Page 40 of Princess For All

She let out a slow breath and nodded. It was basic. She’d seen him several times getting food and he’d been friendly. This morning she’d been walking over to set up for breakfast and he asked for her to help bring over something but then said he was actually thirsty. She said it was against the rules, but he laughed it off as done all of the time and no big deal.

He threw everything at her to gaslight her about how vampires were keeping her safe and she couldn’t even give him a bit of blood. He should really tell the people in charge of the place she was so unhelpful—everything to pressure her and the typical shit to make her feel she was the problem and he was reasonable.

So she caved and offered her wrist. He scoffed at that and wanted her neck, saying she needed to be more agreeable if she was going to stay.

All of the same bullshit I’d seen time and time again from the guards who were in charge of the settlements.

I met Kristof’s gaze when we were outside.

“We heard you,” he told me. “I ordered everyone from Bahati’s coven to come here. All of the vampires who can come here who are not on protection shifts right now. Everything stops. Everything.”

“Good.” I let everyone see me kiss his cheek in praise and went up to the dais that James had used the day before. Vampires started showing up fast, realizing something was really going on, but staying outside of the fenced area. I thought because they sensed tension, but Kristof nodded that it was him and he’d ordered it.

My husband was a smart man and getting all of the gifts from me because I couldn’t even think straight in my upset.

More and more arrived, and then tension kept building until what I thought was a fight broke out, but then I realized it was someone fighting being restrained.

“I will end you and take the chance it wasn’t you, git,” Cerdic growled. “Make way!”

No, that was Ceawlin who said that second part, both of them with blood on their faces and dragging three guys between them. There were a few women in their group and several other nobles of our coven—a few visiting ones.

“Silence!” I bellowed when everyone had too much to say about all of it. “Everyone shut the fuck up! And get the rest of everyone here. We are handling this right and publicly. Jaxon, I want you here too.”

“I’m here, My Princess,” he said from the group behind me, stepping up and closer.

I nodded. “Ask the victim if she can come among everyone and identify her attacker publicly.”

“None of us attacked a human,” one of the three vampires growled. “Never.”

“That’s true,” Sundar said as he moved up to Kristof.

I narrowed my eyes at the vampires. “She was not willing.Fine, there’s anabuserbecause someone fucking coerced her and put pressure on her. And it was against the rules of my fucking coven. So you’re splitting hairs.” I smiled evilly at them. “Not so quick to say it wasn’t you now?”

Two glanced at each other and the one Cerdic was holding dipped his head to me. “I’ve not fed on a human in over a year, Princess Inez. I fought because suddenly Ceawlin came for us and he’s—we’ve had beef.”

“He speaks the truth,” Sundar confirmed.

“It wasn’t him,” a shaky female voice said from behind me. “It’s him in the red sweater.”

“You’re sure?” I checked, glancing at her over my shoulder.

She was. It was in her eyes.

“I’ll punish him,” I promised, not making her say it. “It’s your choice if you want to see it or not.”

“Punish me forwhat?” the guy bellowed. “She offered me blood and—”

My power flared and a gash formed across his face. “Don’t lie to me, git.” I gave him a dangerous look. “Do not lie to Aether’s champion.”

“And do not speak to my wife like that again,” Cerdic warned, the one holding him.

“It wasn’t this one?” Ceawlin checked with the other one he was holding.

“No, it wasn’t me, Princess,” the guy said quickly. “It was like he said and we thought it was old beefs with Ceawlin.”

“It wasn’t him,” the human confirmed. “Though he has mooed at us.”

“You are banished from my coven,” I seethed, three gashes appearing across his body, blood spilling from him and taking him to his knees. I let out a slow breath and then stared out at all of the vampires around us. “We are no better than anyone else!Hear me on this!Hear me asAether’s championthat our Goddess believes this!

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