The Heartless Hybrid Queen

Chapter 17 - Aurora

I feel consciousness seeping into my mind, bringing with it an alertfulness I wasn't expecting to feel after passing out. When I open my eyes the world comes into focus immediately and I am aware of the crackling of the fire across the room and of Samael's embrace surrounding me.

His fingers in my hair tempt to lure me back into unawareness, but the whispered voices of Adelaide and a man I've never seen before distract me. They sit in front of the fire, heads close together and speaking in hushed tones.

I turn to look up at Samael, and he beams down at me. "Welcome back," he says softly. Leaning down, he places a sweet kiss on my lips and nuzzles my nose lightly. "How do you feel?"

I smile at his closeness, and the comforting sound of his voice. "I feel completely fine."

"And Danika?" he asks me, moving us into a sitting position in the middle of the bed.

"Danika?" I call out to her in my mind.

Silence.

Frowning, I look up at my mate. "I can't feel her."

I focus harder, concentrating on her voice, and soon the image of a large black wolf with a white patch over its left eye, curled up asleep, materializes in my mind.

"She's sleeping," I say to Samael.

"We'll let her rest." He gets up, reaching out for my hand. "Come over here, I had some food brought up for you."

He leads me to the sitting area in front of the fireplace; Addie and the new man occupy the two armchairs on one side, and Samael and I sit in the two across from them.

Between the four chairs is a large table overflowing with food. My mouth instantly begins to salivate and my stomach growls loudly.

Samael piles a plate high with eggs, sausages, bacon, beans, toast, and some kind of fluffy pastry with a filling in the center. He lays the plate on the table in front of me, next to a bowl of mixed berries, and I almost moan at just the thought of devouring all this food.

Pouring a glass of that delicious glistening juice, and laying it next to my plate, he motions to the strange man and says, "This is Seth, he's my second-in-command and my best friend."

I quickly swallow my second mouthful of food and look up at the man next to Addie; I'm taken aback by the sheer size of him. He doesn't seem quite as tall as Samael, but he is definitely bigger. Broad shoulders and bulging muscles ripple under his tight fitted clothes. His hair is a warm brown colour, and it falls to his shoulders in waves. Facial hair covers his face, and he has a thick, scruffy beard, his eyes are the same brown as his hair, and they have a friendly glint to them. He is big, burly, and honestly looks too large for the chair he's sitting in.

"Hello Aurora. I'm Seth Acheron, it is an honour to meet my new queen." He bows his head to me in respect and I smile at him.

"It's nice to meet you as well. How long have you known Samael?" I ask him.

Samael and Seth exchange looks and laugh. "I've known Sam for over four hundred years. We were raised together, as my father was the former King Gideon's second-in-command."

"Sam?" I question, looking at my mate curiously.

Samael rolls his eyes, "He insisted the second 'a' was unnecessary and called me 'Samel' for about two hundred years. I think he got lazy after a while and it shortened to 'Sam'." He glares at Seth, who shrugs.

"It helps separate the king from the vampire," he says laughing, "Sam is my friend, Samael is my king."

I smile at their obvious closeness, a little jealous perhaps that Seth has known him for centuries, while I only just met him.