Dark Alpha: A Fated Mates Novel

27: ESCAPE WAS GLORIOUS

~VANNIE~
Vannie beat herself up about what she did in the fields till the next day.

What had she been thinking, jumping from out of nowhere to his defense? He would have caught the blade if he really wanted to! But instead, he'd hesitated a second too long, forcing her hand. Testing her, she realized, because of how triumphant he'd looked when her hastily muttered spell kept the short blade in suspension.

Oh, what she'd do for a time machine.

And she absolutely refused to think about how she would eventually manage to kill someone her instincts pushed her to protect.

"Daffodil, you're my only comfort now," she said out loud, kissing her pet's head. He let out a little howl and licked her hand. He was absolutely outraged on her behalf. "I know, right? Why did he have to so cunny?" He yipped in agreement. Yes, her pup was her only ally.

They both jerked in surprise at the sharp knock at the door of the apothecary. "Who's there?"

It was Sin.

"Why are you here?" She said, jumping up to her feet as Daffodil went crazy (every sign of anger on her behalf disappeared.) The brat jumped all over Sin's legs, yipping and yowling till Sin bent to pat the small snout.

"I missed you," Sin said darkly. She had a feeling that he wasn't talking to the pup.
She was a little worried about him being in this space she now considered hers. With his large frame, even this apothecary seemed to shrink four sizes.

He straightened from his crouch and looked around, sniffing the air, and for a second, she thought he'd smelled the Sorcerer's magick. But then, he said, "Dear Gods, this place is unbefitting," and she could barely cage her relief.

She snorted. "If you didn't care about the apothecary's look when Alaric was still here, then you shouldn't bother now that it's mine."

He looked appalled. "Vannie! Are you trying to accuse me of favoritism?"

He was closer now. One of the up sides to not having a wolf was the fact that she could not smell Sin. But now, she wondered what his scent was like. The world said he was evil, so maybe he'd smell like something forbidden? Maybe he's smell tangy with a dangerous undertone?

Why did she want to find out so badly?
"Well, aren't you?" She taunted, mostly to distract herself from her wayward thoughts, Goddess, help her.

His false appalled look fell away. "Of course not. I'm always going to play favorites when it comes to you." He moved closer still. "The rest of the world can perish from hunger as long as you're fed and warm. The rest of the world can sit in the mud as long as you have your throne. Even if I have to bleed to keep you there." His grin was pure savagery as he said, "Especially if I have to bleed to keep you there."

She shivered. "Nobody is bleeding. Why are you here, Your Majesty?"

He gave her a disapproving look at her use of his address. "I came to get a salve for my wound. Someone left me to get cut."

If she didn't know better, she'd think Sinclair de Noir was pouting. And only the Goddess knew why Vannie was finding him. . .cute. "We both know you could have caught that knife."

He shrugged, taking the seat in front of her and offering his wounded side. "And we both know you could have stopped it from touching me. What made you drop the spell, Vannie?"

She ignored him. "This cut should have immediately healed. What did you do? Sinclair! Why aren't you healing? It's been a full day."

His grin managed to look both mischievous and innocent all at the same time. "Why, I'm waiting for the pretty fae Rapha to put a salve on me. What else would I be doing?"

She felt the sudden, indescribable urge to pinch him in jest. But she'd never let them go that far, so she kept her hands to herself. "Your wolf isn't healing you because you asked it not to. Come here."

He did, quite eagerly, even. Taking a small scoop of the salves she'd been obsessively making, she swiped it over the bruised flesh. It closed up almost instantly. "All done. You may leave now, Your Majesty."

Such audacity, dismissing a King. But he looked unfazed, seeming to even like her prickliness. She could admit that Sin was chasing her, and maybe in another time, she would like it. Want it.

But she would do well to remember that she was in contact with people who were determined to overthrow him. She should be getting ready to kill him, not wish for his shameless flirting to lead somewhere else.

He took her hand that put medicine on him and brought it to his face. And then, he was alternating between inhaling the skin there and kissing it. With such blatant familiarity, as though they'd done this a hundred times before. As if this was not the first time he'd ever touched her this way.

Sin's daemon was getting impatient, she realized. It was only a matter of time before he found it harder to leave her side. Before he asked to mark her and mate with her.
He smiled, as if he saw the trajectory of her thoughts and wanted to reassure her. "If you will not mind, I'd like to properly give you a tour of the Inlands. It will take a long while since our territories are vast, but I wish to show you everything. Especially the factory where the motor was produced."

She instantly grew excited at the last part. "Really?"

He nodded, smiling. "Yes." He stood to his feet, and with one more pat for Daffodil and a lingering glance at her, he left with a "See you later, my Queen."

***

She felt a little heartsick throughout the day for a reason she could not fathom, but she was determined to have dinner with Sin. He'd left a gift for her before he left the apothecary today, it would seem, and she needed to express her gratitude.

"Thank you," she said later, facing him as he ate from a platter of ribs and soup. Sin didn't even act like he'd done something momentous worthy of gratitude, and that more than anything, grated at her. "I found the mount you left for me."

His eyes were so light, they glowed. "Did it please you?"

For a minute, she considered lying. No, it didn't please me. No, I want you to stop doing things like these to me that make me forget how much of a bad person you are.
"Yes. I loved it."

His face broke into a smile unlike any she'd ever seen before, as though the fact that he'd pleased her was one of his greatest life achievement.

"I'm glad," he said simply, and so was she when he finally glanced down at his plate of red soup. He still had that cursed smile on his mouth, but now it was a little bashful. Why couldn't it be easy? Why couldn't be the charming Alpha that came from the neighboring territory for a meeting at Zhode, and met her in the process? Why did they have to be like this?

"If you need me to do anything else for you, don't hesitate to ask it of me."

And suddenly, she couldn't stay in his presence any longer, not even for the delicious food that she knew was specially prepared for her, courtesy of the lemongrass and apples. She wanted to be alone. She rose to her feet and ran out of the dining hall, and he seemed to have picked up on her mood, because he didn't follow her.

Escape was glorious. The stifling weight on her chest didn't ease up, but it felt like she could breathe easier.

She froze, few steps away from her chamber doors, as she realized the only reason why she would feel that way in his presence. She clutched at her chest and felt the faint thudding beneath her palm. Then another distinct double thud.

No. No, no, no!

No.

Her wolf was coming back.