Chapter 109
I looked back at Candido and worried my lip. I didn’t want to wake him. He had just gone to sleep, but this felt important. I opened the message and messaged Vanessa. Soon, she called my cellphone. I stepped out of the room as quietly as I could.
“Let me guess, he’s sleeping?”
“His nose was bleeding,” I told her. She let out a low hiss.
“That boy…” she sighed. “Fine. We’ll commence with Bella’s interrogation above the table.”
“Above the table?”
“Officially the Full Moon’s investigation,” she said. “That way, her parents can be brought in. We’ll have her transferred to Full Moon’s Official prison.”
My stomach jolted. “How long will that take?”
“A few hours.”
I leaned back against the door. “I guess… he’ll at least get a few hours of sleep that way.”
“Just a few assuming he’s not awake in that office fiddling around.”
I narrowed my eyes and opened the door, finding him at the desk, typing. He didn’t even glance up.
“I’ve made arrangements to be put into maximum security. I’ll handle the interrogation. Do you want to attend?”
I set my jaw. “You should be sleeping.”
“Later,” he said, sliding into his jacket. “We’re heading back to the Estate for a bit.”
“Why?”
“I need to check on Allen and what Claire wants to do.”
“Tell him he needs to get in a bed,” Vanessa said. “And stay asleep.”
“Your aunt says you need to go to bed,” I said. “And I agree.”
He huffed. “I’ve done more on less sleep.”
I blocked his path to the door, glaring at him. “You need rest.”
“What I need to do is prepare for war,” he said. “I can rest later.”
“When?” I asked staring up at him.
Candido met my gaze. “Princess, you’re crossing a line.”
I set my jaw. “And you’re being childish.”
Vanessa laughed. “I think you’ve got this in hand, Hedy.”
He growled then his phone beeped. He pulled it out and huffed. “Damn it.”
“What?”
He gave me a narrow-eyed look. “She blocked my access.”
I smiled. “It’s good to have back-up. I suppose that means you’re getting some sleep when we get back.”
I grabbed him by his arm and pulled him out of the office. We got into the SUV and headed back to the Estate where Allen was waiting for us.
“Allen—”
“I was informed by Miss Hedy that you are to get sleep before the new prisoner is gotten into official custody,” he said and shot me a wink. “I can’t afford to upset the lady of the house, Your Majesty. You can understand that, can’t you?”
Candido growled. “I am king, Allen. You answer to me, not to Hedy.”
“Did you not say that Miss Hedy’s orders were meant to be taken as if they came from you?”
I smiled and took him by his arm. “Thank you, Allen. Could you have something to eat ready for him in a few hours?”
“Of course, Miss Hedy.” He inclined his head and walked away. Candido grumbled, but I pulled him up the stairs and to the queen’s quarters, my future quarters. I was still having a hard time grasping that this room would be mine one day and I’d have unbarred access to Candido’s room, to him and everything he was soon.
I shivered as I nudged him to lie down on the large bed. His jaw was set and he looked upset, but his eyes were starting to drift closed. I took off my boots and climbed into bed beside him, cuddling him.
“One day, I will stop letting you have our way.”
I laughed and snuggled into his side. “Probably when you realize that I’m always right.”
“Always?”
“A man’s wife is always right.”
He laughed and turned onto his side. “Little brat.”
I smiled. “Your little brat.”
He hummed and soon, his breathing evened out in a slow rhythm. I dozed off and I felt the brush of Candido’s mind, his wolf, his power against mine, but there was no dream. We were just close, floating in darkness and the comfort of each other.
When I woke up hours later, it was because my stomach was grumbling. Candido was still sleeping, but he’d regained a little color. I stroked his cheek and thought back to Francia’s words.
There would be death, but no matter what I had to do, I wouldn’t let it be Candido, and it wouldn’t be me, either.
I’d worked so hard to get my happily ever after with my mate, my alpha, my king. I wasn’t going to give that up for anything. A knock sounded on the door and a maid entered with a cart of food. She left it beside the bed before bowing out and leaving us alone.
Candido groaned and frowned, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
“Don’t you feel better?”
He scoffed. “I feel like shit.”
“Then, you should eat. The sooner you do, the sooner we can get through the interrogation, and get you back into bed.”
He took the sandwich off the tray and glowered at me. “You’re enjoying this.”
I smiled. “Well, I did say that I love you.”
He paused and looked at me, seeming going to say something, before he shook his head and took another bite.
I huffed, expecting an apology for earlier, but he said nothing as we ate. We headed downstairs to take the SUV over to where Bella was being held. Before we had even entered the dungeon area, I heard her sobbing.
“It’s all Hedy’s fault. If she hadn’t—If she hadn’t plotted against me, I would have never had to do all of this!” She cried. I almost rolled my eyes at the sound of her voice, but when we entered, I couldn’t.
She looked just a pitiful as she had the last time, I saw her. She’d regained some color from being out of the dark caves, but that was about all. She sneered up at me.
“You’d better be here to get me out and apologize! This is all your fault.”
“What happens next is depending on your answers,” Candido cut in. “And what your parents have to say.”
Her eyes widened. “My parents? So, Hedy’s after all of us, huh? The ungrateful bitch. I should have killed you when I had the chance.”
She bared her teeth. “I hope you never shift and you die soon!”
Candido offered me a seat as Lilian and Steven were brought in. They were both handcuffed and put in the cell next to Bella’s. I swallowed thickly, scooting closer as Steven’s eyes fell on me.
“Your daughter, Bella, has been accused of consorting with vampires,” Candido said lightly. “She was found in the caves that are suspected to be used as a mean for vampires to infiltrate our society and wreak havoc. As such, I’m holding her personally, partially, responsible for all the attacks that have been happening.”
Lilian whimpered. “Isn’t enough that you’ve already banished her?”
“I wanted to kill her for what she attempted to have done to Hedy,” Candido said. “But I gave her a bit of mercy since she was young. There is no mercy left for her now… and there will be no mercy for you either depending on what you have to say.”
Steven and Lilian went pale. Lilian scowled at me.
“Cooperate with the investigation,” Candido said. “And perhaps I won’t kill you.”
He stood and offered me his hand. “Shall we?”
I placed my hand in his and stood.
“King Candido,” Steven started. “Is it true that you think Hedy is your mate?”
He looked at Steven. “If you’re going to bring up any sense of a bride price in exchange for leniency, know that it will not be offered. Hedy became an official member of Full Moon when she ran away from home.”
“She’s underage,” Steven said. “She doesn’t have the right to change packs.”
“She does when I grant it,” he said and drew me to his side. “Let’s go, Hedy.”
“We’re… not staying for the interrogation?” I asked.
“No. That’s what the police are for.”
We left, but maybe Candido just wanted to spare me the truth. In the end, it was just Bella who had been acting. Steven and Lilian hated me for driving their perfect daughter to do such a thing, but they had no ties to Bella’s involvement with the vampires.
She had been approached by an unknown werewolf who had died a few weeks after the locker room incident.
Steven and Lilian were released from custody.
“What about Bella?”
“Did you expect me to let a known criminal walk out?” Candido asked. “She has stepped on my leniency once.”
Lilian sobbed. “You can’t do this to my baby! It’s her fault—”
“Hedy’s mother,” Steven started. “Had ties to vampires, yet you’re going to keep her by your side and kill my daughter?”
The sting of the words felt like an afterthought.
My mother had ties to vampires? What sort of ties?
