Her Alpha - Complete

Chapter 25

"Just how bad is it at Court?" Pavel asked one of Abe's many informants. From the highest to the lowest of society, Abe had people willing to inveigle and share any secret—for a price. Not that there was anything particularly secretive about the scandal caused by Rose's abrupt disappearance. In fact, all of Court was abuzz with gossip and conjecture about how and where the Omega daughter of revered Guardian Janine Hathaway had escaped to.

"The customers have noticed a lot of pro-dhampir feeling," the Moroi waiter answered. Working at one of Court's finest dining establishments, he got to overhear plenty of Royal Moroi conversations—even Her Majesty occasionally. Unseen on the other end of the phone, Pavel raised his eyebrow. Pro-dhampir sentiment was the polite way of saying anti-Moroi.

While such sentiments occurred from time to time, they were isolated and short-lived. However, in the days following Rose's escape from Court, public outrage about her situation was gaining momentum rather than dissipating. Amongst dhampir, and even a section of the Moroi population, people thought Rose absconding from Court was justified—and they resented Her Majesty's attempts to locate Rose.

With Royal bloodlines notoriously inbred, it was no secret that along with social prestige, Omega females brought a welcome genetic diversity to the family they married into. Royal Moroi might maintain that Rose's incarceration at Court was for her own protection, but everyone else saw it for exactly what it was. A gilded cage ahead of what would amount to a forced marriage.

Pavel knew this was surge was, in part, due to Abe's Machiavellian manipulation of information behind the scenes. A quiet word here, a Guardian commenting to his peers there. Not enough to incite outright dissidence, but enough to fan the flame of public opinion. If Her Majesty hoped this issue was going to quietly die away, she was sorely mistaken. Of course, Tatiana did not understand who she was dealing with.

"I heard there's a reward?"

"Half a million dollars," Abe's informant said, excitement in his tone. "What's it to you?"

"Everything that happens at Court interests me," Pavel said. It wasn't untrue. While Abe lived in Europe, more of his work was happening in America. Knowing the latest from the Moroi seat of government was an essential part of maintaining his power base. But this? This was personal. For the first time Pavel could remember, the boss was exerting his considerable influence with no regard for what was in it for him.

Adrian woke, sober for the first time in... well—for the first time in a while. His aunt's Guardians had kept him up to date on the developments, or rather lack thereof, with Rose so, with nothing else to do, he'd spent his time drinking. Using the bathroom to wash several days' worth of sweat and alcohol from his pores, Adrian shaved, dressed then did his hair. Not strictly necessary for an audience with his aunt, she liked him to look presentable, and it paid to keep aunty on side.

Eleven pm. Tatiana would be finished with breakfast and should be meeting with the Royal Council by now. Provided it was a weekday. Was it a weekday? Adrian checked the clock beside his bed which displayed the day and date for just this reason. Yes. A weekday. Foregoing breakfast in favor of a quick trip to the feeders, Adrian made his way to the Royal Council chamber. Usually open to the public, not that many attended the meetings, today's session was noteworthy in that it was a closed session. That meant something interesting was being discussed. Knowing from experience that if he waited in the narrow hallway behind the Queen's seat he'd be able to hear every word, Adrian seated himself on a bench directly beside the closed curtain Queen Tatiana used to enter and exit the Council chamber.