AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Emberleigh clutched my arm, warm fingers digging into the bare skin.
“It’s Mama,” she whispered, frantic. “I’m not supposed to leave my room. I–I promised. She’s going to kill me!”
“Hush,” I soothed. “I doubt she wishes to kill you, Emberleigh.”
She shook her head, curls bouncing wildly. “You don’t understand! You don’t know her—”
“I know you’re here, you little brat!” The hiss from above made my eyes narrow. “Come out now.”
Emberleigh only gripped my forearm harder, worry making her scent turn acrid. Her fingers were warming quickly, a panic-driven response that indicated she didn’t have as much control over her powers as she thought, especially in tough situations.
“There’s another way back to the entrance of the ballroom,” I told her, gently prying her fingers from my skin before she could singe me. “Through the monastery at the bottom of the gardens. Stay low and keep to the bushes, then hop down onto the covered ledge and climb all the way back up in the shadow of the hedges.”
Emberleigh glanced in the direction I pointed.
“No one will notice, I promise,” I assured her. “Go now, before you get in trouble.”
With an anxious nibble of her lip, the little girl scampered away as quietly as she appeared.
I rose, adjusting the pleats on the loose silk pants. With my luck, the brief respite on the warm stone would have creased the fabric, earning a scolding from Mother.
“Excuse me, have you seen a young girl running around—”
I turned just in time to catch a glimpse of surprise and shock on the omega’s features.
“Olympia,” she blurted, eyes going wide. “I mean, Your Highness. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to use your first name—it’s just that Zoei, my mate, speaks about you often, and I feel like I already know you.”
And yet you’d called me ugly—a person you hadn’t even met face-to-face.
Was the deliberate cruelty of her words indicative of the toxicity in Zoei’s court?
“I’m Zavery Cray,” she said, dipping her head. “My sire is Harry Cray of Cray Merchants.”
“I see.” I wasn’t aware of this particular business, but it seemed impolite to say so. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine,” she breezed, stepping into the wash of moonlight. “I’ve heard so many good things about you, Your Highness.”
“Thank you.”
Truly, my words were nothing more than a whisper. Because in the dappled shadow of moonlight, this omega was much too beautiful for words.
She resembled a cherub, softly curved and delightfully, tantalizingly pink in perfect places. Her hair, a dark brown similar to Emberleigh’s, sat over her shoulder in a fashionable fishtail braid. The light gilded each strand, making her come alive like a nymph in a forest.
Zoei couldn’t have picked a more stunning omega to bear a child. Zavery’s scent was like an open window in the summer, breezy and welcoming, and I could imagine its allure to someone like my former friend.
I had no doubt that Zavery was stretching the truth by claiming Zoei was her mate—after all, from this short distance, there was no indication of Zoei’s scent anywhere on the omega.
After being intimately acquainted with Zoei’s dark and citrus scent, I believed I was in a prime position to complete my analysis.
It would have also made nation-wide news had Zoei taken a mate.
Zavery was a liar—and a good one at that. Her scent hadn’t shifted as she claimed Zoei as her mate. Either she truly believed that to be the truth or I was dealing with a practiced deceiver.
Tread carefully.
I offered Zavery a smile and turned away, seeking the solace of the gardens.
“I haven’t seen anyone in the gardens, Lady Zavery. I bid you goodnight.”
