With Everything I Am (The Three #2)(51)

“Years ago, I felt the connection,” she threw out. “And, no matter what you say, Cal, you did too. I know it.”

Sonia’s body moved, those movements were slight but filled with disquiet.

He gave his mate a comforting squeeze before he said derisively, “Hardly, Desdemona.”

“What we had was good!” she cried desperately, leaning further forward.

“What we had was sex,” Callum returned dismissively and Sonia jerked in his arms which didn’t squeeze comfortingly this time, they tightened.

“I’m consort to a king!” Mona declared madly, moving up the steps.

Ryon shot forward, hooked an arm firm around her waist and stopped her.

Callum’s voice lowered but, even so, he knew every wolf in the room could hear.

“You were nothing but a f**k, Mona. A good one but I’d had better before,” he moved slightly his eyes never leaving Mona as he rubbed his temple against Sonia’s hair, making his message clear before he murmured, “And definitely better since.”

He heard Sonia’s breathing escalate as he saw her chest start to rise and fall with agitation but she kept her seat which satisfied him. This was an intense situation amongst a passionate people, something she wasn’t used to but she was handling herself, as he had guessed she would, brilliantly.

Mona didn’t handle herself nearly as well.

Fighting against Ryon’s hold, she snapped, “But she’s blonde. You hate blondes.”

“I’ve changed my mind,” Callum returned coolly.

To that, Mona’s arms went ramrod straight, her face grew red and she shrieked, “She is not our queen. She’s f**king human.”

Irreverence to his queen spoken aloud during an official assembly in a throne room.

Callum held back his smile.

Mona was so deep, even Titium couldn’t dig her out.

“Get her out of here, Ry,” he ordered.

“Released to find her mate?” Ryon asked, his lips twitching.

“Fuck no. Sequester her,” Callum answered.

“No!” Mona shrieked while she struggled.

“Okey doke,” Ryon muttered and a few wolves chuckled.

Sonia, he noted vaguely, had clenched her fists.

As Ryon handed Mona off to two warriors who led her struggling body out of the room, Caleb climbed the dais and stood at his right side. Then his deep voice rang out in the vast room.

“Are there those in this company who have issue with our human queen?”

No one spoke.

Caleb went on, “Are there those whose allegiance lies with Desdemona?”

More silence.

Caleb’s voice then announced loudly, “Then behold our new queen!”

Everyone looked at Sonia. Sonia blushed.

“You’re laying it on a bit thick, aren’t you, brother?” Callum muttered.

There were several chuckles, a few full-blown laughs and a room full of smiles.

“I thought the situation warranted it,” Caleb replied with a bold grin as he leaned against the side of his brother’s throne.

Callum threw him a look then turned his head, his mouth seeking Sonia’s ear and he asked softly, “Would you like to meet your warriors, baby doll?”

She twisted her neck and her green eyes searched his. She pulled in breath through her nose and, finally, nodded.

He stood up, lifting her to her feet. He slid his arm around her shoulders and tucked her into his side.

To his men in the room, he stated, his voice proclaiming proudly, “It’s time for you to meet Sonia.”

* * * * *

“Jesus, it’s brilliant finally to have something to do,” Calder announced, sitting back in his chair and grinning broadly.

Callum studied his brother from his seat behind a desk cluttered with the remains of the meal they’d eaten there while going through intelligence reports and notes on interrogations. For hours, throughout all of this, except for when Caleb had escorted her to the bathroom, Sonia had sat silently in his lap, even when they ate.

Calder, Callum knew, if he had not been of royal blood, would undoubtedly be the leader of an insurrection. All wolves had an abundance of energy, a zest for life, strength in their opinions and none of them shied away from a fight.

Calder was all that and a great deal more.

Calder, more impatient and volatile even than Callum, was a brilliant warrior, if a flawed strategist, who appeared to be at his most relaxed in the middle of a bloody battle.

His brother, Callum decided, needed to find his f**king mate.

And his brother, Callum decided, once this was finished, would go on a quest to seek her. He’d hand down the order himself.

“Though,” Calder went on, his eyes flashing to Sonia before he grinned, “it’s disappointing that we’re not going to have the mating ceremony. You’d love that, Sonia,” he told her. “Our people like a good party and A Mating is the f**king best.”

“Maybe after this is over, Callum will give Sonia a ceremony,” Ryon suggested, his eyes soft on Callum’s mate.

Callum’s eyes were anything but soft on his cousin.

Jesus, if he didn’t know better, he’d think Ryon had a thing for her.

“A Royal Mating is even better,” Caleb threw in, also grinning at Sonia. “A f**king blast.”