Eleanor felt the air whoosh from her lungs. She had been right. Something had happened to the alpha King. She exchanged knowing looks with Emma, who now acknowledged Eleanor's words she had formerly dismissed."You know how to handle stuff around here. Do so while I am gone." Then she turned to the Omega. "Take me to him." And followed her out the door.Eleanor could not keep herself from worrying about what had happened to Drakken. It seemed really bad from the way the Omega had reacted to it. She managed to tend to the rest of the patients, but her mind did not stop racing.She paced Emma's office, wishing she could go to know what happened. Eleanor was aware she could not. Emma would skin her alive if she were to leave the school without her permission. So she continued to pace in agitation, counting the hours when she would close from work.The hours stretched on and on until day bled into night.Eleanor sprinted out of the healing school as soon as she had retired. She hastened up

Eleanor woke in the early hours of the morning in Drakken's bed. The embers of the fire still glowed in the hearth. Next to her, his breathing was heavy and slow.He laid sprawled on his back, one arm flung over his head, the sheets pushed to his waist. He looked like a sleeping God, his muscled shoulders and arms dark against the white sheets.She was still ogling him in admiration when Drakken stirred awake at the heavy banging on his door, and he had not had the time to come fully awake as Duncan and George burst in without welcome.Eleanor held the sheets tighter to her body at the same time their jaws fell open.Her face flushed with embarrassment."We're..." George lost his tongue. "We are truly sorry about the inconvenience...""Sod off," Drakken growled as they both turned around and hurriedly closed the door behind them.Eleanor intended to slip out of his bed as quickly as possible but he tugged at her arm, and she fell across him, her breast crushed to the heat of his chest

After breakfast, Drakken spent the rest of the morning in his study, not only because he wanted to finish drafting a new fortification plan, but also because he feared that if the guests lingered much longer around him, they might take notice of his agitation. And besides, he was certain his father was in the vampire king and princess' company. He would be smart to stay well away from them.It was afternoon before he saw Duncan walk into his study."Are you busy?"Drakken gestured to his scattered desk of various ledgers. "As you can see.""I am here to remind you about leading the guests on a tour of the kingdom. It is due time."He waved a hand in dismissal. "I do not want to be a part of it. I can no longer bear their aura around me."He had put up with them long enough. Going out of his way to please them sounded obnoxious."I have better things to do than entertain a bunch of guests who have overstayed their welcome," Drakken said, frowning outside his window at a few guests who

She could sense Drakken was mad before he climbed off the horse. It was all getting too repetitive. Him seeing her with his brother and wanting to separate them as soon as possible.Drakken moved swiftly to drag Eleanor away from Benjamin, but she was not having any of his complaints this time."I thought I told you to leave her alone," he growled."Relax. He saved me back in the woods. There is no need to be mean," Eleanor said. "You are overreacting."Her words felt like a slap to the face because Drakken never expected she would defend his brother. His fury knew no bounds. "Why are you so adamant about defying me? Have I not made myself clear enough?" His voice got louder, but not loud enough to gather attention."You may be king, but you cannot decide who I choose to acquaint myself with," Eleanor stated. His reasons for frequently acting this way were unknown to her. He barely told her anything and just expected her to dance to the tune of his music."The girl is right," Benjamin

Eleanor dried the last of her tears when evening came. The library was shockingly a good hideout spot to cry without interruption. Eleanor did not know how long she sat there, nor how long she had been crying. She rose to her feet, walked out of the library, and thankfully for her, Evie was nowhere in sight worrying about where she had been.She headed straight for her room to rest as Emma had advised, following a secret passageway that would guarantee not running into anyone. Her eyes were too puffy for someone not to realize she had been crying.In the quiet passageway, Eleanor heard small footsteps that could be a child's. Gregory? Her suspicions were made right as he peeked out from behind a pillar he was hiding, smiling sheepishly at her."I knew it was you," Eleanor smiled back. "What are you doing?""I thought you were my nanny. She has been looking everywhere for me. We are in a game of hide and seek."She laughed. "I know that is not true. You are making the job harder for th