Page 67 of The Forgotten Princess

“Maybe my heart is racing because of our embrace.” I smile sweetly at him.

“I know you better than that.” He backs away, but he slides one hand down my arm, intertwining our fingers together. “My brother is waiting for us.”

With Devin by my side, we head toward the living room. It feels strange to be invited to an Alpha Council meeting. Dark fae have historically been one of the supernaturals that keep to themselves the most. As times change, it makes sense for supernaturals to ban together. We’re all stronger when we back one another up.

Devin and Damian make small talk as we head toward the castle. It’s dark out, but the castle is illuminated. Since it’s after curfew, all the students are in their rooms. I’ve never seen it this quiet before. We pull up at the same time as King Sanguis. I take a deep breath to keep myself from reacting.

King Sanguis is the vampire king. They’re possibly the only supernaturals more isolated than the dark fae. They’ve managed to stay out of every conflict, though it may be because they’re a relatively new supernatural. The first vampires were created just over three hundred years ago. They’re not immortal like most human fiction seems to portray, but they are long lived compared to humans, like most supernaturals.

“King Sanguis.” Damian nods at him. “Nice to see you.”

He nods at Damian, but his eyes quickly lock onto mine. “Queen Hastings, it’s an honor.”

My breath gets caught in my throat at the title. It’s strange—I’m still not used to it.

“It’s Tori.” I extend a hand to him.

He accepts my handshake, firmly grasping my fingers. His hand is cold to the touch, which I should have expected. His eyes seem to glow as he studies me, his head cocked to the side. I don’t know enough about vampires to know what is normal for them.

“Tori,” he repeats my name. “You’re an interesting creature. A hybrid dark fae, elemental, and wolf shifter, correct?”

As he lets go of my hand, I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear and nod at him. “Yes, King Sanguis.”

His dark, glowing eyes study me for a second longer, making me feel a tad uncomfortable. But he eventually breaks eye contact and turns to greet Damian and Devin. I let out a breath, thankful that he’s turned his intense gaze away from me.

Damian and King Sanguis walk ahead of us. Devin hangs back, keeping a grip on my hand. He nudges me with his elbow, so I look into his green eyes.

“Are you okay?” Devin inquires.

I nod. “Yeah. I’m just feeling overwhelmed. A lot has changed in a short amount of time. I’m still trying to come to terms with the whole queen thing.”

Devin nods. “It’s a lot.”

I grin. “Though, if I am a queen, I guess that makes you my king.”

His eyes widen a fraction. “I didn’t think about that.”

“Alphaandking,” I grin at him. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

He stays quiet, making me think he’s still processing my words.

It is a lot to think that together we are responsible for two species of supernatural creatures. Though the dark fae are relatively small in number compared to wolf shifters. Wolf shifters are known for their large families. Meanwhile, dark fae numbers get smaller with each generation. It’s not a problem yet, but if things don’t change, dark fae could go extinct in a few generations. It’s why we have to stop King Hastings. I can’t allow him to wipe my race out of existence.

“I get why you are so freaked out now about the whole queen thing.” Devin takes a step back. “I’ve trained my whole life to be alpha, so I’ve naturally come to terms with my future as a leader. But somehow knowing I’ll also be helping lead another supernatural race makes me feel nervous.”

His nerves only add to my, twisting my stomach.

I take a deep breath, trying to push away the feeling.

“Sorry.” Devin grabs ahold of my hand and brings my fingers up to his lips and gently kisses them. “I keep accidentally forcing my emotions on you.”

I lean closer to him. “Devin, it’s okay. We’re still figuring out how to be together. And I’m the first dark fae you’ve ever interacted with. We have our whole life to figure this out. Besides, I like knowing what you’re feeling. When we first met, I felt like you were so good at hiding your true feelings.”

“No more hiding,” Devin promises.

He leads me inside. As soon as the doors open, I am hit with a rush of power.

There are alotof alphas here. And I feel completely out of my league. I’m just a dark fae—I don’t belong here with all these shifters.

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