Page 79 of The Crownless King
“She’s in our room resting,” he told her, and she rushed from the dining room.
That left him alone with Richard. The older vampire eyed him. It was clear that while he respected Levi, he wasn’t awed byhis position. Richard was master vampire of his own coven and that could well be the reason.
“I would feel better with my mate away from here. I believe the Collective will only ramp up their attacks,” Richard said, breaking the silence.
Levi nodded. “You could be right, but Amaya and her mom have been a duo for years. Breaking that up won’t be easy.”
Richard sighed and slid down the chair into a more relaxed position. “I can take her out of the country. Her daughter wouldn’t object to a vacation.”
“It could work.” Levi shrugged. “Are you certain you can keep her safe?”
Richard gave him a droll look. “What will you do about the attacks?”
That was too close to being in his business for Levi’s comfort, so he said nothing. Richard chuckled and propped his arms on the table.
“If you’re thinking of taking on the Collective, you’ll have more allies than not.” The older male shifted until he was leaning back with his hands behind his head. “Your reputation well precedes your movements. If you were of a mind to unite all of the Bayi under your rule, it could be done.”
Levi grunted. Despite the moniker, he wasn’t sure he wanted to be King ofallthe Bayi, but the Collective wasn’t giving him any choice in the manner. He couldn’t in good conscience claim his mate and then deny that same right to the other vampires in the South.
“That’s a lot of territory,” he said noncommittedly.
Richard smiled. “All of the South. Not so bad. Uniting the coven masters and leaving them in place will keep you from having to manage the whole of it.”
Now that was something to consider. He would talk to Sebastian about it. He didn’t move without his best friend and if he were down, then he would take it under advisement.
“And you, master vampire, decades older than me, would willingly follow behind me.” Levi tested the water.
“As I said, your reputation and that of your enforcers precede you. I would never say no to the vampires under me living a stable, lucrative life.”
“And all of that is contingent on my coven taking on the Collective?”
Richard chuckled. “We’re just talking in hypotheticals, right? But without the Collective choking our movements, the Bayi would be free.”
“And hypothetically, the vampires would exchange one rule for another?”
Richard held up his hands. “Just something for you to consider.”
Levi nodded. The rest of their conversation was cut off as the dining room started to fill with his men coming down for the evening. He acknowledged Richard with another head bob before he left to go check on his mate. Ms. Anita was coming out of the room as he reached his hallway.
She smiled. “She’s fine.”
“Of course,” he assured her.
Anita touched his shoulder softly as she passed him to head downstairs. He waited until she reached the end of the hallway before he entered his room. His mate was up, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
“Anita tell you she was ready to go with her mate?”
She nodded. “I tried to tell her that it would be safer here.”
He chuckled and joined her in bed. “You have to let your mama live her life, baby doll.”
She burrowed into his side and sniffled. “She thinks she’s grown.”
He laughed full out, pulling her on top of him. “Silly woman,” he murmured, kissing her hair.
“You have to go to work this evening?” she asked.
“You got a better reason for me to stay home?” He lowered his voice, scraping his teeth along her neck.
