Page 117 of Sold to the Dark Vampire Prince

“Don’t we need to get out there?” Alex began, then stopped short when he saw the other person standing in the room. Finneas Hawthorne turned when they entered, expression bored.

“What are you doing here?”

Lara smirked. “You didn’t really think I would let you remove the cuffs for the ceremony, did you? Like I don’t know you’d try to bolt and humiliate me in front of all our guests on my wedding day.”

“Is this really necessary?” Alex murmured. “Haven’t I done everything you’ve asked of me?”

“That little aberrant witch did a number on you and you’re still not right in the head. If you were, you would be as excited about this day as I am. But it’s not your fault. She did this to you. After she’s found and destroyed, her curse on you will be lifted and things will go back to normal.”

“So why is Finneas here?” Alex hoped she wouldn’t have the guards hit him since he’d already been through makeup. Lara’s rants as of late had grown especially… unhinged.

“He’s going to glamour you. Make the cuffs invisible.” She turned to Finneas. “And I also need it to look like he’s smiling worshipfully at me. Like this is the happiest day of his life and he can’t wait to make me his wife.”

“Anything else?” the fae king asked sarcastically. When Lara glared, he shrugged. “We both know I’m here to see that my prisoners are released. This sick bit of theatre you’re putting on is something else, to say the least.”

Lara’s expression soured. “Just get on with it.”

“We agreed. You release my prisoners, then I perform the glamour.”

“Sorry, but that doesn’t work for me. You could just remove the spell as soon as you have what you came for. The prisoners stay where they are until I’m made queen.”

“That wasn’t what we agreed on.”

“Take it or leave it,” Lara snapped. “We’re running out of time.”

Sighing, Finneas stepped forward. “Sorry, Alex. But I’m sure you understand. These are my people.”

“I understand,” Alex said hoarsely.

He wanted to beg Finneas not to do this, to grab him and take him out of this place, but of course with the cuffs trapping him in place, that was impossible. He felt the tingle of magic shimmering around him. He looked down at his hands, which now appeared unbound. He didn’t understand how the fae illusion worked, how he could still faintly feel the cuffs restraining him, could definitely feel their power draining the energy from his blood, and yet was free to move his arms again for the first time in a month.

Finneas was looking at him intently, almost as if he were trying to silently tell him something. Alex frowned. The fae king stepped back just as a guard burst into the room.

“Your Highness, we’ve had a security incident.”

Lara whirled. “I thought I told you to handle all security issues today. I have more pressing matters to focus on.”

“Yes, Your Highness, but I thought you would want to know… Daniela Girard and Serafina Visconti were just captured trying to bypass the castle wards.”

Lara sucked in a sharp breath. Alex looked to Finneas, whose expression betrayed nothing. A tense moment passed as Lara seemed to debate what to do. He knew she’d thought of nothing else for weeks but confronting Dani. The chance to finally break their mate bond in time for their wedding to go forward would be too tempting to refuse, even if it did mean delaying the ceremony.

“Bring them to me. And get him out of here.” She gestured to Finneas. “He can wait outside.”

“That isn’t how glamour works,” Finneas said mildly. “In order to maintain a glamour, I have to stay physically close to the person or object I’m masking.” He shrugged. “You can put me somewhere else, but Alex’s illusion may not hold.”

She huffed. “Whatever.”

Alex cracked his wrists, flexing against the cuffs. He frowned, feeling something hard digging into the heel of his hand, almost as if he had a dagger sheath strapped to his arm.

Which… should have been impossible.

Careful to appear disinterested, he flexed his shoulders and stretched his arms as if relieved to be allowed a measure of freedom for the first time in a month. While Lara typed something into her phone, he let his right hand skim over his left wrist.

His pulse picked up speed as he felt the outline of a small dagger, one that Finneas must have left for him to find. Obviously, this was the plan, for him to fit the dagger into the lock, release the cuffs when Lara wasn’t looking. Then he could dematerialize out of there. He just needed a few seconds where Lara was distracted.

Carefully he eased the dagger free from the sheath. Dropping it now would be a disaster.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. He glanced down to his hands, but they remained glamoured, appearing to stay clasped in front of him.