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“Prophecies aren’t always right,” Katie argued.
“Dahlia’s are,” the other woman said. Her sharp gaze focused on Elias.
Marisa sighed. “What of it, Alaysia?”
She shrugged in response. “Dahlia has never been wrong, and this woman isn’t a vampire. Does it not seem suspicious to you that she’s the unclaimed mate of Mathis’s heir?”
“Consider your words carefully, Alaysia,” Elias threatened darkly. “I may be lenient with my Court, but I will not stand for being called a liar.”
“My apologies. It was not you I was insinuating had done anything wrong. She’s not even a real shifter. I merely wonder if she’s a witch and has put a spell on our king, but I can see I’ve overstepped.” She bowed her head, though a slight smile played on her lips.
“Get out,” Ysabeau said, before either Elias or I responded. When Alaysia looked to Elias, wide-eyed for confirmation, he turned stony. Ysabeau stalked over and wrapped a pale hand around the other vampire’s arm. “It is only your surname stopping me from forcibly removing you. Insulting your king or his mate is a dishonor to not only your family, but to our House.”
Alaysia didn’t budge. Ysabeau’s eyes narrowed with warning.
“I will only say it once more; get out. I will deal with you later.”
Ysabeau’s threat worked well enough because Alaysia didn’t look to Elias to save her again. Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed out, her hands shaking either from fury or fear at her sides.
As she went, several members shook their heads in disgust. Marisa had watched Alaysia leave, giving her a death glare until she was no longer in sight. She then brought her eyes to me, lowering her chin in respect. “Forgive the outburst, Dannika. We are overjoyed our king has found his mate finally. We were just expecting Elias to find his mate, well, in our own House. Some of us adapt better than others, it would seem.”
“I am in Blood and Beryl,” I said, shifting in my seat. “Mathis wishes me dead, so you should have no fear that I will carry House business to the other side, even if by accident.” Several vampires looked away from me as I spoke, but I didn’t care. I had the floor, and I was going to say my piece. “Aside from that, if you’ve been lucky enough to experience it, you know the bond pulls you toward your mate. The force is indescribable. The loyalty and desire you feel toward your intended partner is insurmountable.” I looked to Elias, placing my palm on top of where we rested our joined hands and making a show of it. “Even if you want to deny it, it’s nearly impossible.”
I knew my words were true. I was living them. As repulsed as I was at the idea of Markus as my mate—and I would reject him until the day I died—it didn’t change the fact that the mate bond was that strong. I felt all of it. An invisible force tugging at my insides, demanding that I go to him. Be with him. Accept the cruelty of that cursed bond.
My conviction was stronger. The pull was there. The want was there. And so was the damage I’d carried for too long. It grounded me. Anchored me. And I’d be damned if I acknowledged the rest of it any further.
I figured I could use that feeling, that experience, to convince the High Court that I felt those things for Elias. The lies were easier to speak if I pretended it was him instead of Markus. They were pretty words, and they worked. I felt tension in the room lift slightly, but the slightest movement on his lower eyelid caught my attention. A twitch. Nothing more.
A few of the vampires nodded their heads as they glanced at one another. Others remained silent, considering further discussions.
I needed them to hurry up. I may have looked calm on the outside, holding myself high like I deserved to be sitting beside Elias, but my insides were a mess. My stomach churned, twisting the very meager contents within.
“This is so exciting, Elias,” the one seated next to Katie added. “Your mother is going to be so thrilled.”
My heart jumped to my throat. Maybe that was my stomach.
Mother?
I’d been so concerned with my own family and telling them that I hadn’t even considered what his mother would think of the fake match. Even though he’d told me she was in Rome, I was too traumatized to think about her being real since I’d thought I’d broken her urn in the midst of my rage-induced pity party.
I had to meet his mother and lie to her at some point.
“Dannika?” Elias’s voice brought me from my thoughts.
My eyes were wide as I stared at the floor. “Mmm?”
“Bianca was just saying she would like to help you. Show you the ropes within the House. Our customs and what not,” he said.
“Who?” I asked, my mouth drying out more as this charade rolled on.
The woman sitting next to Katie held a hand up like she was bidding at an auction. Her hair was a deep red, intricately braided around the back of her head, the extended plait falling over her shoulder. Her dark skin was flawless, and her purple eyes were piercing. “Bianca Santapaga. A liaison within the High Court.”
I nodded absentmindedly. “I’d love that,” I muttered, hoping my nausea was coming off as overwhelming gratitude.
“That’s settled, then,” Elias said, clapping his hands together once and standing up. I rose to follow him.
My stomach gurgled. When several pairs of eyes looked at me, I waved it off with a pained laugh. “Hungry. I skipped breakfast. Too much excitement for one day.”
