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“Micah.”
The Queen’s nose crinkled as though she found his name distasteful on her tongue. Though, honestly, Micah was surprised she’d agreed to meet with him at all.
“Grandmother.” Stepping away from the door, he motioned her inside the foyer. He even took her coat and purse, tucking them neatly into the closet. “I thought we could talk in the kitchen. Would you like something to drink?”
“Wine would be lovely.”
Annabeth folded her hands together in front of her as she followed behind him. Her painted lips pursed while her gaze cut sharply from side to side as though she expected an attack at any moment. Or maybe she was admiring the color of the walls. It was hard to tell with her.
Her rigid spine and robotic movements somehow matched her severely boring pantsuit, and Micah kind of felt sorry for her. If she had ever cared for anyone but herself, no traces of that former girl resided in this staunch, megalomaniacal shell.
After helping her into a chair, he fetched a bottle of Pinot Noir, her favorite, along with two spotless, apple-red wine glasses from the drying rack beside the sink.
“Thank you for coming.”
She nodded as she watched Micah pour the wine. “I was surprised when you called. After your father’s funeral, I didn’t think I’d hear from you again.”
Taking his seat across from her, Micah clasped his hands together on the table. “Can we skip all the not-so-pleasantpleasantries? We both know I didn’t ask you here for a social visit.”
“Oh?”
Her feigned surprise grated on his nerves, but he kept his expression neutral and his tone composed. “I’m sure you’ve heard August is back in town.”
Other than a nearly imperceptible pause as she lifted her wine glass to her lips, Annabeth showed no signs that his words distressed her. She didn’t sip the wine right away, but swirled it in her goblet and sniffed at it. Not in the way a connoisseur would enjoy the aroma of a fine vintage, but in the way an animal might inspect a piece of meat to make sure it hadn’t spoiled.
“I had heard,” she answered after a significant pause. “I will admit to being…distressed by the news.”
“I’m sure you were.” Micah took a long swallow from his own glass. “It must have been a shock to find out he was still alive. I mean, after all the time and energy you expended to have him killed.” His upper lip curled over his teeth, but he did manage not to growl. “This must be terribly disappointing.”
“I should have known you’d find a loophole.” Her sigh was one of exasperation, and she clucked her tongue at him. “I had wondered why you’ve never taken a more suitable mate.”
“You knew he was still alive.” She could tell the world whatever story she liked, but she couldn’t lie to him. Micah knew how thestory began. Now, he just needed to know the plot twist at the end. “You’ve been watching him, watching Meredith. You even had Callum Finn follow him. So, why not have him killed where it would be less conspicuous?”
Cold and calculating, the grin that stretched her lined lips sent a chill down his spine. “I only wanted him dead so you could move past yourunfortunateunion. As long as you kept your distance, I had no reason to harm him.” She paused, and a little valley formed between her brows. “Who is Callum Finn?”
Well, shit.That complicated matters. He couldn’t let her know that, though, so he ignored it. “Are you really so obsessed with power? Does family mean nothing to you?” It hurt his heart to see what she had become.
“I will always put this pack first,” she responded. “They need a Queen, not a granny with a cookbook. You will choose a new mate, and she will bear a female child.”
“You can’t control me anymore.” A growl slipped into his voice, but he swallowed it down quickly.
“Can’t I?” That shrewd grin reappeared, and she glanced toward the kitchen entryway.
Micah came up out of his seat with such force he sent his chair toppling to the floor. “Let him go.”
Standing between two of the pack Wardens, looking so small yet so defiant, August squared his shoulders and stuck his chin out. “I’m okay, Micah. She can’t hurt me. Not anymore.”
Turning to his grandmother, Micah softened his voice, prepared to beg for August’s life if that was what it took. “Please. Let him go. I’ll find a surrogate. I don’t have to mate a female to produce heirs. Just let him go, and I’ll give you what you want.”
“I want him dead,” Annabeth responded without inflection. “Granted, having him die in the shower and being able to blame that brainless twit, Macy, would have been cleaner.” She wiggled her fingers in August’s direction. “I suppose this will have to do, though.”
The Warden on the right grabbed August around the neck and squeezed. August immediately gasped and choked, clawing at the man’s fingers as his face began to turn varying shades of red and purple.
“Stop!” Fuck, he’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this. “I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll let you choose a mate for me. I’ll never see August again, I swear it. Just please, don’t hurt him.”
Annabeth took her sweet time to consider his offer, but finally, after what felt like an eternity, she nodded. “By the blood.”
Glancing at August’s mottled face, Micah pressed the tip of his middle finger to this elongated canine. He held the bleeding digit over Annabeth’s wine glass, watching the ripples created by the drops of crimson. “By the blood,” he repeated.
