Ice Blue [ Book One ]

18 // Summoned

Back and forth now I'm feelin' guilty
Cause I just can't stop this pendulum in my head
Though I know that our time is ending
I'd rather lay forever right in this bed

• • •

"The Council has summoned you."

I stop brushing my hair and meet Princeton's eyes through the mirror on my vanity, before turning to him slowly with my hairbrush still stopped halfway through brushing. "Excuse me, but what?"

"The Council, they are holding Unum noctem Pacem," Princeton said grimly, edging closer to me as he watched me with his careful eyes.

"One Night Peace," I murmured, translating the very important, very ancient Latin term into English. My grip on the hairbrush tightened, and my scalp burned as a reminder of the hair I was pulling. I separated the brush from my locks of hair and tossed it onto the counter. "Well crap."

"You know of it, then."

"Of course I do. It's very rarely stationed, but when it is . . . " I trailed off, looking for him to continue.

He nodded darkly, and finished, "Shedding of blood ends, battles find Alliance, and the supernatural forget their feuds. Just for one night."

"Right," I murmured, turning back and staring at myself in the mirror. "This means that the council members will call upon the spokesmen of their supernatural species and ask them to come forward."

"Yes," Princeton agreed, meeting my eyes through the mirror.

My mind rushed back to the first words Princeton spoke to me. "You said they brought this on because of me? Why?"

He reached his hand out and played with my brushed hair, his fingers grazing the silky strands gently. "The knowledge of our pairing has gotten out, thanks to the Gonzales no doubt. It is strange enough when a supernatural coupling is interlinked. Say a fae and vampire, or a warlock and a human. It is strange, but it is not challenged for the most part. Yet the knowledge that wolves have a goddess who chooses our mates is a different thing — and for that goddess to bring together a feline shifter, the most mysterious of us all and who live under the sun and bask in its rays, and a wolf, who soaks in the shine of the moon and Her blessings, is completely and utterly confusing."

I hummed as I felt his fingers gingerly caress my scalp, massaging it soothingly. I closed my eyes and swallowed a moan of satisfaction at the gentleness of it all. "You'd think they'd act more like the powerful forces they are and simply ask us about it instead of calling on Unum noctem Pacem," I murmured in response. "Though I can also see their side. There isn't much to gossip about anymore, and the whispers about which vampire screwed which human is getting rather old. Our relationship is simply scandalous in their boring lives."

A soft snort was the response I received as my mate bent down and grazed his teeth across the top of my ear lightly. "Hmm I wonder what they've heard regarding our relationship."

I exposed my neck submissively as his teeth scraped against my ear canal and lowered to the lobe, brushing against it before connecting to the skin below my ear. I practically purred with delight at how nice it felt. "I bet we've done terrible things. Perhaps we've eloped and had children already."

He chuckled, but his lips lowered inch my inch, driving me mad very slowly. "Indeed. Very scandalous. Can't believe you said yes, but I'm sure you don't regret it. How many children have we had?" he purred as his arms wrapped around me.

I squealed as he hoists me up and taps at my outer thighs. I understood the message and wrapped my legs around his waist securely as I used my arms to anchor myself against him and his neck. "Hm, I like to say we have at least four already."