Page 102 of Princess Broken

“What’s going on?” I ask. “Did you find Mariano?”

“Princess,” Crusher says with more formality than I’ve grown used to. “Please. Sit. I have something to tell you.” He gestures to the grouping of four chairs to the right.

The men remain still while I move toward the chairs and stop in the center of them, confused, nervous.

“Sit,” Crusher says. “Take my chair.”

I back up, the leather cushion hits my legs, and I sit, immediately swallowed by the well-worn chair that’s imprinted with Crusher’s body shape, his scent. Pushing myself to the chair’s edge, I straighten my back. If Crusher’s going to be formal, then so am I.

He moves into the middle of the chairs, standing ahead of me, hands clasped behind his back, as the other three take their own chairs, Blade to my left, Flame to my right, and Phil across from me, partially blocked from my view by Crusher. Phil grunts as he sits.

“Princess,” Crusher says and I hate that he’s suddenly stopped using my given name. “What I am about to tell you will be shocking.”

I nod, and horrible thoughts rush through my mind. I’ve had no contact with the outside world since they brought me down here. Has something happened to my father? My sister? What else could be so shocking, made him be so serious?

“I went to confront Mariano,” Crusher says slowly, “but another vampire was there instead.”

“Who?”

“It was your mate, Princess. He’s not dead.”

My body and mind go numb. I shake my head. “But I saw…”

I fight to replay my memories, but everything in my mind is muddled now. So many memories of the 1918 massacre have resurfaced recently, along with horrible recollections of events in our nursery. And all those memories, some vague, some vivid, some clearly from nightmares, have combined with my recollections of the attack at Mariano’s. I can’t trust my own mind at this moment. Did Timur not die?

“How?” My voice comes out weak.

“The stake missed his heart,” Crusher says, but I detect incredulity in his voice. Doubt or some level of amazement at least.

“But…” Am I projecting my own uncertainty onto Crusher? Nothing about his posture or expression indicates he’s unsure. Crusher wouldn’t tell me that Timur’s alive if it weren’t true.

“Princess,” he continues. “As soon as you’re ready, we will return you to your mate.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Flame

Ana’s shaking. So the fuck am I.

Earlier, when Blade was fucking her, I started to see a possible future while I looked deep into her eyes. A future where she would be with us forever. And now she’ll be gone—today—returned to her mate.

“I need some time alone,” she says. “Please.”

I move to her side, grateful when she lets me support her small body as she walks to her bedroom, loving how she leans against me.

“You okay?” I ask before she closes her door.

She nods. “I’m shaken. Confused. But okay.”

“You must also be…happy?” I ask, because she looks anything but happy.

A smile invades her lips, but avoids her eyes. “Very happy. It’s just a lot to process right now. I need to rest for a moment.”

“Of course.” Holding onto the doorjamb I bend forward, and it takes every ounce of willpower inside me not to kiss her, not to take her in my arms.

Her door closes, and I turn and lean back against it.

“What the actual fuck?” Phil says to Crusher. “This whole thing. Has it been some kind of trick to expose Freetown? Sneak that bitch down here to gather evidence against us?”

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