Page 61 of Mated to the Enemy
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“What the hell were you thinking?!”
Klaue held his tongue. It wasn’t a question he expected to answer.
“You were on duty. You are in command of the House Guard while Kirell is away, and what do you do? You engage in some sort of honor fight with a nobody! How the hell are you expected to be able to command anything, or haveanysort of position of power in this House if you aren’t able to behave responsibly?”
Looking down, he felt shame. The Queen was right. More was expected of him than this petty infighting. The Asp had no power, he couldn’t effect any sort of change. Klaue should have let him go with a threat, or simply walked away, as hard as it was.
“I am surprised at you, Klaue.” The Queen strode back and forth in front of him, fury wrought on her normally beautiful features. “Surprised, but moreso, disappointed.”
The word cut like a knife, deflating him.
“I’m sorry,” he said, then stood up straight as she whirled on him.
“Did I tell you to talk?” she snapped, clenching her fists tightly—probably forcing herself not to hit him.
“No, my Queen,” he responded promptly, bowing his head.
Kaelyn was a friend and ear to any in her House, but she was also the Queen, the ruler, and came down like a tidal wave on any who fucked up. And Klaue most certainly hadfucked up. He’d told Korve that it needed to happen, but he hadn’t been thinking properly. He hadn’t been thinking as the Champion of High House Ursa, which he aspired to be. Instead, he’d been thinking simply as Klaue, mate to Jessica.
While it was true Jessica didn’t deserve to be called a Canim slut, when the words came from a nobody, they didn’t mean much of anything in the grand scheme. Now others would likely side against him, those who were neutral, wondering if perhaps there was something bigger going on, based on Klaue’s reaction. They would grow suspicious and he would be forced to fend off even more inquiries into Jessica’s life.
He was about to speak his thoughts on the matter to the Queen, to show his ruler that he wasn’t just acting chagrined but was truly thinking the matter through from multiple angles. But before he could, the doors slammed open and Jessica ran into the Queen’s office. A harried-looking member of the Queen’s Own followed, giving his personage an apologetic look that said, “what was I supposed to do, stab her?” Klaue tried not to chuckle. He knew full well Jessica’s forceful personality wasn’t easily brushed aside.
“Queen…uh,” Jessica paused, unsure of how to address her. “Your Majesty,” she said instead, choosing the more neutral route. “I must protest any punishment being given here. This is not Klaue’s fault.”
The Queen arched an eyebrow at Klaue that Jessica couldn’t see, then turned to face the newcomer. “It wasn’t?”
Jessica shook her head. “No. It’s mine.”
“Is it now?”
“Yes. I caused it.” Jessica was adamant.
Klaue felt his face growing warm as his mate came to his defense. There was literally nothing she could do, but she was trying. She was trying to help him, in whatever way she could think of. Klaue wasn’t sure he’d ever felt more cared for by someone other than his parents in that moment.
“You caused Klaue to kick a couch across a room, and beat the piss out of some sycophant asshole just looking to kiss some ass for a sprinkle more power?”
“I provoked him into it,” Jessica insisted.
“How did you do that?” The Queen’s angry demeanor was fading, and she glanced over at Klaue, but he didn’t have any answers. Whatever was going on here was news to him as well.
“By withholding information from all of you. Please though, if anyone is going to get in trouble, it should be me.” Jessica hesitated, then stood tall, spine straight, meeting the Queen’s eyes without hesitation. “Kick me out if you must, but don’t punish Klaue for this. I don’t want him to suffer for me.” Her voice dropped to the barest whisper. “Enough others already have.”
Klaue frowned, but Kaelyn beat him to the punch, the Queen speaking up first.
“Kick you out? My dear, if I kicked someone out every time they started a dumb fight, there wouldn’t be anyone left in the House!” She laughed. “No, you won’t be going anywhere. I’m mad at him for not knowing better.”
“You won’t?”
Klaue wanted to walk across the floor to his mate, to hold her, but he knew that this was important. If Jessica was going to stay here in House Ursa with him, as his mate, she needed to learn just who she was working with, to learn to trust others as well as him. Kaelyn was one of the best things to come out of the uprising, and often, Klaue felt that many of his House didn’t deserve her rule. Now, Jessica would learn how lucky Ursa had been when she survived and ascended to the throne.
“No, my dear.” Kaelyn walked over to Jessica and put an arm around her. “You must understand though, that it is your refusal to explain the mystery surrounding Canis and yourself that is putting Klaue in this position.”
“I know that,” Jessica said a little defensively.
“If you could trust Klaue, then things would be different. They could change. We could help you, my dear.”
