people. I think the werewolves need a new queen.”
Chapter 8
B riony headed back to her room with Archer in tow, practically running through the palace in search of a good place to leave from. In her room, she checked that the head of the scepter was safely stowed around her neck, and then started to hunt through the room’s furniture in search of her old clothes. There was no sign of them though.
“It looks like I’m going to have to go home like this,” she said aloud, trying not to think about how she’d look walking down the main street of Wicked dressed like something out of a Renaissance Faire. Then she looked at Archer and smiled. Somehow, she suspected that flying in on a dragon would make people stare a little more than the dress.
“Come on Archer, let’s get going.”
She strode over to the open window and the balcony beyond. It would be easy for him to transform there, and then… then they would be on their way, looking for a gate to take them back. Briony didn’t have full control over them yet, so they’d have to find one, but if anyone could find a route back to Wicked, Archer could.
“Briony? What are you doing?”
Briony turned to see Fallon coming back into the room. He was staring at her like he knew that something was wrong. Maybe he did. “I thought Sophie was giving you and Josh the tour.”
“She was. I slipped away to see you.” He moved forward to catch hold of her elbow. “What’s going on, Briony?”
“I have to go back to Wicked,” she explained. “I saw it in one of the reflecting pools they have here. Pietre is transforming people, and I can’t allow that.”
What she didn’t say was that she couldn’t stay there when that would mean marrying Josh. When it would mean unleashing whoever it was who would kill all the vampires, including Fallon, Jake and George. It was easier to think about the need to protect the people of Wicked, and to concentrate on the way she was meant to be heading up the Preservation Society. She couldn’t do that in Palisor.
She couldn’t see Kevin again here either. Josh had been wrong about that part. She didn’t have to marry him to see Kevin
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