Page 18 of Mated to the Enemy
Kaelyn smiled. She really was very charming. Maybe some of the stories Jessica had heard were embellished a bit.
“It’s settled then,” Kaelyn said, giving them both a little smile. “I just wanted to come see how you were doing. I’ll leave the two of you to it.”
Jessica almost asked “to what”, but the Queen was already moving on. Jessica watched as she transformed into her regal persona to talk to another group of shifters who were waiting to talk to her.
“Come on then.”
She blinked as something big and fleshy blocked her vision. Refocusing, she saw it was Klaue’s arm. He was offering it to her. “Where are we going?” she asked, not taking him up on the offer.
“My quarters.”
She was about to start walking, but paused. His quarters? Why were they going back there? If he truly thought she was just going to let herself be taken to bed like that, Klaue was sorely misinformed and she would behappyto let him know it. Here. In front of everyone.
“Because I want to shower and put on some other clothes. Then I figured we’d go get something to eat, and after that, maybe you can cough up some more details.”
“Like what?” Jessica doubted that would happen.
“Like how you as a human somehow know about the shifter world, but aren’t mated to someone. Or what it is you did that made Canis so angry with you? If we didn’t enjoy antagonizing those hidebound inbred mutts so much, we probably would have thrown you out by now.” Klaue started walking as he talked, forcing her to join him if she wanted to hear the rest of what he had to say.
“I told you, I know about your world,” she said.
“Yeah, I heard you the first time. I also heard how you didn’t provide a single detail onhowyou know about us.” He scratched his head. “You know, it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours and we’ve already received several messages from Canisrequestingthat we turn you over to them.”
She highly doubted they were requests. Probably more like thinly-veiled threats and demands.Still, they’ve turned them down so far, which means they’re more willing to keep you than Klaue is letting on. Otherwise, I would have been summoned before a more formal setting I think.
Still, theywereprotecting her, and doing so without anything to go on. Maybe there was something she could give them. Jessica knew if she continued to say nothing at all, they would eventually tire of her and probably give her up. She had to keep Klaue on her side. If that meant giving him some information to lead him on, so be it. She would do anything.
“My sister is mated to someone in Canis,” she said at last.
Klaue’s head snapped round like a robot, his blue eyes cold, focused. “Are you a spy?” he growled.
She ignored the ridiculous question. “We were together when we found out about the shifters. About seven years ago. I’ve had time to adapt, to realize I wasn’t going crazy. It was really an accident.” Jessica shrugged helplessly, wondering why she was being adamant about it. “Though, seeing the true nature of it all again last night was the first pointed reminder in a long time that I’m part of a vastly different world than the one I tend to think of on a regular basis.”
Klaue chuckled. “If only humans knew the half of it. They would be so freaked out and panicked. Shifters are bad enough, but wait until they discover magic, or that vampires used to exist. Heck, if the Fae ever make it back into our realm, then things would getreallywonky.”
Jessica frowned. “Those arereal?”
“Fairies? Oh sure. I think. They haven’t been seen in a long time, but once upon a time, they existed.” Klaue smiled grimly. “There’s a lot out there that humanity either doesn’t know, or doesn’twantto know about. They prefer to live blindly, to ignore it. It’s easier that way for them.”
“Can I ask you a question?” she said as he pushed open the door to his quarters and held it for her to pass.
“Sure. Fire away.”
“How did you come to be outside last night? Then you were also assigned to look over me, how is that?”
“Ahhhhhhh.”
Jessica looked up in surprise. She’d never heard Klaue stammer like that. What the hell? Why was he going bright red too?
“Klaue, is everything okay?”
“Yup,” he said tightly. “I was just out there, um, going for a walk.”
“A walk.”
He nodded. “Yup. A walk. I’m gonna shower now.”
Then he turned and fled into the bathroom.
My, my, my, Klaue. I’m not the only one hiding secrets, now, am I?
