Page 149 of Plug and Claim

Or so it felt as she followed him into the forbidden corridor. The cramped narrow space filled her with dread, and as they approached his office door, every one of her hairs stood on end. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t grasp what it was, only that she felt like she was walking into a trap.

The door was slightly open. Frowning, Nathaniel swung it open, and they entered cautiously.

Nathaniel stopped dead in his tracks, and she nearly collided with him. Sliding past, she froze when she saw the fear etched on his face, and she followed his gaze to the tall armchair behind his desk.

It swivelled around, revealing a man whose face she’d only ever seen on banners and tapestries.

A chill ran down her spine.

King Henrikk was even more formidable than his son. He had the same ice-blond hair, but he radiated cold hostility like Nathaniel never had; the chill seeping into her until her body felt rigid. Instead of Nathaniel’s square jaw, his chin was long and pointed, and he had a thin, sharp moustache that reminded her of a curved blade. His eyes were different too: the irises pale and colourless as if the life had been sucked out of them, blending with the milky-white of his eyes to emphasise the stark blacks of his pupils.

King Henrikk did not speak, but he gave a small smile as his sharp gaze studied them. Kira sensed whoever spoke first would lose.

Nathaniel lost.

“Father? What are you doing here?” There was a note of fear in his voice. “I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”

“And yet, here I am,” Henrikk replied, his voice smooth and sticky like treacle, dangerous enough to entrap them both. “A little bird told me you gave your blood to a female wolf, and I came to see if it was true.”

His unspoken question hung in the air, his pupils darting with interest between Nathaniel and Kira. His tiny erratic movements giving her the impression that he was only a heartbeat away from either chortling in good humour or committing murder.

“It’s true,” Nathaniel said, lifting his chin. “She was injured and close to dying.”

“She was injured and close to dying,” Henrikk repeated softly, interlacing his hands. ‘How noble. And wasteful.”

“One of our kind bit her,” Nathaniel continued matter-of-factly, and Kira felt a surge of pride at how calm he was. “A wolf murder by our kind, especially of a school student, would only shake people’s confidence in the Crown.”

“Your sympathy for the wolves is far more damaging to the Crown, as is your apparent weakness.” Henrikk said, his voice turning jagged like a knife’s edge. He gestured at Nathaniel. “You look worse than I feared. You gave far too much blood.”

Nathaniel’s lips pressed into a flat line, and Kira knew he was thinking of Barbara. He’d given blood to not only one person, but two.

“I’ll be fine in a day or two.” Nathaniel said. “I just need to feed.”

“See that you do. Yesterday, you were my son, the prince. Today, you are a disappointment.”

Nathaniel winced, and Kira opened her mouth to speak in his defence, but he gave his head a quick shake.

“Leave,” Nathaniel said to her in an undertone.

“Ah,” said Henrikk, rising from his chair and acting as if he’d only just noticed Kira. “Is this the wolf you’ve been training? Well, well, well…I’ve heard a few things about her.”

Kira’s blood curdled as the Vampire King rounded the desk, but to her relief, he merely perched himself on the edge.

“Tell me, Nathaniel, is she tractable?”

Nathaniel did not answer, and Kira growled on instinct, suppressing the urge to morph so she could snarl properly.

“She’s got a nasty growl.” Henrikk shook his head in disappointment, but his lips curved in a smile as he eyed her. As she stared into his lifeless eyes, she realised that Nathaniel’s eyes weren’t anywhere near as cold as his father’s, which held neither warmth nor empathy. “I see she is not yet domesticated.”

Nathaniel spoke through gritted teeth. “She is still in training.”

“Indeed? Well. Let us see how effective of a teacher my son is.” Henrikk did not take his eyes off Kira. His smile vanished as he pointed to the pelt-covered ground at his feet. “Come and kneel here, girl.”

“Wh-what?” Kira stammered, looking to Nathaniel for help.

Nathaniel’s face darkened, but he didn’t say anything, only turned sad eyes to her.

“Do you require me to repeat myself?” Henrikk barked, his voice making her flinch. “Come!”