Page 229 of Night's Fall
He cut me off. “Askmy mother about that.I’veno fucking clue what you should do about it.”
With that, he prowled out of the bathroom and into the closet.
SeemedPrinceAlekseigot cranky when he didn’t get decent sleep.
Understandable.
Especially after yesterday.
I fit myDenti-Cleanin my mouth and hovered over the basin so the water that often dribbled out didn’t wet my nightgown.Aquick donning of theUltraPainton cleanse setting, and thenIheaded to the closet.
Aleksei was wearing suit trousers, shoes and buttoning a light-blue shirt.
I wanted to ask about what he’d learned when he’d been called away last night, but other pressing things were at hand, soIasked about that instead.
“Okay,Iwas also wondering if maybeIcould go to this meeting with you this morning,”Iqueried.
“No,” he replied.
I waited for him to say more.
He did not.
This made my head titch. “Just…no?”
“These are affairs of state,Laura.”
“I’m aware,”Ireplied.Butyesterday, a femaleIliked and respected dropped dead beside me after taking a stream for me or taking it to manipulate my mate and his realm.SoI’dkinda like to be in the know about what’s happening,Idid not say.
“TheMasquewill go on,” he announced. “Securitywill be heightened, of course.Youbeing here at thePalaceand available, with nothing else to do, can helpMomwith that.”
I couldn’t get into his mentioning theMasquewould go on, somethingIwasn’t sure was a good idea, but it also wasn’t my choice, nor didIsuspectIhad any say in the matter.
No,Ihad to dive into the other thing.
“Help your mother with theMasque?”Iasked like he said,HelpMomdig up the entire garden and replace the flowers with rutabagas.
He stopped shrugging on his suit jacket and asked in return, “AmIspeaking the old language and you aren’t following?”
My beast curled into herself, his swelled, andItried not to get angry.
Aleece had told me last night thatAnthemehad been onAleksei’sdetail for three years.
I’d known her weeks.Andas mentioned, it wasAlekseihimself who appointed her head of my team.
Thus, he liked and respected her too, soIhad to give him some room to grieve.
AndMr.Truelockhad warned me to be cautious withAlekseinow.
I’d already learned that lesson, butIdidn’t quite know how to balance being supportive to him in his loss and cautious with him considering his mood.
In this vein,Ithought it was safe to request, “You’llbrief me on what’s said?”
I was wrong about it being safe.
“HaveIbeen keeping anything from you?” he asked sharply.
“Honey,”Isaid softly, “I’mtrying to be there for you.”
