Eve hugged her daughter tightly. ‘I missed you so much,’ she said, her voice breaking. ‘Thank God you’re okay. I love you so much, my darling girl. I never gave up hope finding you.’
Katya wiped her eyes as she drew away, sobbing gently. Her eyes glistened with tears as she ran her gaze over her Eve’s face. ‘It’s been so horrible, mama.’ Her voice caught and she drew in a shaky breath. ‘So horrible. He…he–‘
‘Hush, my darling,’ Eve said. A white hot rage welled in her breast at Balkathan. Bloodline be damned! She no longer cared of the consequences and she wanted him dead. ‘Let’s not talk about that now. When you’re ready.’
Katya nodded, wiping her cheek with a shaky hand. ‘The king has been very kind to me. And Hesta, too. I remember everything now, the past two years in Balkathan’s lair and the past month here in this castle. Mama, I’ve been so mean to Hesta and the king, but I…I couldn’t stop myself…’ She broke off and sobbed into her hands.
‘Katya, it wasn’t your fault,’ Eve said soothingly, taking her daughter’s hand away from her face. ‘You haven’t been well for a long time.’ Gently, she wiped her daughter’s tears.
‘How did you find me?’ Katya asked.
‘It wasn’t easy. I went from village to village, until I came upon a tavern where there was talk Balkathan had attacked Drago’s castle. The rumour was a woman was held captive in Balkathan’s lair for two years who had recently escaped and was staying at this castle. Balkathan wanted her dead because she knew where he hid with his lair. So I travelled here and asked questions until I heard a man mention your name.’
Katya’s face fell. ‘Mama, what will become of us? What will we do? Our home, our village has been destroyed. Where will we live?’
She sensed Drago enter the room and stiffened. The scene with Gretchen was still fresh in her mind and she ignored him as she drew Katya in her arms. ‘I will take care of you, my child. I will find a way to keep you safe,’ she said huskily. ‘I love you.’
Drago cleared his throat abruptly. ‘Katya, you and your mother have a home here.’
Katya looked over Eve’s shoulder, surprise lighting her face. ‘That’s very kind of you, Your Highness. Mama, did you hear what the king said?’
Slowly Eve rose, turning around to face him. Hesta stood silently next to him. ‘Thank you for the offer, but as I told you, when my daughter is well enough, we will leave.’
His face darkened. She could tell he was angry.
‘And go where? You have no belongings, no coin and no home. Balkathan won’t stop until he finds Katya.’
Her daughter let out a frightened gasp and Eve shot him an angry glare. ‘Do you mean to frighten my child?’
‘I mean to state facts. Your daughter will be safe here, as will you.’
He was right. Katya would be safer in his castle with his Lycan guards protecting her. ‘Katya will accept your offer to stay, but I will not.’
‘Mama, no! You cannot leave me.’
Eve was torn. She couldn’t leave her daughter, but could not live with Drago either. Watching him for all eternity with his one would kill her.
Her breath caught. Something she refused to believe revealed itself and left her shaken.
She was falling in love with him.
Fighting to keep her emotions in check, she turned to her daughter. ‘You must rest now, Katya. We will talk about this later.’ She glanced over her shoulder to Hesta. ‘Is it possible to see about having a bath prepared?’
Hesta smiled. ‘Right away, milady.’
‘Thank you.’
‘I will leave you two alone then,’ Drago said. He gave Eve a dark look. ‘You and I will talk later.’
Without responding, she turned back to Katya and waited stiffly until he left the room.
Katya gave her mother a questioning look. ‘Mama, why do you dislike the king? He has offered us a home.’
‘I don’t dislike him,’ she said.
‘I saw how you two looked at each other. I…I think he cares for you. Why don’t you want to stay here?’
‘It’s complicated, honey.’
‘I hope it’s not because of me. Mama, I want you to be happy.’
‘No, honey, it’s not that.’ She could see Katya wasn’t going to give this up so easily. Eve released a weary sigh. ‘The king has yet to meet his one. If I were to be with him, do you think he would stay with me after he met his destined mate?’
Katya stared long and hard at her mother, making Eve increasingly uncomfortable. ‘Mama? Oh my God,’ she whispered, bringing a hand up to her mouth. ‘You care for him.’
Eve stiffened. ‘I am grateful to him. He looked after you these past few weeks and for that I am indebted to him,’ she said, her tone brooking no argument.
Katya didn’t look convinced and Eve blamed herself. She was a terrible liar. She prayed for the courage to walk away from him.
* * * *
Drago strode into his Great Hall. Nolan and Falk greeted him as he entered, but he was too deep in thought to acknowledge them. His thoughts were on Eve.
He sat on his throne and exhaled a heavy breath. The irony didn’t go unnoticed by him. For two hundred years he had accepted his fate without a woman he could love, a woman who could rule by his side forever.
The irony was that he found his perfect mate, but she didn’t want him.
Ortega strode in the hall. ‘Your Highness, there is a young girl at the gate who says she has important information about Balkathan. Information you may use against him.’
Drago stiffened and raised his hand at Nolan and Falk who rose sharply. He narrowed his eyes on Ortega. ‘Show her in,’ he said slowly.
A few minutes later, a young girl walked in who didn’t look older than sixteen. Drago stared at her and the hair at the back of his neck rose. Her face! It was luminous with the same subtle glow on Eve’s beautiful face.
A vampire!
He growled softly under his breath and rose from his throne. The girl stood before him and curtsied, raising a pair of innocent blue eyes at him. He faltered. She was just a child.
‘How is it a child has come to my gates with news of Balkathan?’
Tears welled in her eyes and she clasped her small hands before her. ‘I escaped his lair a few weeks ago. I couldn’t return home because our village was destroyed. I heard about your kingdom and how you offer sanctuary.’
‘And you were turned into a vampire when he attacked your village?’
‘Yes,’ she said quietly, darting a nervous glance at his guards.
‘Come here, child. Sit by me and tell me what you know.’
She approached him slowly, her expression fearful as she cast another nervous glance at his men standing guard behind her.
‘Do not fear my men. Balkathan enslaves children, we protect them.’
‘Please, may…may we speak alone, Your Highness?
He understood her fear. His guards would frighten any child, whether the child was a vampire or not, and he gave them a quick look. ‘Wait outside.’
They went outside and closed the door behind them. He directed his attention back to her. ‘What is your name?’
‘Dahlia.’
‘Tell me, Dahlia, what do you know?’
‘Well, it’s not so much what I know, Your Highness, but more what you know.’
All of a sudden he noticed a change on her face. The innocence left and was replaced with a malevolent look. His blood ran cold. Silently, he cursed himself for his foolhardy mistake and growled as his beast rose to the surface.
It was too late. She moved like the wind and she clasped her hands on his face before he could shift. The effect of her touch was instant. He grew weak as something cold penetrated his mind. He fought the iron grip she had on his thoughts. She was probing, digging, pushing deep into his mind looking for…someone. Katya!
Blackness overwhelmed him as his body sunk to the ground, his last thoughts on Eve.
