The Heartless Hybrid Queen

Chapter 21 - Samael

My eyes are glued to Aurora's body as she sways to the music. I'm about to join her on the dance floor when my father approaches.

"A word please, son?" he says.

"In the morning, father," I sigh at him. He seriously wants to talk now of all times.

"This is about the council meeting tomorrow; I am afraid it cannot wait." He does look worried, but I refuse to let Aurora out of my sight and watching her enjoy herself is too precious to miss.

I shake my head and my father's eyes narrow, he grinds his teeth and lowers his voice, "If you want your queen to be accepted in this kingdom, you will come with me, now."

I sneer at him, was that a threat? I look at Adelaide, who rolls her eyes, "Yes, I'll keep an eye on her."

I turn to my father, giving him a hard glare. "Lead the way."

He walks through the crowd to the front doors of the banquet hall, and I follow him out of the room and halfway down the corridor before he heads into a hidden supply closet built into the wall.

"If anything happens to Aurora while I'm gone, I won't hesitate to kill you father." I say calmly as he closes the door, leaving only the torches on the wall to lighten the room.

"I am sure she will be fine. She is a hybrid after all." He waves off my threat and sighs. "Since she refuses to let us talk about who she is in public, I figured this would be the best place for our conversation."

"So this is not just about the council meeting tomorrow, it's about Aurora!" I interject angrily.

"It is about both." He growls at me, and I glare at him. "Of the thirteen coven leaders and the thirteen council members, only a few voted against forming an alliance with the werewolf kingdom. What was it? Something like twenty-two in favour and only four in disagreement? Son, that is almost unanimous."

"Fucking Nyx, father, make your damn point," I interrupt him harshly.

"If Aurora reveals that her father is the werewolf king, I believe she will be welcomed much more warmly amongst the leaders of this country. They obviously want this alliance, and she could be a vital part of it." I figured this was what he was trying to get at, and he is not wrong, but I won't force Aurora to do that if she is not ready.

"I will let her know the benefits, but it will be up to her whether she tells them or not," I say in a tone that ends the conversation abruptly.

My father nods his head in defeat, "I am curious, who were the votes against the alliance?"

"Viktor Whitewood, Lucien Nightshade, and Xavier Crawley were the coven leaders, and Issac Merrill was the council member," I mutter, "Don't worry, I've had eyes on them ever since. We know they've been meeting with representatives from the Emberi Empire, and we'll handle it. Now I'm going back to find Aurora. Enjoy your night." I glare at him and walk out the door, leaving him alone in the tiny room.

When I enter the banquet room, my eyes roam the dancefloor looking for Aurora. Maeve Norrix makes her way over to me. The way she looked at Aurora and ignored her when we met with her and her father, Bryce, earlier was despicable. I glare at her but she just smiles seductively, "A dance, my king?" she asks, holding out her hand towards me.

I don't even humour her with a response, instead I push further into the room, looking for Aurora. Should I be nicer to Maeve? Perhaps. She hasn't actually done anything wrong, and I did sleep with her, but she knew it wasn't anything serious.

A hand on my shoulder grabs my attention and I turn to face Seth, who is followed by a very worried looking Adrian and Dimitri. I look behind them for Aurora but she's not there. Neither are Soleil or Adelaide.