Page 46 of Hitched to the Vampire King

I nodded, a small smile playing on my lips despite the weight of tonight’s agenda. “Yep.”

“And you’re not going to run to him with your arms wide open and neck exposed?” she teased. “Don’t think I didn’t notice that little love bite this morning.”

I chuckled. It was healed now, but yeah, there’d been a small mark and lingering bruise this morning when I’d ventured downstairs for breakfast. “No. I promised Aimee I wouldn’t speak to him before she had the chance. And as much as it grates on me, I think it’d be best if I let her question him without any interference on my behalf. She’ll see soon enough that he had no knowledge of the cages or the warehouse, and then she’ll put this whole matter to rest.”

“Let’s hope so,” Lucy said.

Footsteps hit the top of the stairs, soon echoed by a second pair of footsteps coming from the kitchen. I tensed, my stomach a knotted mess of nerves and anxiety.

“Showtime,” Lucy muttered, her voice a mix of dread and sarcasm.

I drew a deep breath, trying to steady myself, as I stood up. Lucy rose next to me and gripped my hand, more as a means of restraining me rather than comforting me, I suspected.

Aimee made her entrance, scanning the room briefly before fixing her gaze on the staircase. Gabriel appeared shortly after, pausing on the last step. Our eyes met, and he frowned, clearly confused by the tension humming in the air like a charged current.

Lucy’s grip on me tightened—a silent reminder for me to behave. I could almost hear her voice in my head, telling me not to move.

“Evening,” Gabriel said, his attention briefly shifting to Aimee, who positioned herself in front of him. “You must be Aimee?”

She nodded. “We haven’t been formally introduced yet. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Indeed,” he said, his hand outstretched toward her.

After a brief handshake that could only be described as diplomatic, Aimee gestured to the living room. “If you wouldn’t mind taking a seat, I have some questions for you.”

Gabriel frowned. “What’s all this about?”

“Just a chat,” Aimee insisted with eerie calmness.

A surge of protectiveness welled within me, an instinctual need to be by his side, but Lucy wrenched me back—a move Gabriel didn’t miss. His gaze dropped to Lucy’s and my joined hands, and his frown deepened.

He searched my face for answers, and with ground teeth, I forced myself to nod. The sooner they did this, the sooner it would be over. After a prolonged moment of silence, he entered the living room and took a seat across from Aimee.

“Lucy, if you and Maddie would give us the room, please,” Aimee requested.

I jolted, my attention leaping to Aimee. “Wait, what?”

Aimee had never said I could attend her questioning, but I’d presumed I would be there. Her intention to sideline me struck a nerve. After all, it was one thing to question Gabriel, but banishing me from the room was a whole other thing. My allegiance wasn’t to her, and I didn’t appreciate her attempt to assert dominance over me. She wasnotmy alpha, nor was she my friend. If she thought?—

“Come on, Maddie,” Lucy murmured, tugging me toward the kitchen.

“No, I never agreed to this.”

Gabriel was back on his feet in an instant, clearly sensing my discomfort. Honestly, I wasn’t sure why her request upset me. It wasn’t like she planned to stake him. And even if she did, he would hardly allow her to. After her questioning, everything would return to normal, which is what I wanted. So, why did I want to punch her in the face? Again?

“What’s going on?” Gabriel demanded.

“It’s nothing,” Lucy assured him. “Aimee just wants to talk to you about the cages and the warehouse. And she doesn’t want Maddie here to influence your answers.”

Aimee rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed by tonight’s theatrics.

Gabriel’s expression transformed from confusion to understanding, his gaze softening as he looked at me. “Ah, I see,” he said, nodding. “It’s okay, luv. A few questions won’t kill me.”

I growled something incomprehensible.

Gabriel chuckled, then approached me and cupped my cheeks, kissing me softly. “Really, luv. I’m perfectly fine. I’m not scared of the big bad wolf.”

I nearly snorted at the look of pure arrogance on his face.

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