When Chronos awoke, there was a numbed pain between his eyes that felt all too familiar, but he brushed it off at first. That wouldn't make sense. It wouldn't make sense because they were past that and she had absolutely no reason to want to put him out of the game.
They were past that.
Then the events of the night before hit him.
Annaliese had gone to sleep last night thinking Chronos didn't want anything to do with her. Sexually, he'd left her unsatisfied to maintain his own lies.
He'd left his mate unsatisfied.
Before he'd known Annaliese, Chronos hadn't wanted a mate. He didn't want to lose that kind of freedom to a woman who wouldn't be enough to satisfy him. But now he was down to the mating business, things were turning on their head.
He hadn't been enough to satisfy her.
He felt like a dick—but it had been necessary. When they were calmly settled in the Common World, he'd tell her the truth. That way, he could deal with her anger in a closed, controlled system.
But that didn't make him feel any less of a dick.
He sat up straight in the bed when the door to their room opened. Annaliese came sauntering through, a blank look on her face.
"Where have you been?"
He hadn't even noticed she'd been gone—which was wrong. If his beast had perceived her leaving, he would've woken up. Hell, he wouldn't have let her leave until they'd discussed what happened. Even if that meant pinning her to the bed, the two of them would've gotten through it.
"I've been out for a walk. Don't worry your pretty little head."
"A walk where?"
"Along the beach. Nothing to worry over."
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Because I'm fully capable of walking on my own. I don't need you to babysit me."
He hadn't meant it like that. Damn it. Something between them felt icy.
"What's the plan for today?" He asked, trying to change the subject. "Are we going to the palace?"
"There's no need."
He frowned. "Why not?"
"Because I've already been." She dropped a portal jumper to the end of the bed and turned for the mirror to fix her hair. It was still windy outside. Gods, she was starting to miss the heat of Veneficus. "I went whilst you were sleeping," She said, ignoring him as he rose from the bed. "Marina and I came to an agreement and she gave me a portal jumper."
"That can't be right."
"Are you doubting me?"
"No." Yes. It couldn't be right because he'd have known.
"Then I don't see how that can't be right."
He shook his head, trying to clear his mind.
"You would've been gone for over an hour if you went to the palace."
"That's right."
"I would've woken up."
"Why would you?"
"My beast would know that you're not nearby. He wouldn't like it." He should've woken up. It was the first instinct of protecting her. If she'd been out of sight for as long as she said she'd been, then there was no way he would've slept through it. Unless...
No.
She wouldn't do that.
They were past that... right?
YOU ARE READING
Reign of Blood
Werewolf"You can't stop me from stopping you. Knock me out, Blood Queen, and that's a lot of werewolf to drag back up to your castle." The plan had been simple for Chronos. Find the Queen of the witches, kill the Queen of the witches. He'd end her once and...
