but before she could get inside, the men at the door pushed
her back.
"Ashleigh?" Catherine regarded her strangely. She
wiped her nose with the tissue in her hand. "What are you doing
here?"
"Is Caleb in there?" Ashleigh glanced at the
closed door then back at Catherine.
"Yes, with his father and the rest of the
Council." Aiden hit Ashleigh's shoulder with his on his way through the
door. He spoke when she turned to him. "If you grovel for me, I might take
it back."
"You asshole! I—" Ashleigh tried to say something
more, but Catherine covered her mouth.
Aiden laughed softly. He then turned around and went into
the guarded room.
"Caleb will be fine." Catherine pulled Ashleigh
away. Directing her with soft hands on her shoulders, Catherine took Ashleigh
to another part of the room. "He's been through this before."
"It's not fair." Ashleigh sniffled back tears. Her
hand reached up to her nose and wiped at it, though it was dry. "He was
just protecting me. They shouldn't be able to do this to him."
"I know, but this is how it is. Caleb did something
against the rules, and he has to—" Her words were halted when she turned
toward a commotion near the entrance. "What in the world?" She
glanced at Ashleigh. "Let's go see what's going on."
They walked over to the crowd of women surrounding the door,
who were greeting some strange visitors. But Ashleigh wasn't concerned. She was
worried about Caleb. She pulled her hand from Catherine's and trekked backward
as she spoke, "I can’t let them do this. I have to stop them."
"They won't—" Catherine let out a defeated sigh as
she watched Ashleigh jog toward the door. She finished her sentence anyway,
"Let you in."
Ashleigh spoke to the guard. "I need to get in. I'm
Caleb's fiancé.” When he turned to her, she placed her hands in a praying
position, her voice growing more desperate. “Please, let me in."
"Oh…" The guard laughed as he shook his head.
"Well, that's why you're so upset." He took one more glance at the
visitors then back at her. "If I let you in, I need you to promise you'll
go wait in the back room. No bothering the Council's meeting."
A grateful smile filled her lips. "Thank—"
"Let us pass." A man spoke behind her, his accent
thick. His words were firm and slightly annoyed.
The guard's voice was slightly breathless as he held onto
Ashleigh's shoulders, "Your grace. What—"
"Announce our arrival to the Council." The man who
had spoken before, Chase, stood between the guard and the Count. Chase was
dressed in a fine suit of black, from his tie to the dark leather of his shoes.
Ashleigh quickly turned to the men behind her. Her eyes
settled on one in particular. Her jaw dropped. She recited a line from Nightwalkers in her head—
His hair was the color of the harsh
rays of the sun, so blond it almost appeared white. A brilliant yellow light
sparkled in his inhuman emerald eyes. His smile so wicked even an angel would
fall at this handsome man's feet. She knew as soon as she spoke, she would be
cast under his spell. He would have her bowing, bending to his will, and she
was powerless without the protection of her Drake.
Her lip trembled as she stared at him. She swore she knew
his every feature. It was as if she had memorized this man in another life. She
could feel the great connection between them, and it terrified her. This was
the evil prince she thought she had dreamed up—Nicolas.
The thought of her murderous, leading man jumping off the
pages and becoming real forced her into a panic. An intense urge to run swept
over her. She needed to get away from him. Now.
The word slipped off her lips like a tortured whine.
"Shit…" When he turned her way, she quickly looked down. She could
feel the tears stinging her eyes. Her heart raced as she tried not to make eye
contact with the Count again.
"Of course, Master." The guard bowed to Chase and
opened the door.
Speaking in a mousey voice, Ashleigh's eyes were focused on
the ground, "Excuse me."
her back.
"Ashleigh?" Catherine regarded her strangely. She
wiped her nose with the tissue in her hand. "What are you doing
here?"
"Is Caleb in there?" Ashleigh glanced at the
closed door then back at Catherine.
"Yes, with his father and the rest of the
Council." Aiden hit Ashleigh's shoulder with his on his way through the
door. He spoke when she turned to him. "If you grovel for me, I might take
it back."
"You asshole! I—" Ashleigh tried to say something
more, but Catherine covered her mouth.
Aiden laughed softly. He then turned around and went into
the guarded room.
"Caleb will be fine." Catherine pulled Ashleigh
away. Directing her with soft hands on her shoulders, Catherine took Ashleigh
to another part of the room. "He's been through this before."
"It's not fair." Ashleigh sniffled back tears. Her
hand reached up to her nose and wiped at it, though it was dry. "He was
just protecting me. They shouldn't be able to do this to him."
"I know, but this is how it is. Caleb did something
against the rules, and he has to—" Her words were halted when she turned
toward a commotion near the entrance. "What in the world?" She
glanced at Ashleigh. "Let's go see what's going on."
They walked over to the crowd of women surrounding the door,
who were greeting some strange visitors. But Ashleigh wasn't concerned. She was
worried about Caleb. She pulled her hand from Catherine's and trekked backward
as she spoke, "I can’t let them do this. I have to stop them."
"They won't—" Catherine let out a defeated sigh as
she watched Ashleigh jog toward the door. She finished her sentence anyway,
"Let you in."
Ashleigh spoke to the guard. "I need to get in. I'm
Caleb's fiancé.” When he turned to her, she placed her hands in a praying
position, her voice growing more desperate. “Please, let me in."
"Oh…" The guard laughed as he shook his head.
"Well, that's why you're so upset." He took one more glance at the
visitors then back at her. "If I let you in, I need you to promise you'll
go wait in the back room. No bothering the Council's meeting."
A grateful smile filled her lips. "Thank—"
"Let us pass." A man spoke behind her, his accent
thick. His words were firm and slightly annoyed.
The guard's voice was slightly breathless as he held onto
Ashleigh's shoulders, "Your grace. What—"
"Announce our arrival to the Council." The man who
had spoken before, Chase, stood between the guard and the Count. Chase was
dressed in a fine suit of black, from his tie to the dark leather of his shoes.
Ashleigh quickly turned to the men behind her. Her eyes
settled on one in particular. Her jaw dropped. She recited a line from Nightwalkers in her head—
His hair was the color of the harsh
rays of the sun, so blond it almost appeared white. A brilliant yellow light
sparkled in his inhuman emerald eyes. His smile so wicked even an angel would
fall at this handsome man's feet. She knew as soon as she spoke, she would be
cast under his spell. He would have her bowing, bending to his will, and she
was powerless without the protection of her Drake.
Her lip trembled as she stared at him. She swore she knew
his every feature. It was as if she had memorized this man in another life. She
could feel the great connection between them, and it terrified her. This was
the evil prince she thought she had dreamed up—Nicolas.
The thought of her murderous, leading man jumping off the
pages and becoming real forced her into a panic. An intense urge to run swept
over her. She needed to get away from him. Now.
The word slipped off her lips like a tortured whine.
"Shit…" When he turned her way, she quickly looked down. She could
feel the tears stinging her eyes. Her heart raced as she tried not to make eye
contact with the Count again.
"Of course, Master." The guard bowed to Chase and
opened the door.
Speaking in a mousey voice, Ashleigh's eyes were focused on
the ground, "Excuse me."
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