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“Secret!” Magnolia greeted brightly, waving as my group disembarked the plane.
Amelia grabbed Mags’s hand and pulled it back down, cutting the wave short. Evidently the older woman didn’t think enthusiasm was warranted here.
For once I didn’t disagree with her.
The last time I’d come to visit Callum, Holden had been forced to stay away because of what he was. This time around, though, I hadn’t even considered the ramifications of bringing him along. I didn’t care. Callum had summoned me here, and given everything I’d just gone through, if he wanted me to come, I was bringing the vampire with me.
“Amelia.” I nodded to the woman. “Ben and Fairfax are being unloaded right now. I’m assuming Callum told you about their condition.”
“Yes. A fine mess you’ve made again…Your Highness.”
I didn’t like Amelia. Amelia didn’t like me. Normally I’d let it slide, but she should know better than to address me inappropriately, and I couldn’t help but think she was using it as a means to belittle me.
“I believe you were present during my marriage ceremony. I would appreciate it, for as long as I remain bound to Lucas, if you would use my proper title.” I stared at her, practically daring her to challenge me.
“Apologies, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you. And I think you’d also do well not to pin the blame for this fine mess on me. I’m not the one who did this to them.” Try telling that to my guilty conscience though. “Once they’re back with Callum, they will be returned to normal.”
She sneered.
I glowered.
The drive back to St. Francisville was going to be an exciting one.
Holden and Desmond came to flank me. “This is Desmond Alvarez, Lieutenant of the Eastern pack king.” I indicated Desmond, who hadn’t joined our group during our previous trip here. Amelia bowed her head slightly, but since the two were relative equals in importance, she did not address him by a title. He mirrored her gesture. “And this is Holden Chancery.”
Magnolia gasped, though it wasn’t because she knew his name. She must have only then really paid any attention to him and realized what he was.
“Secret, he’s a—”
“I’m aware.”
“But we can’t—”
I stopped her mid-argument. “If Callum wants to see me and wants what I’ve brought for him, he will accept all the members of my party as equals, and no harm will come to any of them. Is that understood?” This statement was meant more for Amelia than Mags, since the elder werewolf was the one with all the real power.
“Understood,” Amelia replied.
Magnolia looked as if she wanted to argue some more, so I placed my hand on her shoulder and gave it a tender squeeze. “Let me deal with Callum. If he’s going to yell at anyone, it’s going to be me. I promise.”
And boy-howdy would there be yelling, I had no doubt whatsoever. Callum was likely to flip his shit when he realized I’d brought a vampire among his pack. But if the worst thing that hap
pened to me while I was here was getting chastised by my uncle, I was pretty sure I could handle it.
We loaded the two kennels into the back of the van, and I buckled the box with Mercy’s head in it in the passenger seat next to Amelia. All parties were probably better off with this seating arrangement.
Holden was obviously aware of how uncomfortable he made Magnolia and agreed to ride in the backseat of the SUV. Grandmere took shotgun, leaving no way for Desmond and me to share a seat comfortably. I could have wedged in between him and Holden in the SUV, but I didn’t think I could handle the awkwardness for the whole trip.
Which meant either leaving the boys to ride together, or forcing Desmond to sit alone in the back of the van. I couldn’t ask Holden to switch cars because the two wolves wouldn’t respond well to being in such close quarters with a vampire.
Rather than banishing either of them from the SUV, I decided to sit in the van with Ben and Fairfax. It wasn’t the best solution, leaving Holden and Desmond alone together, but they’d been behaving themselves for several months now, and I suspected they could survive another hour.
This, of course, meant I got to spend some quality time alone with Amelia during the drive.
I’d have rather traded small talk with the head in the box.
After twenty minutes it became evident neither of us were going to be the first to speak, and I think we were both relieved to let the whole trip pass in silence.
