Page 44 of Betrayed Mate

Even though the last thing I wanted was my body pressed against his, I despised that I didn’t hate the feel of it. In fact, my heartbeat quickened a little too much. I took a deep breath, trying to control my reaction. If this was what it took to stay with the four of them, so be it. I’d feel safer with them than anywhere else here, a fact which spoke volumes.

“As you wish.” The woman clasped her hands together. “We’ll have cooked meat ready for you after the meeting.”

The four of them spun around and hurried into the house, leaving the door wide open.

We entered a gigantic foyer with a staircase that twisted to the second floor and a massive window showcasing the mountains behind the mansion. A table to the left was decorated with four lamps and a Gothic black cross that towered in the middle.

Raven turned right and led us through an archway into a massive office almost the size of my entire house.

The interior walls were made of stone, and there was a huge television in the center of the wall directly across from the entrance. A colossal dark cherry table sat in the center in front of it, and three vampires stood at the other end, each holding a cup filled with a dark-red liquid.

The coppery smell of blood hit my nose, informing me exactly what the liquid was.

My stomach rumbled, and Gage stepped closer to me, probably sensing my discomfort. I tried to keep my legs steady as Raven nodded to the two women and the man, who wore an all-black suit.

The taller woman’s russet-brown eyes focused on me, and her forehead creased. The shorter blonde woman tilted her head. The man pursed his lips and said, “Why is there another wolf shifter here?”

The hairs on the back of my neck rose in warning as my wolf eased forward.

“She came with us,” Ryker rasped.

Xander and Kendric angled themselves in front of me as if the vampires were preparing to attack us.

“The queen didn’t mention another shifter being allowed here.” The brown-eyed woman wrinkled her nose and removed a dagger from a sheath at her side. “Only the Grimstone pack is allowed here, and she isn’t part of it.”

“Calm down.” Raven laughed a little too loudly. “I informed the guards at the gate that they could let her through.”

The blonde, who appeared to be in her thirties, snarled, “You may have more power than most, but not even you have that authority, Raven. She needs to leave, or we’ll make her. She doesn’t have permission to be here. If we’d been alerted—”

“If she leaves, so do we.” Ryker laced his voice with alpha will, though it wouldn’t make the vampires submit to him. Still, their heads jerked back, proving they could feel the power he possessed. “And we won’t give yourqueenan update.”

Animosity hung thick in the room, making it hard to breathe. Clearly, not all the vampires liked us being here.

“Are you sure you want to make an enemy of Queen Ambrosia?” the blonde woman spat, setting her glass on the table. “Because I’ve been dying to sink my fangs into you and rip out your throat.”

Letting me go, Ryker inched in front of me in a protective stance. “Just make the first move so I can defend myself.”

“Gladly.” The blonde laughed then blurred toward us.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The Grimstone boys moved together, blocking me from the blonde vampire. I gritted my teeth, not liking that they believed they had to protect me. My wolf inched forward, fueling my body with some of her strength since we didn’t have time to shift.

My legs moved quicker than ever before, and I sprang forward, shoving my way between Ryker and Gage just as the blonde vampire reached us. She seemed to move at quick human speed instead of vampire, and she now held her dagger in her hands, utilizing her momentum to swipe the blade toward Ryker.

No!

I punched her in the jaw just as a commanding voice shouted, “Stop!”

The blonde’s head jerked as she stumbled several steps back and slashed air with her blade.

A gasp sounded behind me, and the reality of what I’d just done began to sink in. But if I hadn’t, Ryker would’ve been injured, if not killed. Still, I’d never moved that quickly before…

“What in theworldis going on?” the voice demanded, causing all the vampires except the blonde to freeze and cast their gazes at the television.

My ears rang, and my pulse thudded in my neck.

It had to be the vampire queen.

---