Page 75 of Mated to the Enemy
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Word had gotten out about his foul mood. Shifters of all shapes hurried out of his way as he stalked the hallways, none of them eager to test his temper. Even those who might not normally care what he had to say avoided him. Everyone feared he might snap and attack them next.
Approaching the Grand Hallway, he didn’t notice the sudden absence of people. The only ones remaining were the pair of Queen’s Own. The two guardsmen were flanking the large double doors that led to the Throne Room. Klaue, on the other hand, was halfway down, staring idly at a tapestry stuck to the wall that depicted the short-lived shifter-Ogre alliance. Apparently, Ogres didn’t understand the word ‘alliance’. He snorted in disdain.
Two days had passed since he’d made the promise to Jessica that he would get her sister back. Two days had passed and not a single smart idea had come to him. The fuse on his temper was growing shorter by the second. He was failing his mate with every minute that went by in which he didn’t come up with a plan. It didn’t matter that nobody else had either, because it was his responsibility.
The memorial services for the two men lost on the raid with him had been held yesterday, and he hadn’t emerged from his funk since. Jessica had finally snapped on him and kicked him out of their quarters, banishing him to prowl the hallways for his next victim.
She probably hopes I’ll get my ass kicked out here and stoop brooding.
He was brooding, and there was no denying it. Klaue was aware of how he was acting, but he just didn’t care. Until he could get Jessica’s sister out from the clutches of House Canis, he wouldn’t be satisfied. Not just because it was the right thing to do, but because if he didn’t, then he knew he would never truly have Jessica. Not completely.
Having his mate so close, to share the same bed with her, and yet to know she was still closed off to him was a pain that Klaue was unable to bear. It weighed heavily on his shoulders, and the only thing that could lift it was to rescue Zoe.
“I just need an idea,” he growled, resting one arm on the wall next to the tapestry and bowing his head, willing it to come to him. Something.Anythingthat didn’t involve a full-fledged assault on Canis.
He’d come up with a dozen plans, but none of them was feasible or realistic. They’d had one shot, and they’d fucked it up.
No, you fucked it up. You didn’t plan well enough for a known variable. By assuming that Kvoss would have the mage on the run, you doomed your raid from the start. You should have workedwithKvoss.
Hindsight had perfect vision, however, and there was nothing Klaue could do about that now. He had to get sneakier. Smarter.
And just then, he felt extremely stupid.
“Klaue.”
He looked up as Kasperi approached.
“The Queen wants to see you. In the Throne Room.”
Waving a hand, he stood up. “Yeah, okay. I’ll be there soon.”
“Immediately,” Kasperi said urgently.
“I’m fucking going,” he snarled, standing up tall.
The other shifter didn’t even flinch. “You might want to go a little faster. There’s a Canis Ambassador in there with her.”
Klaue jerked in surprise. “What?” He turned and started walking down the Grand Hallway toward the entrance.
How the hell did one of them get in there without me noticing? I’m standing between the entrance and the Throne Room.
They must have just missed each other. He glanced at the big thick doors, wooden paneled with steel inlays underneath for security.
“Told you,” Kasperi said, just a bit smugly.
“Since when are you the Queen’s errand boy?” he fired back.
Kasperi fell in step with him, not fazed at all by Klaue or his temper. Respect for him grew quickly. This was a good addition to the House.
“I’m not. I was in there with her and Kvoss. I’m to start training under him to take down mages.” Kasperi shrugged. “I guess they heard about what I did during the raid with that magic scarf…”
“I told them,” Klaue confirmed. “What of it?”
“Of telling them? Nothing,” Kasperi said. “It was the fact that I almost beat you in our Trial, and then somehow I’m the only one who ends up with a magicscarf, of all the artifacts we took.”
Klaue smiled sweetly. “Whatever are you getting at?”
