As the servant girl stepped aside in the hall to let Lex and I enter, just the slight click due to the size of the door closing behind us startled us both. I’d felt his hands rearrange, the one that had been holding mine jump to my back as the other one grabbed my wrist. My insides already quivering, I began to see a physical shake to my hands. Nibbling on my lip as if that would solve something, I waited for whatever news awaited us.
All were present. Not that that was anything new here - we did all meals together. Yet, the air seemed tight in the room, as if there wasn’t enough for all of us. I began to talk my lungs out of hyperventilating. The emotions of everyone present hit me like a blow to the gut. Part of my training had been to utilize the empathic skills the magic gave me. This had only been practiced in training simulations,; given in real life, if another battle ensued, it could come in handy. At the time, I’d hoped never to have to use it.
Here, at this minute though, the anxiousness, the anger, along with a whirl of other smaller emotions like fear, duty, and sadness gave me the strong, distinct impression that soon I may be using all I’d learned. I’d known the Royal werewolves were often called to help when I’d agreed to become one. In fact, I wanted to help as I’d been. I owed my life, the man I loved, to these people and to others. I’d serve. I berated my honeymooning phase for making me greedy, for not wanting these ideal days to end yet. Lex pulled me into him when my breathing became rather frantic, adjusting to all the feelings at once, soon unable to decipher which were mine and which belonged to them. Still, I’d also become a victim to my runaway thoughts.
“Please. Come. Sit down. We have some news we need to share, and your first assignment,” Catherine said, gesturing us toward empty seats at the table where they all had gathered.
We quickly did as we were asked, taking the empty seats that had possibly been reserved for us, directly across from the head Royals, Catherine and Edward. The table had been fully set for lunch. Platefuls of food sat untouched in front of each of us. My stomach rumbled instinctively seeing the bowls of fresh fruit salad I’d come to love here, especially since we’d both worked out a lot the last few hours. Sadly, I didn’t think I could manage to chew and swallow even if I had to at the moment. By the looks of things, we all felt the same.
“We heard from Nira,” Edward began. “More, we got a distress call. We thought you would want to know, maybe want to help, given your connection to the vampires. All they have done to help us in the past, getting both Lex and you to us safely most recently, we will be sending as many as possible to help their clan.”
“Of course we would help Nira. She did so much for us, saved both Lex and my life in a matter of days, losing many of her vampires in the process. What is going on?” I asked as a tight knot formed in my stomach, and my legs started to tremble.
I placed my ringing hands under the table, sitting on the edge of my seat to find out what was going on. Lex’s hand on my back had begun to rub. Though well-meaning, his agitated pace only helped to increase my heart rate, make adrenaline surge through my body even more than it already had been. My mouth so dry my lips were beginning to feel stuck together, I wanted a sip of the drink in front of me, but feared I’d gag if I attempted to get it down right now. So instead, I continued to uselessly lick my lips, gaining me nothing but something to do, another way to fidget.
“Well, the man in the black suit, as I believe you referred to him, Christina, the man who captured Lex to get you, the one you and Nira’s vampires defeated his first pack, named Daniel…” Catherine had begun until Edward stopped her rambling by placing a hand on hers on the table.
He patted it twice before beginning, “I believe we know to whom you are referring, Catherine. It’s okay.”
He’d not been rude or demeaning in any way. More his true concern for her showed in the lines of his face, the way his eyes clouded over looking at her with genuine concern. He’d never be one of those husbands that lorded over his wife, spoke for her, as though she had nothing worthwhile to share. These two were true partners, fifty-fifty in all they did. Besides, as far as I had seen, they did everything together, and never with even a hint of getting on each other’s nerves. Their relationship had amazed me from the beginning, and continued to now as I sat here awaiting the grim news. Had to be bad if the man in the black suit had been mentioned.