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Wise. She was incredibly wise and insightful, already asking the questions I had barely thought to consider. It was another reason she would make a good mate. With a level head and not allowing her emotions to rule, she would make not just a good queen, but a great one. Beyond Mathis and everything else . . . “My House needs a queen. There have already been rumors about its longevity if I don’t find a mate. I’m the last of my line. When Mathis is dealt with, that problem still exists, and you are still the solution.” I studied her expression, trying to glean anything, even the smallest detail about her from it. “You’ll be motivated to play your part perfectly—but you won’t be a nuisance. Any woman who wanted this position would. A true mate would be a distraction at best, and while I don’t have your past with Markus, if I find my ‘real’ mate, I’ll reject her. I won’t let fate dictate my life for me, nor will it decide the future for my House.”
She put both hands on her temples, shaking her head back and forth in disbelief. “No one will ever believe it.”
I smiled broadly, extending my fangs. “Then you better make sure you put on a damn good performance. Your life—and Markus’s—depends on it.”
She met my eyes, leveling me with an impassive glare. Pressing her lips together in a harsh line, she nodded once.
“Good girl.” I dipped my head in return, and her gaze narrowed. I pulled the truck back onto the main road, turning onto and driving up the long, curved driveway.
She cleared her throat with intent, drawing my attention. “Call me ‘Danni.’”
I looked at her, raising my eyebrows in question.
Releasing a deep sigh, she said, “If you want them to believe it, people I love call me ‘Danni.’”
We pulled up to the West Coast Blood and Beryl estate. Situated in what used to be Mount Rainier National Park, the sprawling estate consisted of smaller buildings that sat on either side of the road leading up to the large manor. A circular rose garden with a fountain sat before the double-door entrance. Large, stone pillars lined both sides while a vaulted stained-glass window sat directly overhead. The red, yellow, and blue panes had been arranged in a simple geometric design that hailed from ancient Greece. The center was a soldier’s headpiece with a spear going through it. It was the Laskaris House emblem, dating back over two thousand years.
Out front, several SUVs and a few Jeeps were parked, and doors had been left ajar. Ysabeau was escorting an unruly Markus inside, hurrying him along before he could make a scene. She glanced back at us, and while I couldn’t read her expression through the large-rimmed sunglasses, I got the distinct impression she was giving me the look she did when she said, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
I wasn’t sure what the woman at my side was used to, but something told me that her home in Fire and Fluorite was a far cry from what awaited her tonight.
“Welcome home, Danni.”
CHAPTER 7
Dannika
Isat on the edge of the king-sized bed, cradling my head in my hands. My elbows pressed into my thighs, and I gently massaged my temples, squeezing my eyes shut and wishing I could’ve done something different. That I could have done something that would have changed the course of the evening. The “what ifs” raced through my mind. The “if onlys”.
But there was nothing that I could do now. I wanted nothing more than to be home with Adora, Mom, Abbey, and Rowe, but I couldn’t see a world where that would ever be the case again.
Instead, I was in a grand room on the third floor of an obscenely large mansion. A cherry wood sleigh bed was the main centerpiece. It faced huge windows that overlooked the sprawling forest, giving a stunning view of the beautiful firs that stood tall for miles. Raindrops splattered against the glass, leaving streaks as they took their paths downward. A great fire roared from the fireplace centered on the wall, and the warmth spread through the room, taking the chill away. It was bigger than the main living area in my home. Even in its grandeur, the room was somehow cozy and inviting.
That didn’t mean it was where I wanted to be.
Nova and I finally had two minutes alone so I could change clothes and process the events of the night. I’d rejected Markus, been ordered to fight him to the death, and refused. I’d been kicked out of the House of Fire and Fluorite, and then lost what protection I had. I was now banished from my home, my pack, and everyone I loved. How could all of this have happened in less than twenty-four hours? I never wanted to attend the commemoration in the first place. I’d had a terrible feeling for the entire week leading up to it. I couldn’t explain why everything felt wrong . . . why there was this constant sense of catastrophe looming over me? I just chalked it up to being a Debbie Downer, just like my sister said I was. I’d so wanted that to be the case, for her to be right. I huffed a humorless laugh. Adora would hate knowing she was wrong about something. That’s when it hit me–hard.
Adora. Mom. Abbey.
They didn’t know I was safe. I cursed under my breath. Getting off the bed, I walked to where I’d dumped my backpack on the ground when Ysabeau had taken me to my room. Digging through it, I pulled out my cell phone and checked its charge. It had about half, but I’d need a charging stone to give it more power soon. I called home and my sister picked up on the first ring.
“Dannika?” Her panicked voice greeted me first, quickly followed by my mom’s.
“Baby, are you okay?”
Tears suddenly threatened to take hold and my eyes began to water. Emotion clogged my throat. “Yeah. I’m okay.”
I heard my mom’s deep sigh of relief. Abbey’s soothing words whispered through the phone. I could picture her standing nearby, holding our mom and comforting her, stroking her hair.
“Danni, where are you? What happened?” my mom asked.
I hesitated, not wanting to say it all out loud just yet. For some reason, telling them made it real. Concrete. It wasn’t that I was in denial about it, thinking there was some way out. By all means, I was lucky. Elias hadn’t killed me, and he had no reason to lie. If anything, he seemed incredibly straightforward. I may be playing a role for the rest of my life, but at least it was a comfortable one where my mom wouldn’t have to worry. “I’m safe right now. Adora, did you get followed? Nothing happened to you, right?”
“I’m fine. They stopped the truck as soon as I crossed into pack lands, even before the hour was up. They weren’t going to wait. They followed me home and tore the house apart looking for you.” Muttering and chastising filtered in, but it wasn’t something I could make out. I knew what it meant.
I sighed, looking at the ceiling. “How bad did you get beat up?”
“Black eye and busted lip. I’m healing. It’s no biggie. I didn’t mouth off. They just went for it when they dragged me outside, thinking you were in the house,” she said quietly. “They want you dead, like, yesterday.”
