Page 29 of French Quarter Heiress

But I know I can't keep up this charade forever.

There are eyes on me at all times.

I think back to my childhood, to the lessons Father drilled into me from the moment I was old enough to understand. The evils of the werewolves, the sins of the humans, the wily danger of the fae. He taught me to fear them, to hate them, to see them as nothing more than obstacles in our path to power.

But now, everything has changed. Now, I know the truth. I know that the werewolves are not the monsters my father made them out to be. And I know that my feelings for Beau, my desperate need to protect him and his pack, is the one thing that truly matters.

I glance at the clock on my wall, my heart racing as I realize that it's almost time for our meeting. I slip into the shadows, using a secret passage to the secret room where Beau and I have been meeting.

As I step inside, I see him waiting for me, his eyes dark with worry and his face lined with exhaustion. I rush into his arms, burying my face in his chest and breathing in his scent, letting his presence soothe the ache in my heart.

"Elise," he whispers, his voice rough with emotion. "You had me worried, sweet princess."

I pull back, my eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry, Beau. I tried to stop him, tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't listen. You guys need to stop."

“You think I can stop Luc without getting branded as a traitor and killed?” His jaw clenches, his eyes flashing with anger.

“I.. I don’t know.” I reach up, cupping his face in my hands.

He leans down, capturing my lips in a desperate, hungry kiss. For a moment, the world falls away, and there is nothing but the two of us, lost in each other's touch.

But then reality comes crashing back in, and we break apart, our faces grim with the knowledge of what we must do.

"Beau," I whisper, my voice trembling. "There's something you need to know. My father has a proposed alliance with the fae, and with the power of the fae, nothing will stop him from destroying your pack.”

He frowns, his eyes searching mine. "What do you mean, Elise? Nobody makes deals with the fae, that’s insane."

I shake my head, my heart heavy with the knowledge of what I'm about to say. "He can, Beau. And he will. In exchange for my hand in marriage, my father is proposing an alliance and demands I either kill you or I’m to marry a Fae prince.”

He pulls me close, his arms wrapping around me like a shield against the world. "Well, you still have me, Elise. And I won’t let that happen. Let’s leave this town, just you and me. One more big job, then we get on a riverboat and never look back."

19

BEAU

Iwake with a start, my heart pounding and my skin slick with sweat. For a moment, I'm disoriented, my mind still trapped in the vivid nightmare that haunted my dreams.

But as the decrepit walls of the abandoned warehouse come into focus, as I feel the lumpy mattress of my cot beneath me, reality comes crashing back in.

This is our life now, our new normal. Holed up in a crumbling warehouse, so we can get some sleep, as we’re hunted by the vampires.

All because of Luc's unchecked ambition and his reckless desire to take on the vampires and claim dominion over the city.

I can feel the anger and frustration simmering in the air, the barely contained rage that threatens to boil over at any moment. The pack is hungry, restless, and wondering if this is a fight we even need to be making.

We were doing fine before.

The pack blames Luc for all of it, for the all-out war that he provoked with the Delacroix clan.

I can't say I blame them. Luc's always been a wildcard, a loose cannon driven more by his own ego and thirst for power than any concern for the wellbeing of the pack. But this time... this time, he's gone too far.

As if summoned by my dark thoughts, I hear a commotion outside, the sound of raised voices and snarling wolves. I'm on my feet in an instant, grabbing my jacket and rushing out to see what new crisis has erupted.

What I find is a scene of utter chaos. The pack is gathered in a loose circle, their faces twisted with rage and desperation. And at the center of it all, standing tall and proud like a king among his subjects, is Georgy Dubois.

"My fellow wolves!" Georgy’s voice rings out, rich with charisma and conviction. "For too long, we have suffered under Luc's misguided leadership. For too long, we have watched as he led us down a path of destruction and ruin, all for the sake of his own selfish ambitions."

A murmur of agreement ripples through the crowd, a sense of simmering discontent that Georgy is all too eager to capitalize on.

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