Page 72 of A Kingdom of Broken Bonds

Finnik stiffens behind me, his newly awakened mate instincts hyperaware of every threat, and in this moment, he is attempting not to react to the looks the guards give us—give me. They are simply doing their jobs, albeit a tad judgementally, yet this seems to offend Finnik. It probably does not help that they are both male. They do not give any indication that they want anything from me, but the mating bond is a little chafing when it first begins. A low warning snarl emits from him, and I have to squeeze his hand to silently beg him to stop. We should not be pissing off the guards, as they could make life difficult for us, especially when Eli is so close.

Thankfully the guards decide we are not going to cause trouble and stand to the side, allowing us entry. I step forward to reach for the door when it flings open, Eli standing in the threshold looking like a male possessed.

“Thea,” he exclaims, leaping forward and scooping me into his arms. The air is forced out of my lungs as he crushes me against him, and emotion wells up inside, making me choke up. I hadn’t realised how much it hurt to be apart until we were back together and I could feel the fullness of our bond. I knew the bond was gone, and now that I can feel it fully once more, I am shaken with how much I missed him.

Given the circumstances of our parting, I think this is probably an accelerant to our extreme reaction, and I feel his pain and fear as though they were my own. I was so worried he was injured, as I know he would have given his all to get to me, so seeing him unharmed and in one piece makes my eyes sting with unshed tears.

“I could not feel you. Our bond was so quiet, and I began to think the worst…” Eli buries his face in my hair, inhaling deeply, his voice tight with emotion. “I was so fucking scared.” He cuts himself off, and my heart aches for him. He is really struggling, and that tears me up.

I pull back enough so I can look up at him, lifting his chin until he meets my eyes. “I am here now. I am safe,” I assure him, keeping my voice as even as I can.

As he scans my face and the red, healing skin on my arms, his feral fae side begins to rise and take over. “They took you from me. They hurt you.” It is a statement, not a question, anger flashing in his gaze.

Placing my hands on his cheeks, I hold his face and force him to look at me. “And they paid for it with their lives. I killed them.” There is a promise in my words and a ruthlessness that is new to me. When you have been attacked and hunted, I suppose it changes you, and I cannot find it in me to feel sorry.

“Havoc?” Eli asks tightly, not even flinching at the fact I just told him I murdered my attackers.

“Dead,” I reply matter-of-factly.

Eli nods his approval as he absorbs this information, and after a moment, his face softens and the feral part of him sinks down, and my mate returns to me. “Are you okay? Did the bond cause you any problems?”

He is asking if killing a male who was supposed to be my mate caused me to lose a part of myself. After Havoc rejected me, Eli saw how badly it affected me, so it makes complete sense that he would fear something similar when that male died.

“Any issues were minor, and now I am free of him.” I am suddenly very aware of the fact that we are standing in the doorway of the inn where anyone could overhear us, including the two guards who do not even try to hide that they are listening in. “Where are the others? I need to talk to all of you.”

Eli shifts his weight and frowns as he becomes aware of the public space we are currently in. What we are going to talk about is critical, and the king should hear it before any rumours begin to spread. We need privacy.

Nodding, he gestures to the inn behind him. “They are waiting inside. We did not want to overwhelm you, as we did not know what state you would be in.” Wincing at how that sounded, he places a hand on my shoulder and begins to guide me inside. “Come, you look exhausted.”

He lifts his head, his nostrils flaring slightly as he sniffs the air. Glancing at Finnik beside me, he raises a brow before dipping his head. “Congratulations on your bond.” I can tell he truly means it, but there is a roughness in his voice that indicates he is not happy about the arrangement. However, I know he will not cause any problems, not when he knows the pain of being separated from your mate.

Finnik has stayed silent this whole time, watching closely and guarding my back, keeping an eye on the guards and surrounding area. We are not safe outside, yet I was so lost in reuniting with Eli that I completely forgot where we were. I am grateful to have Finnik around, making sure I am safe at all times. From the jealousy swirling in his chest, I suspect his silence is also part of his strategy in keeping his overprotective mate bond under control.

Eli leads us inside, and I run my eyes over the cosy interior, the couches placed in a semicircle in front of a large, burning fireplace. The small dark wooden tables and chairs are empty, with only one male vampire sitting at the bar, nursing a beer. We walk across the room, Eli nodding to the bartender as we pass. A short corridor leads to three identical doors, and Eli heads straight to the door on the right.

I am exhausted and aching, but knowing that Felix and my father are waiting for me gives me the motivation I need. Eli knocks on the door once, and someone opens it for him, allowing us through. To my surprise, the room is filled with people, far more than I was expecting. Two of my guards stand by the door, bowing deeply as I walk into the space that is clearly one of the bedrooms the inn rents out. Magic tingles over my skin as I step over the threshold—most likely a spell that only allows someone to enter if they have been let in by someone already in the room.

My father and Geoff stand together near an unlit fireplace, stepping forward to greet me. At the back of the room, standing in the shadow of a large four-poster bed, is Felix. He smiles at me but hangs back as the others rush forward. He is probably just giving me some space, but an uneasy feeling settles over me, giving me the sense that something is wrong.

“Lady Anthea,” Geoff exclaims, stepping forward and taking my hand in his, kissing the back of it respectfully. “Thank goodness you are safe.” He is acting by the book, most likely because of my father’s presence, yet I can see emotions swimming in his eyes. Squeezing his hand, I meet his gaze and let my lips twitch up into a half smile, silently communicating that I understand.

“Daughter.” My father’s voice sounds the same as always, cold and to the point. He has never been one to waste time with flowery words or feelings, deeming them unnecessary. However, I saw a different side of him when we were attacked, so I know he is capable of feeling that way.

“Father,” I greet with a shallow nod of my head. I run my gaze over him, and I am relieved that he seems unharmed, but I say nothing, knowing he would only feel uncomfortable.

He also appears to be assessing me. “I am glad to see that you are still in one piece.”

My eyes widen in surprise. This is probably the most emotion he has expressed to me since my mother died all those years ago. I must be too obvious with my shock, though, as he clears his throat and brushes down the front of his jacket, his go-to when he is uncomfortable. “After all,” he continues, “you cannot possibly complete your purpose if you are dead, and then where would we be?”

Ah, that is more like what I expected from him. I do not feel disappointed by his comment, this is just how the vampires are expected to act, especially among the nobility. The smallest smile crosses my face. “It is good to see you too, Father.”

“What happened?” Geoff asks, taking another step forward, his face twisted with concern. He looks as though he wants to touch me and confirm that I am really here, but he stops himself, most likely because of the weight of my father’s stare. “Your father said you were ambushed and they kidnapped you. Who were they? How did you get away?”

Images of the attack flash in my mind, the pain of the light, the disorientation, and then realisation that I was separated from Eli and my father. My heart rate spikes, and panic flutters in my chest like a thousand butterflies demanding to be released. I fight against the anxiety that tries to overwhelm me. No, Havoc is dead, he cannot hurt anyone ever again. You are safe, you are free. I repeat those words to myself, my mantra. I fought for my life and came out the victor. I will no longer allow Havoc to cause these feelings within me, he does not deserve to take up space in my mind.

Both of my mates make low grumbling noises as they feel my distress, stepping closer as though they can shield me from the memories. Taking a deep breath, I clear my mind and focus on Geoff’s question.

“Havoc and the brotherhood were the ones behind it. All of my attackers are now dead, including the former prince.” There is a heavy pause as they digest this information. How King Drath is going to take the news that I killed his youngest son, I do not know. There will probably be consequences, but I did what I had to. I can only hope he realises I did what I had to.

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