Court of the Vampire Queen

by Katee Robert

Their argument ultimately won’t change anything. I have to go off what Wolf says. He’s my priority right now. “Feels nice.” I blink. “What?” He shifts enough to look up at me out of one eye. “Being the priority. Wish it were better circumstances.”

“Wolf.” I lean down and rub my cheek on his bare thigh. “Do you know what I would like right now?” He sifts his fingers through my hair. Not tugging. Not guiding. Just touching me as if the very contact soothes him. “What?” “I want to take care of you.” He tenses against me so I press a kiss to his thigh. “Will you let me do that?” “I thought you were going to tell me to fuck your mouth.” He gives a low, strained laugh. “Quite the twist there, love.”

“You’re going in alone.” “What?” “You’re right. Your father’s power is a threat while you get him into position. We can’t guarantee he won’t be able to use it, and if he does, we’re more of a liability than a help.” He nods at Malachi. “Mal will be setting fires. Wolf and I will go in to the east and west and do what damage to the forces we can. Maybe set a few fires ourselves if we can find a way to do it that won’t result in more deaths.” His dark eyes are sympathetic. “You were always going to be the one to kill Cornelius., Mina. It has to be you.”

Wolf laces his fingers through mine. Through the bond, I feel a wave of gratitude from him.

He presses a kiss to my forehead. “We won’t leave you to do it alone. All three of us will be fighting our way to you. You just need to survive until we get there.”

“Yes. But you’re not doing it alone.” He presses his hand to my lower stomach. “You have us. I meant what I said last night. We will make this place the safest spot in the realms to raise our children. Anyone—anyone—who threatens us won’t live long enough to regret it.”

“What’s this?” Wolf saunters through the door. “Couldn’t do the whole place in the time we had, but we figured you didn’t want to be surrounded with memories of the monster.” He eyes the mattress with distaste. “This is the largest we could find on short notice.”

I love you, little dhampir.” “I love you, too.” “Forever.” I go up onto my toes and kiss him. “Forever.”

Even the bad stuff isn’t world-ending because I’m not facing it alone. I’ll never have to face it alone ever again. And neither will my men.