Page 30 of Wolf Queen Ruin
“I find her…fascinating,” I admitted, the truth dragged from some place I hadn’t acknowledged even to myself.“Unpredictable.Alive in ways I’d forgotten could exist.”
Vivienne’s expression hardened, a predatory cold replacing her calculated charm.“You’ve developed feelings for her.”
It wasn’t a question, but the serum compelled an answer anyway.“Yes.”
There it was.The truth.And I’d only known her a few days.How could I have let this happen?Why couldn’t my dead heart stay dead?
When would I learn my lesson not toeverlisten to my fucking feelings?
“Then you’re an even greater fool than I thought,” Vivienne spat.“She’s a disgusting wolf, Damien, whether she has a pack or not.She’sforbidden.Have you learned nothing from what happened in your Summer Court?Do you want this to be a repeat of Theodora?”
The name sent jagged pain through my chest, not from the serum but from memories I’d spent centuries trying to bury.Memories before I was turned, of my wild, carefree fae days, of another woman with honey-gold hair and eyes that challenged emperors.
Of my entire family, bloody and broken.
“Luna is not Theodora,” I managed.
“No, she’s far less worthy.”Vivienne placed her palm against my chest, directly over where my heart no longer beat.“Let me spare you the inevitable pain, darling.”
Magic swirled from her fingertips, the distinctive signature of a glamour.
“You will speak only favorably of me to Luna Rookwood,” she commanded, her voice resonating with power.“You will defend me against any accusation she makes.You will not reveal to anyone that I’ve used Blood Truth or this glamour on you.And when the Vampire Council comes knocking on your door”—she grinned—“you will tell them of your plans to marry me.”
The compulsion settled into my bones, weaving itself into my consciousness.I raged against it internally while my body remained outwardly calm, like a prison of flesh and magic.
“There,” Vivienne said with satisfaction.“Much better.Now, let’s rejoin the festivities before your wolf grows suspicious.”
The glamour allowed me to move, to think clearly now that the serum’s immediate effects were fading.But I knew with terrible certainty that I wouldn’t be able to warn Luna, couldn’t tell her that Vivienne now knew everything about our quest for the Shadow Fang.
The rest of Vivienne’s glamour?I would deal with that later.
As we emerged from the alcove, I spotted Luna across the gallery, still engaged in conversation with Marcel.Her eyes met mine, a question in them that I couldn’t answer.
The irony was exquisite in its cruelty.After centuries of careful control, of keeping everyone at precisely calculated distances, I’d found someone whose company didn’t annoy me.Someone whose sharp edges complemented my own, but still had sunshine bursting from within despite all the darkness she’d faced.
And now I couldn’t even warn her of the danger we were in.
“Shall we?”Vivienne took my arm again, her grip possessive.
“Of course,” I replied, my voice steady despite the bubbling fire beneath my skin.
As we crossed the gallery toward Luna and Marcel, I made a silent vow.The glamour might control what I said about Vivienne, might prevent me from revealing her treachery directly.But I’d navigated vampire politics long enough that I knew about the loopholes in magic, the alternative paths to the truth.
I would find a way to protect Luna, even from myself if necessary.
Because the most disturbing revelation wasn’t what Vivienne had learned.It was what I had been forced to acknowledge.Somehow, in the brief time I’d known her, Luna Rookwood had become more than a means to an end.
She had become essential.
And that made her a dangerous vulnerability.
Chapter nine
Luna
Ididn’tliketheway Vivienne looked at Damien.That look suggested a complex history between the two, the idea of which simmered a strange heat beneath my skin.
“You make a convincing couple,” Marcel said as we strolled between floating displays.“Almost had me fooled.”
