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“A fresh start,” Luca agreed. For everyone except Ash and me.
Mikhail knew what he was thinking. “Your time will come, but now you must sacrifice for your people. Let them see you put their needs before your own so that when you ask them to challenge long-held beliefs, they will trust you enough to see her, not what they think she is.
Luca’s shoulders slumped, and he let his grandfather see how much pain and frustration the separation was causing. Having lost his mate long ago, Mikhail understood what being unable to protect the other half of one’s soul did to a dragon.
“Not soon enough, but you’re right. If I’m to be worthy of our people’s trust when I make Ash my wife, I need to do right by them first. How do you deal with the protectiveness? It’s hard to think sometimes. I only get the barest flashes through our mating bond, and they all set my blood boiling with the need to see her and touch her and assure myself that she is alive and well.”
Mikhail patted him on the back. “Your situation is different. You chose a mate who is more than capable of protecting herself.”
“Your mate was a dragon.”
“It didn’t stop Nadya from taking her.”
Luca shook himself and tried to focus his mind on the ceremony ahead. “I’ll think about it later. Right now, I have duties to attend to. I can’t wait to be done with this place.”
He led the way to the throne room, which was packed to capacity. An enormous curtain covered the memorial wall, and a narrow aisle through the center of the room allowed Luca to reach it. Nikoli’s throne was gone.
Luca stood on the dais to greet his people. “It warms my heart to see so many of you here. We have been through so much in a short time, and I believe it is vital to honor those we lost as we remember the mistakes of the past. The tragedy that occurred here can never be allowed to happen again, and one of the best ways to safeguard against that is to remember.
“The effort it took to get to this point so quickly was mind-boggling, and it would not be possible without our people coming together. My sister Viktorija and one of our most precious artisans, Euan Frazier, worked tirelessly to design this memorial.”
Luca gestured at the two responsible and gave the crowd a moment to cheer them before he continued. “I know you didn’t come to hear me speak, so without further ado, Viktorija and Euan, please reveal your masterpiece.”
Viktorija smiled at the alpha. Euan stepped back with a gallant bow and gestured for her to pull the rope that dropped the curtain. Grinning, Viktorija pulled, and the cloth fluttered to the floor.
Luca stepped off the dais and walked far enough away to take in the memorial with everyone else. The formerly empty space now held an intricately carved white marble wall. At the center, Euan had painstakingly etched the names of those who’d fallen to Nikoli’s madness, human and Therian, under a moving inscription.
Fallen to the mad king’s rage on Friday, November 16, 2012, these innocent souls met an end they did not deserve. May their deaths inspire a new Therian age and never be forgotten.
He’d carved a tree on both sides, and their branches formed a canopy over the names. Animals that represented the Therian clans also adorned the piece, facing the center as if they mourned the lost souls, too.
The crowd gasped and cried out as they took in the tribute. Luca was overcome with emotion as he traced the names of his brother, sisters, and other family members. He’d seen the design Euan had presented, but it didn’t do the final piece justice. The wolf had outdone himself, carving the marble into a scene that seemed like it might come to life.
Luca heard people weeping. He too sorrowed for all they had lost, but his duties did not allow him to wallow in his grief. He was grateful since, at the moment, it could have swallowed him whole.
Luca received a surge of love and support through the mating bond. He fought the desire to tear across the world and take her in his arms since his life was now here.
Get hold of yourself, man. You’re the damned king, not a lovesick teenager or an overprotective ass who doesn’t trust her. This is how it has to be for now.
It helped to remember it wasn’t forever. Ash had things to do before she could take her place as his queen, and although it killed him to realize it, she didn’t need his protection. The best thing he could do to help Ash was support Zia’s entrance into Therian society. His people were far more likely to accept a good-natured vampire as a member of his mother’s guard than they were to accept one as their queen.
Time and patience. We’re not short on time, so focus on giving her a strong, balanced kingdom to come home to when the time is right.
Luca went back to the dais and motioned for everyone to quiet down, then ran his hand over Alessandra’s name. “I know you’re all eager to examine Euan’s masterpiece up close. Please find your loved one’s names or say a prayer at your clan’s representation. Honor the fallen as you will.
“Today, we mourn as one, and we take the next step into a brighter future. I hope I will see you all at the new palace later.”
He left the dais, and people surged forward to examine the memorial wall. As he made his way to Euan and Viktorija, Luca caught a strange scent. He recognized it as Therian, but it was unlike anything he’d ever encountered, so he went on alert and scanned the room threats. Viktorija caught the same scent a moment later and stiffened.
A short, thin man approached. He looked bony and frail, but he was light on his feet. The stranger had sandy blond hair and larger-than-normal yellow eyes that seemed to take in everything at once. He stopped a few feet from Luca and bowed deeply. “It appears I have arrived at a time of mourning and celebration. Please, let me offer my deepest condolences for the losses you’ve sustained.”
“Thank you, and welcome, stranger. I don’t recognize your scent. What clan are you from?” Luca asked.
The man smiled. “My people are owls, Your Majesty. My name is Benjamin Sciathian, but please call me Benji if you don’t mind. I’ve come to speak to you on a matter of grave importance, Sire.”
Luca nodded at Viktorija, who was making her way through the crowd with Euan trailing her. “Why don’t we move to somewhere quieter to discuss this, Benji?”
New Therian Palace, Afternoon
