Page 39 of Queen of Vampire Hearts

The three men formed a semicircle around me. Normally, I would have scrambled away from those kind of odds, but I didn’t want to hint that I was powerless. It was definitelynotbecause I knew Lucien would never allow a threat to me into the castle. More than all of that, I instinctively knew the only danger I faced from these men was their charm.

Viggo’s brown curls came down to his shoulders, his dark eyes dancing as he snatched my hand to lay an exaggerated kiss on the back of it. My nose scrunched at his show of affection, and I politely pulled my hand away. Viggo didn’t even appear to notice. Seduction came as easily as breathing to them.

I shot a glance at Elijah, my eyes narrowing on the skittish vampire as he edged closer to the door. I wasn’t about to let Elijah ruin the most fun I’d had in years. Despite the three of them pressing in on me, I couldn’t help but smile at their over-the-top attitudes. Their easy familiarity with me was refreshing. It was almost like we were friends.

I glared at the vampire, freezing him in his tracks. “Don’t even think about it, Elijah.”

In a blink, all three of my new friends formed a wall of muscle between the vampire and me. “Is he trying to hurt you, pet?” Leif growled.

Aww, they thought to protect me. It was adorable that they thought I needed protection.I could take care of myself. I glanced down at the cuffs. Well, I could normally take care of myself.

I placed a hand on Viggo’s and Leif’s shoulders, gently nudging them to the side. “No, boys. Ignore him. What brings you to Întuneric?” I asked with a bright smile. The fourth man stood from the table, apparently done eating, and joined our little group. His eyes were more cautious and analytical of me than the other three. He tipped his head back and inhaled deeply, his eyes glowing amber. “You don’t smell like a leech.” He gestured to himself and added, “Gunnar.”

“That’s because I’m not.” I tilted my head at them, trying to place their species. The amber eyes were a hint, prodding at a memory. An enhanced sense of smell was attributed to many species. Thankfully, it wasn’t one of my abilities. Regular body odor was bad enough. I couldn’t imagine catching a whiff with enhanced senses.Ew.

“Our king is here to talk to the leech,” Viggo answered.

Oh great, there wasanotherimmortal king at Întuneric? With my current run of luck, I’d end up being his mate, too. I recoiled inwardly at the idea. The thought of anyone but Lucien touching me was abhorrent. When the hell did I become so attached?

“Oh? And which king would that be?” I asked. I watched as they sniffed the air and frowned at each other in confusion.

“King Erik Wulfric of the Lycans,” Thurston finally answered.

Lycans? Wolf-shifters?That explained the strange way they kept sniffing me. With the bindings, I doubted I smelled like magic, so they must have thought I was some other immortal and were trying to figure it out. I resisted the need to place a hand over the cuffs on my wrists.

Wait, King Erik? As in the super-hot one?

My brows furrowed, recalling the passage about Lucien’s war with the Lycans. Gods, he had dealings with kings and gods, I couldn’t even be in the same room as another witch.My stomach rolled, and I crossed my arms, trying to mask some of my disquiet. I forced an inviting smile onto my lips, dropping my arms to my sides.

“Phoebe…” Elijah warned, his eyes hinting toward red.

“Run along now, Elijah. I’ll be fine here.”

I smirked at his murderous look. I could tell he wanted to say something, but he just shook his head before disappearing from the room in a blur of speed. That left me about ten minutes before Lucien came in, guns blazing. It was more than enough time to cause some trouble.

I glanced back at the four werewolves and smiled again, but this time, it was diabolical. “Now, which of you boys wants to see if he can drink me under the table?”

XVIII

The Realm of Mortals.

Întuneric Castel, Romania.

I GOT THE NOTICE THAT ERIK HAD ARRIVEDless than an hour after Phoebe disappeared somewhere in the castle. She needed space. The one thing I couldn’t give her. I was constantly fighting the compulsion to seek her out, to be in her presence, to listen to her voice, to inhale her scent, and to watch her mind at work. I knew she wanted space to put that devious mind to work, figuring out how to escape me and our bond. She didn’t want me, she was going to leave me.

The arrival of the messenger snapped me out of my dark musings. I ordered him to alert the kitchens, knowing that Erik traveled with a posse of lycans. Their appetites were especially huge because they burned so much energy during their shifts. The last time Erik had visited Întuneric, I’d needed to send servants out hourly for food.

I met Eric in the courtyard, clasping my friend’s forearm in greeting. I tried to smile but it was probably closer to a grimace.

“What brings you here, Erik?” I inquired, skipping the pleasantries. Originally, the plan was to invite the wolf to Phoebe’s coronation in two weeks, not now when things were still so unstable. Not when she still hated me.

Erik smiled. “I came to meet your queen. Your Oracle invited me. I’m guessing she didn’t tell you?”

I shook my head, but a genuine smile tugged at my lips. It was good to see Erik, no matter the circumstances. Just seeing him made me feel more like myself, balanced and grounded. The wolves who accompanied Erik immediately departed for the kitchens, bowing their heads respectfully when they passed me. Well, that was an improvement. If my mind wasn’t so scattered, I would have wondered about their new attitude. But at the moment, I could barely breathe, and it took everything in me not to follow them and search for Phoebe.

The wolves shoved each other and roughhoused as they rushed off. Lycans were always physically affectionate with each other, especially with their mates. I saw a look of longing flash in Erik’s eyes as he watched his pack mates.Did he miss being one of the pack instead of their king?

Unlike me, Erik experienced three centuries as a prince before becoming king. Three centuries to believe that, barring an extremely unfortunate incident, he mightneverbe king. No one could have predicted the war between vampires and werewolves or how it would end. Immortal kings tended to remain in powerindefinitely. I’d been king for ten thousand years. I knew kings who had worn their crowns long before me, though most resided in other realms.

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