Page 72 of Furever Loyal
From her chair, Kaelyn responded. “He is here because of a concerning issue.”
“Concerning who?” Laurien drawled.
Normally, Kincaid would have been irate over the casual dismissal coming from the Canim King, but his attention was solely focused forward, on Laurent, who sat in his chair with a smug smile on his face. Was he so confident in the protection of his King that he believed himself untouchable?
Kincaid was worried that he might be right. Even with the evidence the Queen was preparing to show the rest of the Council if Canis stuck together, there was quite literally nothing they could do.
To Laurent, he thought, letting a confident smile spread slowly across his face, watching as Laurent slowly focused on him.That’s right, wonder why I don’t look terrified, why I’m not panicking. Wonder and worry, you useless prick. Two can play your game.
“I bring a complaint forward against Laurent Canis,” Kaelyn said formally. “I accuse him of purposefully tampering in the business of High House Ursa, including the forceful abduction of the mate of our Hunter.”
Although Kincaid had been informed by his Queen beforehand that she would use the title to which he wasn’t yet fully entitled, to hear it spoken aloud was something else. Despite the gravity of the situation and Haley’s unknown status, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride at what he’d accomplished.
Now to ensure that it doesn’t end up meaning jack shit.
Because, as proud as Kincaid might be of himself, if he couldn’t share it with Haley, then it would all be for naught. He would cast it aside in a heartbeat if that’s what it took to bring her back to him safely.
“Do you have any evidence to present?” Laurien said, sitting up a little straighter at the gravity of Kaelyn’s words.
Kincaid was simply there because he was involved. He wouldn’t speak much, it wasn’t his place, but he knew that accusing a Title Holder of one House of abducting the mate of another Title Holder wasn’t something to wave away, even for the Viceroy.Thatwas why the Queen had chosen to address Kincaid that way.
“I do.” Kaelyn motioned and one of her aides started a video playing on a screen on the far left wall. It was of Krawll.
Kincaid watched not the video, but Laurent. He watched the man begin to squirm as Krawll detailed every bit of the plan that he’d learned. By setting Krawll up to be eliminated by Kincaid, Laurent had created an enemy out of him. Krawll had only been too willing to spill his guts in exchange for a stay on his life.
The video ended and all eyes turned to the King of High House Canis. Laurien sat in his chair, no longer resting lazily on one arm, impatiently waiting for the session to be over. Now he sat upright, his thick black eyebrows knitted together as fierce jade eyes glared at Laurent.
Kincaid didn’t need to be a mind-reader to know that Laurien was verbally castrating his idiotic Reaver. There was no way around it. The King knew what had to be done.
“Do you have this man’s mate?” the King asked, his voice cold and harsh.
Laurent, by comparison, was beginning to panic. Beads of sweat rolled down his cheek and he fidgeted. “Ido not!” he shouted back.
“Liar,” Kincaid hissed, speaking for the first time. He took one step forward but stopped there, visibly restraining himself from taking another stride. Now was not the time for this. They had planned for it. He couldn’t screw it up now.
“I demand that you deal with this,” Kaelyn said. “If you will not, then Ursa shall.”
Kincaid kept his face neutral only through years of experience. Kaelyn hadnottold him she was prepared to go that far. By announcing so publicly that Ursa would handle the matter if Laurien did not, she was essentially announcing a death threat upon Laurent’s head. If the King chose to protect him, that would mean outright hostilities between the Houses.
Ursa was not ready for any sort of conflict, not on that level. Too many had died during the uprising, and they still had to uncover the true mastermind of that plot. Kincaid stared at his Queen, urging her not to push the situation. He would handle it on his own if need be. Disavowed, stripped of all support and protection.
He would find his mate no matter the cost and save the rest of Ursa from bearing his own burden.
Fearful that he might be forced to such a position, Kincaid’s head slowly swung around to look at the Viceroy, to wait for his decision. It wasn’t long in coming, thankfully.
“You leave me no choice, Laurent.” The Canim King drew himself up, sitting straight back in his chair. “I hereby relieve you of your position as Reaver of High House Canis and strip you of your seat on this Court. You will see to it that this man’s mate is returned to him.” Laurien glared coldly across the distance. “Now, get the hell out of my sight.”
A rustle ran around the room as Laurent fled, formal robes flapping. Kincaid tried not to snort at the sight. Most of the people in the room wore suits or, in the case of a couple of the older women, dresses. Laurent was such a pompous ass, he’d had actual robes done up to signify his position.
Kincaid watched him go, a predatory look on his face. The King may not have been happy about what he’d been forced to do, but everyone knew he’d been aware of what Laurent was doing. Kaelyn had threatened war, and he’d caved. There was no way that would be good for the relations between the two great Houses, but there was nothing Kincaid could do about that now.
Or at least… He could do nothing but find his mate, and deal with a member of High House Canis who no longer enjoyed the same protections he had several minutes earlier. Now, he was just a commoner. He was vulnerable. Once Kincaid caught up with him, Laurent was going to pay the price. It was why he’d fled so hastily, attempting to get back to safety before Kincaid came after him.
At a nod from his Queen, Kincaid left the chamber at a slow walk. His part in the business was finished, and anything else they had to discuss didn’t concern him, although Kincaid suspected all parties would probably seek to adjourn. It wasn’t often that a Title Holder was so efficiently stripped of his power against the wishes of that House’s leader.
Laurien had to be furious, and Kincaid suspected retaliation was coming.
Kincaid’s own priority was to find Haley. To free her. There was so much that had gone unsaid between the two of them, and Kincaid wanted to fix that. Heneededto fix it. He desperately wished that he’d made more use of the time they’d already had together. Being open with his emotions wasn’t something that came easily to him, but he wasn’t the locked safe that many of his comrades were. It was time for him to show that to her, to show Haley that not onlycouldhe address those issues, but that with her, hewantedto.
