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“Miss Mirren is headed to her bedchamber, about to tuck in for the evening. No one wants her to see the doll in its current condition.”
Good point. My questions about Tavish could wait. “Tell Mirren that Skye is in the critical care unit, where she’ll spend the night, but her doctor is expecting a full recovery by morning, then return here to collect my food and bring it to mybedchamber. Most importantly, remind everyone I refused your deal.” I was queen. Might as well take advantage of my position insomeway.
“I have. Many times,” she said, arms spread. “But Mr. Bruce didn’t beast-out at the ceremony of kings, and he hasn’t killed anyone lately, so no one believes me.”
I puckered my lips. He hadnotkilled people all willy-nilly before the wedding. Had he? “Well, be prepared to stay in my room a while.” We’d finallyhave our talk.
“Of course,” she said, giving me a nudge toward the door. A familiar gesture. Almost friendly. “The doll, remember?”
Right. I raced to the room, gathered my tools, supplies and Skye, then beat feet to Callen’s suite. Thora stalked from the closet and watched as I set up shop at the desk, aka the critical care unit.
“Hey, baby girl. Miss me?” I checked my phone for messages. Nothing from my nemesis, but there was a text from Callen. Anticipation pricked me.
Mr. Bruce: Are you staying out of trouble, wife?
Warm pleasure spread through my veins as I reclined in the chair. Yes, I might have smiled as I typed my response.
Probably not. Are YOU?
A reply arrived only seconds later.
Definitely not. Now stop distracting me. I’m in the middle of a wolf execution.
No he was not. Was he? And did he have to be so charming, even now?
Heart thudding, I typed:
Did you capture Tavish?
Not adding a hundred extra question marks required a strength of will I hadn’t known I possessed.
I waited for a response.
Still waiting.
I tried a different route.
By the way. As queen, I’ve instituted a new law. Ladies choose their dates. No one chooses for them, not even a king. Say nothing if you agree.
Mr. Bruce: I will allow you to convince me of the law’s merits upon my return.
So. He refused to answer anything regarding the wolf king. Noted and accepted. Worry about Tavish would do me no good. Honestly, worry ruined everything, paralyzing my efforts to proceed with my goals, making me miserable in the process. Maybe Callen had captured the shifter, maybe he hadn’t. I would get my hands on the potion either way. Someone, somewhere, knew how to mix it.
Focusing, I got to work, going hard and fast, with zero distractions. Until three steps from the finish line, Mackenzie arrived with the tray of food.
“Because you’re pretending to be American,” she muttered, motioning with her chin to the hamburger and chips that overflowed from the plate. Red berries and clotted cream accompanied a shot of whiskey.
Mouth watering, I set Skye aside and cleaned off a spot on the desk. Mackenzie placed the tray in the now empty space.
“Thank you,” I said, waving to the chair across from me. “Hungry? Would you like half?”
“Nay,” she replied, easing into the seat. She wrung her hands.
Nervous? “Tell me all about you. Start with who you’re dating.” I’d get her talking freely before I mentioned the clan’s greatest enemy.
“Certainly. But first.” She reached into a large pocket ofher uniform and lifted a small electronic tablet of some sort. “A messenger arrived with a gift from Mr. Bruce.”
A gift? For me? Speaking of, I still needed to check out whatever gifts Malachi had sent.
