Chapter 7: Whispers in the Dark
567 Words
The heavy silk sheets of the guest wing bed felt like ice against my bare skin.
I hadn't slept a wink. Every time I closed my eyes, the memory of Alexander’s hands gripping my hips in the study—the rough, possessive heat of his body pinning me against the door—flooded my mind, making my pulse race in a way that infuriated me. I hated him for what he did four years ago, but my body still craved his dark, intoxicating touch like an addiction.
Slipping out of bed, I pulled a dark robe over my shoulders and quietly checked the adjoining room. Leo was fast asleep, his chest rising and falling evenly under the watchful eye of Martha, who had proven to be a comforting presence.
Needing some air to clear my racing thoughts, I stepped out onto the cold stone balcony that overlooked the estate's private courtyard. The midnight air was freezing, but it helped ground me.
"You shouldn't be out here alone, human."
A cold, mocking voice drifted up from the shadows below, making my entire body tense. I leaned over the stone railing and looked down into the dimly lit gardens.
Victoria stood there, a silver chalice filled with dark blood in her hand. Beside her stood an older man dressed in an ornate, dark velvet cloak—a coven elder. They were speaking in hushed, urgent tones, but with the quiet of the night, their voices carried perfectly to my balcony.
"Alexander is blinded by sentimentality," Victoria hissed to the elder, her ruby red eyes flashing with venom. "He thinks he can protect a half-breed child and keep his human trash in the royal wing without a rebellion. The council will never accept a Dhampir as the legal heir to the Sterling throne."
"The boy’s blood is pure royal lineage, Victoria," the elder replied, his voice gravelly and ancient. "Alexander’s power is absolute. If the council challenges him directly, he will slaughter them. We must be smarter."
Victoria took a slow sip from her chalice, a cruel, calculating smirk spreading across her flawless porcelain face. "Then we don't challenge Alexander directly. We eliminate the problem before the council even votes. If the hybrid child vanishes... or suffers a tragic 'accident' in these dangerous woods... Alexander will have no choice but to rely on my family's alliance to keep his crown."
My heart stopped dead in my chest. A cold sweat broke out across my skin as Victoria’s murderous words echoed in my ears. They were planning to kill my baby.
"We strike tomorrow night when Alexander leaves for the council meeting," Victoria whispered, her voice dripping with lethal malice. "Ensure the elite guards are reassigned. I want the human and her bastard completely defenseless."
I stumbled back from the balcony railing, my breath catching in my throat as pure panic seized my chest. I had to get Leo out of here. We weren't protected—we were trapped in a snake pit.
I turned around to rush back into the room, but the moment I took a step, I collided hard with a massive, unyielding chest.
Strong, pale hands instantly wrapped around my waist, steadying me with an iron grip. The overwhelming scent of cedarwood and raw vampire power flooded my senses.
I looked up into the darkness, meeting the burning, intense gray eyes of Alexander. He had heard everything.
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