Page 34 of The Queen

My hand slipped into the hidden pocket sewn in the folds of my heavy skirt. The embossed archway on the cover of my mother’s book met my fingers as I traced nervous patterns. I wanted to believe everything was fine, but after recent events, I was more than a little paranoid.

Lex made a show of bowing low and murmuring, “Your Majesty.”

His formality wasn’t helping my unease, but I was coming to learn that sometimes you just had to push through. With my mates by my side, I wouldn’t be alone.

I looked to the door, imagining the rest of my men would be coming, but when Lex saw the direction of my gaze, he took my hand. “Grey isn’t feeling well and won’t be able to make it. Axion decided that it might be best if he didn’t attend.”

My stomach rose to my throat as anxiety closed in around me. “Is Grey all right? I should go check on him. I’ll be fast. I’m sure your parents would understand if I was a little late.” Concern for my mate was at the forefront of my mind, but it was also an excuse to put off the inevitable.

Lex gave me a knowing look, as if he’d expected my reaction.

“Grey will heal more quickly if you give him time to rest. Let’s not keep the Regent waiting,” he said, brushing off the familial connection.

He offered me his elbow, and I took it, despite my inner turmoil.

Violet opened the door for us, and we stepped into the hall. Shadow was waiting a few steps away, a half smile tugging at his recalcitrant lips. He was dressed in the same sort of black suit that Lex was, and it set off his dark features just as much as it highlighted Lex’s golden ones.

Shadow strode over, bowed, and offered his elbow just the way Lex had. I took it with my free hand and was quickly sandwiched between the two hulking figures. Caged like this, I was unlikely to find an opportunity to escape my fate.

I snorted a nervous laugh, wondering if somehow they’d felt my trepidation and surrounded me, thinking I might bolt at the first chance. That thought had crossed my mind, but no, I couldn’t run from my responsibilities. If I needed to go, I would go, regardless of my feelings toward the other guests.

The alphas probably thought I was losing it, but didn’t mention my unladylike sound, and led me toward my imminent destruction. I assured myself I was being dramatic. It was just dinner. It couldn’t be that bad.

To my surprise, we didn’t continue down the corridor, deeper into the royal wing as I’d expected. Nor did we go to the main stairwell, which I knew led to all the other levels of the mountain. Instead, we went to the opposite side of the Pit, through a wide archway overlooking the airy shaft. Inside was a sweeping staircase with filigree banisters leading up to an ornate double door. The only thing here that resembled the rest of the utilitarian compound was the keypad. Everything else looked like it was from another time and place.

Shadow punched in a code. The locks disengaged, and he opened the door, letting my hand slip off his arm. He followed behind as Lex escorted me into a marble-clad grand foyer. From the other side of a massive living area—through floor to ceiling windows—golden light from the setting suns kissed far distant peaks and ignited the drifting clouds with orange, pink, and pastel purple.

The view left me speechless.

I could see an entire river valley to the north, all the way to the snow-capped mountains on the horizon.

Lex laid his hand over mine where it rested on his arm, bringing me back into the moment. The pristine, polished white stone floor squeaked under my slippers as my attention turned to the rest of the apartment. Everything was white, clean, and lavish. Lush furs, polished woods, and metals gleamed and sparkled in every corner. Crossing the threshold was like stepping into an entirely different world.

So distracted by the view, I hadn’t noticed the two guards flanking the door we’d entered through. The weasel-faced beta, Mik, who’d been at the fighting tournament, was there in a well-pressed uniform, across from a male alpha I didn’t know, dressed equally well. His pleasant coconut scent made me smile.

Shadow’s dark brows rose when I grinned at the sandy blond alpha. I looked to the ceiling, imploring the Stars for the endurance to suffer jealous alphas. Just because an alpha smelled nice did not mean I wanted to add to my list of mates. He didn’t smell that good. Not wanting to cause any more of a scene than I already had, I continued further into the entry hall.

Our host and hostess had arrived from a room off to the left and approached, bowing and curtsying in a minimal way. I wasn’t sure if it was an intentional slight, but something about their smug faces made me wonder.

“Welcome, my dear. Welcome to our home,” Titus said, his cheeks round and rosy, and smelling of spice and aged oak.

“Thank you for the invitation. I’m glad for the opportunity to get out of my room.”

Edeth grinned in a practiced way that looked a little rusty. “Yes, welcome to our home. Please come in.”

The pair led us into a polished living area with overstuffed couches and comfortable seating areas tucked off in the corners. In the center, expensive, rare candles that I’d only ever seen in pictures flickered from sconces set on a long, sleek table overlooking the windows that spanned the entire length of the massive room.

Anchored to Lex’s arm as I was, I couldn’t rush to the windows, as I very much wanted to. Instead, I settled for towing him along at a sedate pace until I was close enough to touch the crystal-clear panels.

The view was incredible with the light of the setting suns lingering on the horizon to the left, casting long shadows across everything it touched. I longed to be out there, breathing the sun warmed air before it was swallowed by twilight. Far off in the distance, I caught a glimpse of the massive burn scar we’d seen from space the day we had arrived. That felt like eons ago. But everything else looked untouched and pristine. I knew better than that, but it was a lovely fantasy. This view showed me what it could be like one day, and that left me itching to get to work.

Lex was quiet by my side, giving me time and peace to enjoy the view, but his arm tensed and his hand tightened over mine just before a shadow fell over me from behind.

“Impressive isn’t it?” Edeth cooed. “Titus purchased the windows as a wedding gift.”

It was very impressive but… “How do you keep something like this hidden?”

Titus joined his wife at our side. “It’s really quite fascinating, actually. I won’t go into the complicated details, but Arden, our sister planet, has devised a way to camouflage almost anything. The outside looks like a sheer cliff face. The only way to tell is to touch it, and well, way up here, that isn’t likely to happen.” He chuckled as if sharing an inside joke.

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