Page 41 of Hitched to the Vampire King

Relief flashed across Lucy’s face, and she nodded. “Good.”

“And Aimee is in the living room, should anyone wish to say anything to her,” Sam finished. With an annoying wink in my direction, he left the kitchen.

I closed my eyes and stretched out my neck. Lucy thought I should apologize, and it looked like Sam did too. I didn’t want to—because no one everwantedto apologize—but I knew they were right. I’d have to do thewerewolfthing and accede to the pack alpha. She wasn’tmyalpha, but we were in her territory and staying in her house.

Lucy nudged me, then jerked her chin toward the living room. I scowled at her and gestured wildly with my hands. To which she jabbed a finger against my chest, then pointed behind me, once again to the living room. I curled a lip and flashed my teeth. She responded by cuffing me upside the back of the head and pointing a little harder.

“Remind me why I wanted siblings again?” I grumbled while rubbing my abused skull.

Lucy merely rolled her eyes, then stomped out of the room.

Sighing like a petulant child, I dragged my feet into the living room, where I found Aimee sitting in a recliner next to a massive bay window. She held a book in her hand, one that she lowered into her lap the second I entered.

From the look in her eyes, she, too, expected an apology. Ugh. There were days I hated that I wasn’t a pack alpha. But alas, I’d chosen the lone wolf lifestyle, content with my friends and family over pack.

Time to get this over and done with.

“Aimee,” I began, hoping my voice sounded at least a little contrite. “I should apologize for earlier. I let my emotions get the best of me. I know you’re just looking out for your pack, and I respect that. It’s just that Gabriel means the world to me. And the thought that he might be involved in this, however improbable that may be…”

I bit back my words before I started arguing with her again. This was meant to be an apology, not another fight, no matter how badly my wolf wanted to go a round of fisticuffs with Aimee.

“What I mean to say is I understand where you’re coming from, truly. We’ve all been through so much, your pack included. And it’s easy to let fear and suspicion take hold. I…reacted poorly, and for that, I apologize.”

Aimee sat up in the chair and placed her book on the living room table. “I think I should apologize as well. I made some unflattering and rude comments. You’re right. I don’t know your mate. And I don’t know your relationship, but I shouldn’t presume that you two don’t know each other simply because it’s only been a few months. That was unkind of me.”

My eyes widened. I’d actually never heard a pack alpha apologize before. Again, not that I knew many. But still. Most alphas seemed to be the belligerent sort who always believed they were right and everyone else wrong.

“If you don’t mind, I’d still like to speak with Gabriel when he wakes. Perhaps you’re right, and he doesn’t know anything about these cages. Or if he does, maybe there’s a perfectly logical reason he kept the knowledge from us. But I would like to have that conversation, regardless.”

My mouth slipped to the side. I wasn’t the most insightful individual, but there was something in her face. Something…displeased. I chuckled at the sight of it. Clearly, neither of us were happy with the situation here. And while I was out walking with Lucy, I had a feeling big brother Sam had words with Aimee.

“Something funny about my request?” she asked.

“No, just this whole situation,” I said, still chuckling. “We’re both feeling a little protective, aren’t we? You of your pack, me of my mate. And I suspect”—I quickly turned and spotted Sam and Lucy, the two of them peeking around the corner into the living room—“we’re both being parented by our siblings.”

Lucy’s eyes widened, and she and Sam darted out of sight.

Mm-hmm, just as I thought.

I turned back and found Aimee shaking her head, an utterly exhausted expression on her face. “It appears so.” Then she met my gaze once more. “I do have one request.”

I braced myself, immediately suspecting I wouldn’t like it.

“When Gabriel wakes for the evening, I would ask that you give him no warning as to what I intend to ask him tonight. I need his honest reaction. That’s all I ask.”

I was right. I didn’t like the request. I hated the thought of ambushing Gabriel. But in the spirit of fairness, I agreed with a sharp nod. At least this way, she would see for herself that Gabriel had nothing to do with this.

ChapterFourteen

Once Aimeeand I reached our ceasefire, I turned and called out, “You can join us in here now.”

Lucy and Sam inched forward, but they weren’t alone. Glued to their sides were Avery, Josh, and Jaden. I lifted my eyebrows when the whole crew—sans one sleeping vampire—assembled in the room.

“Avery just walked in,” Lucy commented, her voice tinged with a hint of amusement, likely directed at Aimee and me. “And these two”—she gestured at Josh and Jaden—“finally decided to join the land of the living.”

Jaden gave a light laugh. “We don’t all have werewolf metabolisms that demand food every second of the day.”

The joke landed well among us, sparking a round of laughter that lightened the mood in the room. It must have been strange for them, finding themselves always surrounded by werewolves and vampires now.

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