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Chapter Twelve
Elias
I glanced out my rearview window. For the first time since I left the palace, it looked like I lost my tail.
I’d been doing everything I could think of to throw them off. I picked up dry cleaning, I went to the station and checked on my cases. I even grabbed lunch with another enforcer.
The longer I went without seeing Skylar, the more anxious I became. The only thing giving me solace was that she was with Xander. It was strange that having another male who was competing for my mate could bring me comfort.
Though, I suppose it wasn’t a competition if we both had a bond. Skylar was the one who would decide. She’d choose if she didn’t want to follow through on the bond with one of us. Or neither of us.
A shiver ran down my spine.
Now that I’d found her, the thought of losing her was unbearable. Being away from her all day was bad enough.
We needed that safe house, though. My place and anything that was connected to the queen was off limits. The goons on my ass all day made that clear. If I put it at risk and brought attention to it, we’d have to go elsewhere.
I wasn’t sure exactly how the queen played into this or why she wanted the stone so badly, but I wasn’t about to hand Skylar over to her.
That stone didn’t belong to her and it was too dangerous to exist. We were doing the right thing to try to destroy it. I knew Xander’s plan to check in with his pack. It was all we had to go on for now. All my contacts reported to the queen. Or they would for the right price.
If we were in my realm, I’d have more resources, more power. Here, I was playing by someone else’s rules.
I parked in front of a shop and got out of my car, casually checking to see if anyone was following me.
For the first time all day, I was alone.
I’d either bored them to death or I’d lost them. Either way, this was my chance to finally get back to Skylar.
The sun was low in the horizon as I made my way back to Dead Man’s Alley. Even if my car was being tracked, it wasn’t an unusual place for me to visit. I had enough informants here and walked these streets more than I’d like. Sometimes even the feral teenagers who ran around had a solid pulse on the comings and goings of the various covens.
Tonight, though, I wasn’t interested in that kind of information. I just wanted to get back to Skylar.
I parked near the Clover Coven’s cathedral. While I wasn’t sure who the new boss was, it would lower suspicions to find my car here. And I could be sure that the queen’s hired thugs wouldn’t follow me inside.
The Coven was technically part of her jurisdiction, but she didn’t like to give them any authority by having her people near them. I was the exception since I skimmed so many groups. I could go where others couldn’t. Outwardly, I was an enforcer. My connection with the queen were supposed to be under that guise. The agreement she and I had with the Knights was between us. Cain was the only person who know about my dual roles and only because she was in the same position herself.
The streets were filled with the usual early evening routine. Vampires out in groups mostly. A few solo vamps slunk in the shadows, moving to whatever shady shit they were up to. I shook my head. While I’d been in this realm for years, the secrecy of supernaturals still threw me off. In my realm, humans were rare and we viewed them as weak. In reality, they were weaker than us. It seemed odd that the stronger species kept to the shadows. But that wasn’t my concern. Once I made the Knights pay, I could go home.
The queen was under the impression that I was no longer welcome there. She didn’t know I was next in line for the throne. If my father ever retired, that was. She’d gotten word of what went down while I was regent when my dad took a hiatus. I let her believe what she wanted to believe as long as it benefited me.
My father and I didn’t see eye to eye, and I suspected he’d rather pass his rule to David. But our laws were clear and as long as I was alive, it was mine.
I stopped walking as a new thought hit me. I’d found a mate in this realm. What if Skylar wanted to remain here?
That did complicate things, but it wasn’t anything I could fix now. I started walking again. The only thing that really mattered was making sure she was safe. We could figure out a future once this was behind us.
I slowed down as I neared the safe house building. I could feel Skylar, but it wasn’t a very strong presence. As if she’d passed through. Did that mean she was in the house and shielded by the wards?
Everything was new when it came to her. I was still learning how my senses would react to having a mate.
Then I noticed the figures standing around the safe house weren’t moving to new locations. And there was a lingering scent of blood. Lots of it.
I scanned the street and the traces of a battle were clear. My heart thundered against my ribs and I automatically reached out for Skylar, I needed to know she was safe.
One of the figures standing in front of the safe house walked toward me. He put his hands in front of him. “You Enforcer Elias?”
My brow furrowed. “Who’s asking?”
