Chapter 433


    gh to find each other and build a family.


    But still, facing this delegation? I’m a little d that we’ve got some intimidating credentials to speak for


    us. Brave little mate, Sinir says to me down the bond, making my smirk deepen. I’m d you’re


    letting them see that you’re not scared of them.


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    Oh, I’m scared of them, I pass back, not bothering to look up at him for support.


    But you’re right. There’s no reason for them to see it.


    He gives me a warm nudge of support as the first line of five Atxians step forward and give a bow.


    The man at the far left of the line steps forward then, beginning to speak. He introduces himself first –


    the first and most significant member – and then moves on to each new delegate, who bows his heads


    to us each in turn.


    I turn my head a little as this formal introduction progresses, because this is … odd. I understand that


    this reception has a rather official quality, but each of the greetings we’ve given to each delegation


    before this has been warm and chatty, with people introducing themselves warmly or greeting Sinir


    and I as old friends, if they know us.


    The Atxians? They don’t say a word, instead letting their singr speaker do all the work.


    Still, I do my best to follow along as Rafe begins to fuss in my arms, not liking something – I don’t know


    what, though. I hold him higher, tighter against me, trying to pass a little calmness down our bond so


    that he can rx, maybe fall asleep. The baby responds to this, resting his head against my chest a


    little and settling.


    The speaker finishes introducing the first line of delegates, which includes the predictable ambassadors


    and senators who have been sent to witness the coronation and have discussions about the future


    connections between our two nations.


    However, when the first row clears, moving away and revealing the second row, I’m surprised to hear


    the speaker introduce a Prince, which makes my eyes raise. Why had he not been included in the first


    row? Wouldn’t he be the highest-ranking delegate?


    I study the Prince as he steps forward and gives his bow, though I admit that I do not catch his name,


    which I kick myself for. I’m a Queen now or about to be. I should be paying attention.


    When he raises from his bow I find myself a bit struck by him, if I’m being honest. He’s about my age,


    and tall, with dark hair and a handsome face with eyes such a light blue-violet that they surprise me in


    his dark-featured face.


    While he’s broad shouldered, he’s a great deal slimmer than my own mate, though the power than


    emanates from him.


    I blink, again surprised. He is…not someone to be trifled with. I don’t know how I know it, but I do – I’m


    absolutely sure of it. The prince nods steadily to Sinir, looking serious but perhaps even a little


    bored, like he’s done this a thousand times. And then turns his eyes to me, but when our eyes meet he


    goes a bit rigid in the shoulders.


    My eyes go wide, surprised at his reaction as he stands straight, staring at me for a long moment.


    Sinir reacts instantly, a subtle growl building in his chest as he takes just one step forward.


    The Princees back to himself in a second, his eyes flicking to Sinir before he regains his bored


    composure, nodding to me, and then to Cora, and then to Roger before stepping back in line.


    Surprised, confused, I look up at my mate, whose shoulders are stiff with displeasure.


    What…what on earth just happened?


    That line of delegates is dismissed and Rafe starts to fuss again in my arms, unhappy.


    I begin to coo to him, upset that he’s upset. Honestly, my sweet baby hardly ever cries, instead letting


    us know what he needs through little taps and pulses down the bond to which we respond as quickly as


    we can. It’s honestly the best part of being a wolf mother – and an aspect of it I never really considered


    until Rafe came along.


    I look up at Sinir, worried. “I think I have to take him out,” I murmur, ncing down at the baby.


    A moment, my mate replies, mind-to-mind, though he reaches out a hand behind me to settle on my


    back. I need us all here, for this delegation at least. If he cries, he cries. And I nod, understanding and


    turning back to the crowd.


    The third line of Atxian delegates disappears, and the fourth moves forward. I watch passively as


    they each step forward and nod to us. I nod in turn, though I admit that my attention is decidedly


    focused on my son, who cries in earnest now, unhappy. I hold him tight, bouncing him in my arms,


    worried and wanting him to feel better.


    I send a little curious pulse down the line, which has worked before sometimes he passes me an


    emotion, or has even given me a brief impression of the thing he wants – But today, nothing. He’s just


    upset. My eyes are totally focused on the baby, ignoring the final members of the delegation in my


    maternal concern for my son, when suddenly the speaker’s words catch my immediate attention.


    “Our final delegate,” the speakers says, “is Duke Xander of Moon Valley, who has been given honorary


    citizenship in Atxia for his services as advisor to the King.” My eyes sh up, going wide as they


    focus on my uncle, the man who tried to steal my son.


    Inside me my gift res hot with rage, channeling something from Cora’s that speaks to heat, and


    burning, and destruction – She grabs my arm, sensing it, and I can feel her own fear in her grip, but


    something about it works – she holds me back from reacting at all, giving me a moment to reel myself


    back in. It was the right choice, I see, as Sinir immediately steps forward for both of us, ring down


    at the Duke.


    “You should have asked,” he growls, violence in every line of him now, and I can feel him holding


    himself back from murdering Xander this instant, “about whether this man was wee upon our


    nation’s soil. Because he is not. This man is a war criminal, and wanted for several crimes in Moon


    Valley – including the attempted kidnapping of our Prince.” Sinir takes another step forward, clearly


    ready to either tear Xander to pieces or take him into custody – I honestly don’t know which – Xander


    an old, wrinkled man with cruelty in every line of his face – just smirks up at Sinir, not moving an


    inch.


    But the Atxian speaker – a high- ranking senator himself – steps forward then, interceding. “Alpha


    Sinir,” he says, his word heavy with the acknowledgement that my mate is not yet King, “Duke


    Xander is a protected member of our delegation an Ambassador. If you harm him or take him into


    custody, it will be considered an act of war.” Sinir’s growl deepens as he turns violent eyes on the


    senator now. “And did you think it would not be war already, when you brought him as a member of


    your delegation? After, surely, you know all he has done to us, to our family?” “We had hoped,” the


    senator drawls, a smug looking to his face, “that you’d be more reasonable than that, Alpha.”


    Rage continues to burn hot within me as I stare at the old man before me who looks fixedly at the baby


    in my arms, and doesn’t bother – not even once to raise his eyes to me.


    Rafe wails with displeasure, perhaps feeling my rage and my fear, perhaps… god, I don’t know,


    perhaps sensing some malevolence from this man as well Cora’s hand tightens on my arm and I nod


    slightly, just once, letting her know that I’m not going to do anything stupid. I feel her hand hesitate, and


    then loosen, just a little bit.


    Sinir, to my surprise, takes a step back. I snap my gaze up to him because honestly, I was looking


    forward to seeing this man’s blood on his ws. But then I remember, of course, that he is a King now


    or at least, close enough.


    And damn it, it will be war if we kill Xander now. I settle ufortable under the realization that part of


    the responsibilities of rule mean measuring our vengeance against what is good for our nation.


    And so I send Sinir a little pulse of support as he steps back, even though my wolf scrabbles and


    ws in me to be let loose, to be allowed to rip his throat out.


    Sinir doesn’t check his re, or his growl, as Xander steps back into line with the rest of the


    Atxian ranks. And I know that hatred radiates from all of us as the delegation as a whole moves


    away. I keep my eyes on them, every step.


    And I note that the only one who looks back is the violet-eyed prince.


    Who looks directly at me.