Chapter 39: thirty-nine

Cole

I trailed behind my father, Brayden, and Kaden, as we made our way to the meeting room. I was acutely aware of the presence of nearly fifty vampire lords and ladies. Well, now there were forty-eight.

I knew the fae possessed powers, but damn, I hadn’t expected her to obliterate Martha. A part of me was relieved, knowing she wouldn’t always need my protection.

I hoped Rayna could help her harness her power.

As we entered the room, a hush fell over the crowd. Brayden and Kaden took their positions against the back wall, while the Damned closed the doors behind us.

The atmosphere was heavy, as if a dark cloud had settled over us.

Atticus took his seat at the head of the table, and I sat beside him.

“Tomorrow, you will have a new king,” he began, his voice stern and slow. “My son, Cole, has found and marked his fated. They will rule together. The coronation will take place tomorrow night.”

“And where is our new queen?” Samuel asked, his gaze fixed on me from across the table.

“Resting,” I replied tersely.

“Vampires don’t need to rest,” he retorted.

“Queen Olivia is fae,” Atticus interjected, causing a chorus of gasps and murmurs to ripple through the room. Some faces twisted in disgust.

I clenched the arm of my chair, my knuckles turning white. I was ready for a fight, and I was more than willing to start with Samuel.

“Some fae bitch isn’t going to lead us, rule us, or be our queen,” Samuel spat, his voice dripping with disdain.

Before I could react, one of the Damned appeared, gripping Samuel’s hair and jerking his head back, forcing him to hiss and bare his fangs.

“My apologies, Samuel. It seems the Damned soldiers already view Olivia as their queen. I suggest you choose your words carefully,” Atticus warned, before signaling for the soldier to release him.

“I’m sure you noticed my yard decorations on your way in. I wasn’t planning on adding more, but I can if that’s what you choose. I certainly have the space in the dungeons,” he added calmly.

“Are you threatening us, my King?” a female vampire asked, her voice trembling with fear.

“It’s a promise, Lady Kaitlin. If any of you dare to harm her, you’ll join Marcus and Annabelle on the front lawn,” I growled, my gaze sweeping over the room.

“As I said, the coronation will commence tomorrow evening. Unfortunately, we have two regions to address. Marcus and Martha are no longer able to govern. As law commands, the King will assign these territories. Cole, do you have anyone in mind?” Atticus asked, turning to me. I nodded.

“Brayden and Kaden,” I said, glancing towards the back of the room. They looked shocked, but this was not an offer one could refuse.

I needed them. My plan was to restore peace, to find a way to coexist with the human race.

“Also, since we’re all here, I should inform you that once I am crowned king, I will begin the process of discontinuing human slavery.”

The room erupted into chaos, shouts and protests filling the air. Change is never easy.

“Silence!” Atticus roared, and the room fell quiet once more.

“Is this because your queen is not one of us?” Samuel hissed from across the table.

“It’s because it never should have happened. We don’t need breeder camps or pet shops. We can live peacefully. Humans can live in villages and give blood freely. You can still govern your territories, but those will be the laws. I advise you to comply, as I will be sending the Damned to report back to me,” I retorted.

I had been working on these plans for months, and I wasn’t about to let Samuel derail them.

***

After a few more details, Atticus dismissed the other vampires, leaving us alone in the meeting room. I was itching to find my little dove.

I didn’t trust these bloodsuckers, as Raven would say. I was grateful she could return; she would have lost her mind with all these vampires in the castle.

“You should go. You haven’t seen her in twenty years,” I told him quietly.

“I still can’t believe she’s real. She looks exactly the same, even her crooked little wings,” he said, a smile playing on his lips.

“Go to her. I don’t trust Samuel. I need to find and keep an eye on Olivia,” I said, rising from my seat.

As I navigated the castle halls, passing servants and vampire guests who wouldn’t meet my gaze, I hoped they took my warning seriously. Torture and dismemberment required a lot of energy.

I smelled him before I saw him, and my fangs extended in response. I smelled her, too.

“Ah, what a lovely fairy you are. No wonder he’s keeping you all to himself,” Samuel cooed, twirling a few strands of her hair.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I snarled, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him onto the floor.

“I was just saying hello to my new Queen,” he shrugged, as if I hadn’t just warned him to keep his hands off her.

“You must be incredibly stupid,” I said, snapping my fingers. A Damned soldier appeared instantly.

“Take Samuel back to his room. If he gets near the Queen again, kill him,” I ordered, my gaze locked on Samuel.

The soldier hauled him up by his hair and dragged him down the hall, away from us.

I moved towards my little dove, her wide eyes filled with surprise. I cupped her face, tilting her head back until she was looking into my eyes.

I pressed my lips to hers, savoring the sweet sensation of her soft lips against mine.

“Why didn’t you stay in the room?” I asked, pulling back slightly.

She took a moment to catch her breath, her cheeks flushed from our kiss.

“I was tired, and it wasn’t that far, but that man stopped me,” she murmured.

I nodded, accepting her explanation. Samuel should never have interfered. I’d deal with him later.

“Cole,” she began, and I hummed in response, glancing down at her as we continued our journey down the hall to our bedroom. “I want you to… bite me and drink from me if you need to.”

“Absolutely, fucking, not. Olivia, I’m not doing that anymore. I promised you once we got here, I wouldn’t do that,” I said firmly.

“I know, but you can, if you want. I know you need it and I want to give that to you,” she whispered. I couldn’t deny the allure of her offer, but I refused to do that to her.

She didn’t mention it again as we finally reached our room. I turned the lock and began to shed my clothes, letting them fall into a heap on the floor.

I sank into the chair, rubbing my face with my hands. Just one more day to get through.

I moved my hands away when I felt her petite form slide onto my lap, her legs straddling mine. My hands instinctively found her hips, and I noticed she was only in her underwear and bra.

I raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for her to explain, not that she really needed to. She tossed her hair over her shoulder, revealing my mark, my fang bites on her pale, porcelain skin.

“Please,” she pleaded, “please let me do this one thing for you.”

I sighed and pulled her hips closer to mine. She smirked and wrapped her arms around my neck.

My mouth found its way to her neck, and I began to suck on the tender skin, dragging my tongue over her salty flesh.

My fangs slowly extended, and I let them graze her throat, savoring every moment. I barely pierced her skin when she began to moan softly. I drove my fangs deeper into her neck and started to drink.

Her blood was sweet and pure. I pulled her even closer, taking large gulps at first, but then I slowed my pace, not wanting to take too much from her. Her moans subsided, and I could hear her start to drift off to sleep.

I quickly withdrew and looked at her. Her eyes were heavy, and she smiled as I ran my tongue along her slender neck, cleaning up and savoring the blood that trickled down.

She curled up in my lap, a smile still on her face as she fell into a deep, peaceful slumber.