Chapter 46


    Forty-Seven: Natalie


    Natalie''s P.O.V.


    "Absolutely not!" I snapped as we walked away.


    Joselin pursed her lips as she looked away from me and to Killian as if she was expecting him to take


    her side over mine. ''She felt it!"


    He let out a deep breath, and I knew that if I looked back he would be pinching the bridge of his nose. It


    was his tell that he was frustrated. But I didn''t look back, because I knew in my heart that we had


    grown past this. He wouldn''t be taking her side over mine, not over something as significant as blood.


    "It couldn''t hurt to do some testing."


    My body went still, and he caught himself just as his chest collided with my back. His hands found my


    hips, and he steadied me as Joselin smirked in victory. He didn''t bother to unhand me as I spun around


    in his arms, ring up at him.


    "Seriously? It''s my body, my blood. I said no."


    He must have not realized how angry it would make me for the two of them to not respect my decision.


    Joselin groaned out in irritation, and I turned my re to her as she spoke up. "I thought you were over


    this whole you versus me thing! Friends, remember?" ''We are friends, and I''m not mad that he''s siding


    with you right now." I tried to step back, but Killian''s hold on me tightened slightly. "I am irritated with


    both of you equally. I said no to you wanting to take my blood, and I don''t need the two of you trying to


    pressure me or gang up on me, so I am stopping this conversation here before we get into an actual


    argument." "But you felt the magic. Do you know how rare that is for someone who doesn''te from


    magic?" She asked, and she lit up with excitement.'' This could exin why you didn''t shift!" "I felt


    death. I felt a darkness that made me want to jump in the shower and scrub myself clean as if I had just


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    been standing in a room full of rotting corpses. There was nothing magical about it." I lowered my voice


    as I spoke, knowing others could still hear me with their supernatural abilities, but hoping it wasn''t loud


    enough for the sound to get back to the infirmary where said infected men were resting.


    "Just a few tests. You can watch me do them, and then you can dispose of the blood yourself." Her


    pleading was unexpected, but I knew she needed a win. After failing at finding more information on the


    curse, she seemed eager to get answers about me.


    But while I wanted to trust her, I had heard about witches. I had heard what they could do to you if they


    got their hands on one of your personal items. Handing over blood was suicide if it got into the wrong


    hands.


    I let out a sigh.


    ''There is something else I want to try first to trigger my shift." I felt Killian breathing pause as he held


    his breath for a moment, and I knew he was thinking about the mark I had asked for. "If that doesn''t


    work, I will let you run your tests, and I will dispose of my blood when you are done. But... if the council


    is here, the deal is off. I don''t want any of the other witches to know about it. They don''t need to get


    their hands on my blood."


    Joselin pulled her lips in before popping them out and nodding in agreement. "I agree to your terms."


    The sight of Charlotte rounding the corner made us all pause, but it was the furious look on her face


    that had Killian moving around me and stepping between me and his sister. "Are you out of your mind,


    Killian Amery?" "Oh," Joselin chuckled darkly. "This is going to be good." "Oh, for the love of the


    Goddess! Whatever it is, we can have this conversation in my office." Killian groaned, reaching down to


    grab my hand before pulling with him down the hallway and toward the office that we had just fucked in.


    My cheeks burned as I remembered how demanding he was. I loved it when he took control, but that


    didn''t mean that I would let him do that all the time. At some point, there were a few fantasies that I


    wanted to make reality too.


    The girls were silent as they followed, Joselin looking positively gleeful and Charlie fuming. I half


    expected Killian to burst into mes from her re on his back. But he wisely bit his tongue until we


    had reached the office.


    I smirked when I spied the documents on his desk. They were still pushed off to the side. Hisptop


    was hanging over the edge, and as he pulled me to his side of the desk, he pushed it back onto the


    surface.


    "Sit." Hemanded, and I looked to the other two women, expecting them to take a seat, but I found


    all three pairs of eyes staring at me. Killian released my hand, cing his warm palm on my lower back


    and guiding me toward his chair while he stood at my side.


    Oh, my heart.


    It was a sign of respect, one that sent an odd flutter through my chest. I kept my hand down at my side


    as I resisted the urge to rub away the weird sensation.


    "You''re bringing in the council? We don''t know if we can trust them, Killian!" Her voice was deeper than


    before, more gravelly as if she were trying to prevent herself from shifting.


    ''We have no choice. I will not put our pride before our people. There will be extra precautions in ce


    during their stay, but we need answers. If getting a group of our allies to pool their magic and provide


    those answers will save not only our family but our people, then that is a chance I am willing to take!"


    Killian growled, his hand resting on the back of the chair that I was sitting on.


    ''You should have discussed this with me! We could have looked at other options!" Charlie refused to


    sit. Instead, she leaned forward with her hands on the edge of the desk as she red daggers at her


    brother.


    "I don''t need to discuss anything with you, Charlotte. You are the one who chose to leave. You don''t get


    a say when you are not ever here. I am the King!" His body shook, and I looked over my shoulder at


    him. His glowing red eyes were burning bright toward his sister, and I reached up and ced my hand


    on his.


    As soon as we touched, his ws retracted from the leather surface, leaving holes in their wake.


    "I did what was best for me! I couldn''t stay here. How long are you going to resent me for leaving?


    You''re making a mistake bringing them here, Killian!" Charlie’s face was hard and cold. A mask of what


    she was truly feeling as her voice cracked.


    ''You are one person, Charlotte! I am doing what is best for millions!" Killian stepped forward, keeping


    his hand beneath mine but moving to stand at my side instead of being behind my shoulder like a


    bodyguard. "I am happy you left and found peace! But you don''t get toe in here every time you


    stop by, trying to take control of the kingdom that you left behind!" ''And what of Talia? How do you think


    she will react when she arrives and learns the truth?" The bitter question was meant with silence, and I


    watched with wonder as even the smirk from Joselin''s face fell. She had been enjoying the bickering,


    but the second the name left Charlie''s lips, her amusement was gone.


    Talia.


    Who the fuck is Talia?