Page 74 of Royal Bite
“I think we were able to flush out the majority of the wolves,” Bijou said without looking over at Hegna. She tapped on an area, the northern part of the city limits, on the map.
The tension was thick. Hegna and the warriors had been going nonstop since they’d arrived.
“The few lycans that remain, I believe they are holed up in this area. We burned down the one abandoned warehouse where they had been squatting. The human fire department finally extinguished the fire. The building is not hospitable any longer.”
Hegna stared at the area and nodded. She agreed. It would seem they had another den in town. Once they took care of this threat then she could return to Black Hollow.
“Check the weather reports. I want to know if the sun will be out, and if it’s not, we’re going to hunt during the day. They won’t expect that from us,” Hegna said.
Bijou turned to one of the warriors and jerked her head. He walked over to a desk and took a seat in front of a laptop.
“It’s been a while since we attacked during the day,” Bijou said. She folded her arms in front of her chest. She eyed Hegna and gave an approving nod.
The general never questioned Hegna’s decisions. They had fought by each other’s side for years, and besides her sisters, Hegna would have it no other way.
“We are lucky it’s wintertime,” Hegna said. She already knew what the warrior was going to find before he even turned back to them with the report. Hegna glanced over at him when he spun around in the chair.
“Your Grace. Today’s prediction is cloudy and windy. Wind gusts are expected to come from the northwest,” he stated.
Then it was final. Cloudy in the middle of winter meant they would be safe from the sun’s rays today. With the lycans’ current position, they wouldn’t scent the vampires coming.
“Just what we need.” She eyed the room. Her men would leave now if she ordered it, but that wouldn’t be best. She needed them to be at the top of their game. “We will go hunting. Get a few hours of rest and blood in you.”
They all thumped their chests and bowed slightly before leaving the room.
Bijou assessed Hegna.
“Are you good?” Bijou asked.
Hegna scowled at her friend. Nothing ever escaped her.
“I’m fine,” Hegna grumbled. She moved over to the abandoned chair and took a seat. She rested her feet up on the table and glanced at the computer. She marveled at how they were able to gain information now from something so small and portable. Throughout her years, technology had improving quite dramatically. Her favorite part of living through time periods was the advanced weaponry that got developed.
“You’re looking pale again.” Bijou came over to the table and leaned back against it. Her eyes narrowed on Hegna.
Hegna rolled hers and exhaled loudly. She had been holding back the twinges of pain and focusing on their fight with the lycans. She’d fought just as hard as she always did. Her fangs had been descended for the past two days and refused to go back inside her gums.
“Why didn’t you claim Stormey?” Bijou asked quietly.
“You would have wanted me to claim my mate in the midst of a feeding club? Something that is to be intimate, private, and special in front of a club full of people we don’t know?” Hegna smirked. She may not have wanted a mate but she’d always figured that when she did take one, she would be traditional about it. Her claiming room in her castle had remained unused by her. She’d had employees over the years request to use it when they wanted to claim their mates.
The traditional claiming of one’s mate was similar to a human wedding, only there were no witnesses. It was an intimate ritual, vows, the sharing of blood, and most ended with the two newly bonded mates consummating their union. Afterward, it was said that mates could sense each other. She’d heard rumors some could sense each other’s heartbeat or emotions.
“But you drank from her. You didn’t feel any urge to just continue?” Bijou asked. The look of disbelief was evident on her face.
It had been hard, but Hegna had been trying to refrain from draining Stormey dry. The taste of her mate’s blood was even sweeter than the cream that flowed from her cunt.
“I was too focused on the energy and strength I felt rushing through me while the wound on my shoulder healed completely,” Hegna tried to explain. What she’d experienced was hard to put to words. She had drunk from countless humans, male or female, and it was nothing like what had happened when she’d taken the first sip from Stormey.
“Well then, we must wrap up here and get you back home so you can claim your mate.” Bijou smiled and tapped on Hegna’s boots. She pushed off the table and strode to the door. She paused and glanced back at Hegna. “Take your own advice. Get some rest and blood. I have a feeling we will need it.”
Hegna set the hologram device on the floor of her bunker then moved back to sit on the edge of her bed. She for once took her own advice and was able to sleep for a few hours. Her stomach even allowed her to drink a bag of blood. It was as if her body knew that the quicker she could get home, then she could get to Stormey.
Two figures filled the small area.
Her sisters.
“Where are you?” Velika asked immediately. The youngest of the three sisters never bit her tongue. She scanned the enclosed space with her hard gaze.
