Chapter 410

Pippa fusses over me when we leave the bathroom, chattering about my poor bruised jaw and how we’re going to cover that up with makeup. But I sit down on my bed and make a big show of yawning, wanting a minute alone to catch my proverbial breath and better hide my new weapon. As I lean back against my pillows, though, something crinkles beneath me in a very non-fabric-y way.

It takes all of my willpower not to let my eyes fly wide, to grab at whatever little piece of paper is there. Instead, I just lean more fully back and stretch my arms over my head.

“Oh, you poor dear,” Pippa murmurs, noticing finally. “I’ll leave you for a little, perhaps? So you can take a nap? I’m always sleepy on the first day of my confinement.”

“Perhaps a nap would be best,” I sigh, letting my eyes fall half-shut. Inwardly, my wolf howls our victory and hops from foot to foot in her eagerness to get started on our plans. But as Pippa comes close and fluffs my pillows a bit, I frown at her. “Pippa, do you seriously do this every month? Just…sit alone for two full days?”

“Is your cycle only two days?” she asks, looking at me with wide eyes.

I blush a little but shrug, admitting it, knowing that I’m luckier than others. But otherwise I just look at her, waiting for an answer.

“Yes, I do it,” she sighs, shaking her head a little as she does. “Not that Elias ever cares or follows the rules. He always sneaks in and spends nights together with me as usual – it would be very dull to be without him at night.”

I smile a little, loving the closeness of their friendship, but also wondering…

Well. Wondering what’s going to happen when Ben comes on the scene. Because I’m not foolish enough to think that Ben just came to Atalaxia to help me. No, he’s been worried about Elias for months, working hard to study Atalaxian history and political theory so that he could be an ambassador and come here.

But his coming here and finding his mate…is it going to destroy Pippa’s life? She is, after all, having a child with this man who is clearly her best friend.

“Would Elias get in trouble?” I ask quietly. “If he were found breaking your confinement?”

“Oh, the men don’t actually get in trouble for anything,” she murmurs, frustrated, as she straightens up and puts her hands on her hips. “Honestly, I’d probably get in more trouble for tempting him. But we’re pregnant now, which means we’re not so closely watched.”

“Are you excited?” I ask quietly. “To become a mom?”

Pippa shrugs, running a hand over her belly. “I always knew it would happen someday. And there were…suspicions about Elias and his lack of interest in women before this.”

I frown a little, noting that Pippa didn’t really answer the question.

“Okay, darling,” she says with a sigh, a forced little smile appearing on her face. “You take your nap, and I’ll come and check on you later.”

I settle back on my pillows with a sigh and wave to Pippa as she slips out the door and pulls it shut behind her. As soon as she’s gone I whip up, shoving my hand under the pillows, grasping everywhere for a piece of paper. As soon as it touches my fingers and I yank it up and out, unfolding it as fast as I can.

Immediately, I recognize Faiza’s handwriting and burst into a grin.

My sneaky spy professor. God, I love her.

But the contents of the note immediately make the smile fall from my face.

Accept the bond – it says, the words hastily scrawled across the paper. And then, in a line beneath it: Trust your grandmother.

I inhale deeply, re-reading it again and again because…

Seriously? That’s her advice – that’s what Faiza wants me to do?

I scowl as I fall back on the pillows again, my mind racing. Inwardly my wolf whines and turns in a slow, tight circle before plopping down on her haunches, confused and afraid.

He’ll corrupt me, she murmurs, anxious. If we accept him and build the bond, his wolf will cross it and bite me and get that oily stuff all over me and claim me for Darkness.

I shudder at the thought, every instinct in me screaming not to do it. My wolf is right – Gabriel’s bossy wolf will bully her, and corrupt her, and turn her to his will. The idea of my sweet rose-gold wolf all covered in oil, her eyes glowing in the darkness, her lungs heaving with her singular desire to fulfill the God of Darkness’s will…

I clench my teeth against it as another whine slips from her muzzle. No, impossible – I’ll never let that happen.

But…Faiza is right. My grandmother gave me this bond for a reason – and now that I know that accepting the bond and receiving my mates mark gives me new and intensified access to my magic? Isn’t it…isn’t it my duty, and my fate, to accept that magic? Especially if it can help my nation and even – maybe – end this war.

I mean, that’s possible, after all. Look what I can do with only two mates by my side. What will my magic become with three?

I groan, torn, falling back against my pillows with a scowl. Maybe if I just…wait three months the Goddess will make good on her promise and give me a new mate instead of Gabriel, whose good looks do nothing at all to counterbalance his crap personality and penchant for violence. I growl a little as I raise my hand to my bruised jaw, pissed off and kind of wishing that Faiza did indeed send me some pain killers alongside the poison.

God, what the hell am I going to do? Now that I have a weapon, how will I wield it? And what steps do I want to take before I do? Would I be worth exploring my connection with Gabriel now to investigate how his magic impacts mine?

Or should I just kill him now and have it done?

I sigh, tucking myself into the pillows and letting my mind turn over the problem, closely inspecting every detail.

“Gabriel!” My door flies open and I shriek, nearly jumping out of my skin at the sudden noise after several hours of relative silence. “Don’t you dare go in there!”

“Oh, shut up, Pippa,” Gabriel snaps, sneering over his shoulder at Elias and Pippa as they storm in after him.

“She’s being confi-“

“No one cares!” my mate barks as Elias angrily shuts the door behind him, sending me an apologetic look. Gabriel turns to me, his hands on his hips. “Get up.”

I narrow my eyes and settle myself more completely in my pillows. “I can’t,” I say, petulant and pouting. “I have cramps. Ow.”

My mate rolls his eyes at me. “You women and your weakness. Get up!”

I take a deep breath, prepared for a prolonged fight in which I force him to drag me to my feet if he wants me to get out of this bed, but Elias sighs and steps forward.

“Honestly, Ariel, it’s not worth it,” he says, shaking his heads and slipping his hands in his pockets as Pippa comes to his side, her face furious. “He’s called a banquet tonight and he wants you there. He’ll drag you there by your hair if he has to, confinement or not.”

Gabriel bares his teeth at me, letting me know that it’s true.

“This is scandalous,” Pippa growls. “The entire staff know that she’s being confined – this breaks a thousand years of tradition –“

“Well, I will be King soon,” Gabriel snaps, his eyes still on me. “Which means that I get to say what tradition is. And if I want my mate by my side, she’ll be there, confinement or not.”

I go a bit still as I stare at my mate, at the coldness of his blue eyes. Because what does he mean he’ll be King soon? After all, he’s still got a cousin and an uncle in the way.

“Come, mate,” Gabriel snarls, looking me over. “It’s time for you to dress for dinner. And tonight I will have you looking every inch my Queen.”