Didn’t know about the meeting. I’m sorry.
He prayed Aiden believed him. They never had a chance to speak, never had a chance for him to warn Aiden about what he knew of the Ministry’s plot. They could have worked out a plan. At the very least, Aiden wouldn’t have been caught unaware of Heller and his demands.
But no, Ronan had to play the role of the greedy coward. He’d been sure they had at least one more night together before they had to deal with reality. Now they were out of time.
A bitter laugh slipped through his room. Out of time. After he’d just told Aiden that they had time to figure things out, learn about each other, learn to trust each other again—fucking Mara and the European Ministry were making a damn liar out of him. Or maybe just a fool.
The entire ride over to the Varik estate, Ronan wracked his brain for some solution that would save both his skin and Aiden’s while at the same time removing the Ministry threat, but there was none. He tried thinking of something to save Aiden, but all his solutions resulted in Ronan giving up the man he’d loved all his life.
And if that was what he had to do to keep Aiden safe…
By the time Michael pulled the rental car into the driveway to the Varik home, a cold resolution had filled his chest, sliding like ice through his veins. It was easier this way. He’d said that he cherished each stolen moment he had with Aiden. He’d gotten the kiss he’d always regretted not stealing. He’d gotten more than he ever dreamed possible after they were separated. It was enough.
Marcus met them at the door. The eldest Varik was dressed in a beautifully tailored suit, but it did nothing to soften his dark expression. It was an odd thing. He’d watched plenty of other vampires around Ministry members and their emissaries, and all of them had been endlessly polite and pandering to their every whim. They couldn’t even pass by without having their egos stroked.
But there was none of that pleasantness here.
Of course, the feeling was that this was a meeting of equals. The European Ministry was supposed to have no power within this territory. It was a courtesy to just allow the envoy on their soil.
“I hope King Aiden is prepared for this meeting,” Mara said stiffly.
“His Majesty is eager to finally have this business concluded so he can move on to more pressing matters,” Marcus countered smoothly, making it abundantly clear that whatever had brought the European Ministry to his attention was the least of his worries. From where he walked just behind Mara’s left shoulder, he could see a faint stain of anger paint her cheek and her lips pressed harder into a thin line.
Marcus led the way across the foyer and into the nicely decorated office, where he’d spoken with Aiden just a couple of nights earlier. The king was seated behind his desk, typing away at his computer. Ronan struggled to keep his face clear of expression as he took in Aiden’s appearance. Gone was the sweaty, blood-spattered vampire who laughed at danger and spoke fondly of the woman who’d gifted him with four amazing sons. Tonight, dressed in a dark-charcoal gray suit and red tie was a man of power and cool reserve. A man in complete control of his domain.
Mara stood in front of Aiden’s desk, her hands folded in front of her as Ronan maintained his position behind her left shoulder and Michael stood on her right. Marcus closed the door and moved around the room to stand near Aiden’s desk as if it were his job to be ready to fetch Aiden anything he needed.
“Your Majesty, I—” Mara’s words were cut off suddenly when Aiden held up one finger, halting her. A slightly choked noise escaped Mara, and there was no stopping Ronan’s grin. Aiden was making sure she understood that they were on his time and he was in control of the situation.
Marcus caught Ronan’s grin and merely lifted an eyebrow in question. Ronan smoothed out his features again before Mara or Michael could catch him. Aiden continued typing for another three full minutes. He clicked the mouse and turned toward them, his hands folded on the desk.
“Now, please have a seat. Let’s see if we can clear up this matter that seems to have kept you in my domain,” Aiden said. His expression was neither stern nor inviting.
Tension practically vibrated from Mara’s slender frame as she sat on one of the chairs in front of Aiden’s desk. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with the European Ministry emissaries. Our stay in your domain has been most educational.”
“How nice. What concern of the European Ministry has brought you to my door?”
Ronan inwardly cheered Aiden and his skillful choice of words. At Mara’s every dig and attempt to claim a little power in the room, Aiden was dodging her and pulling the rug from beneath her feet. He’d made it clear that she was there purely by his grace, and he’d offered to do nothing for them.
Growing up, he’d seen plenty of examples of Aiden’s brilliance when planning battlefield tactics and strategies, but he’d never seen him use that wonderful mind for politics. His enemies didn’t stand a chance.
“It has been brought to the attention of the European Ministry that Christopher Heller and his clan have been banished from the Americas. He has successfully petitioned the European Ministry to speak on his behalf and request that he and his clan be granted a full pardon. That pardon would also grant the Heller clan permission to continue living within the Americas.”
“My,” Aiden said with a strange smile Ronan couldn’t recall ever seeing on his friend. “That is a tangle of contradictions you’ve presented. Shall I pick them apart one by one, or would you prefer to present your case differently?”
“I beg your pardon,” Mara choked out.
“Yes, I think you will before this is over, but let’s start with the Treaty of Independence set down by the European, American, and Asian Ministries of 1724. You might not be familiar with it because you weren’t born yet, were you?”
“How would you even know when I was born? I could have—”
“Mara Schneider, nee Karolina Walczak, was born in 1893. In 1919, you were reborn as a vampire. Your sire was Freja Lorenzen, and your gift is the ability to levitate items,” Aiden quickly recited to Mara’s gasp. “But that is all beside the point. The Treaty I mentioned is an agreement that no Ministry has jurisdiction to make laws or judgments over any vampires outside its own borders. The fact that Heller has successfully petitioned the European Ministry would intimate that he and his clan are currently within European Ministry borders. And yet, you also said they wish to continue living within the Americas, which would also intimate that they are still here. It’s a case of Schrödinger’s cat for the Heller clan.” Aidan sat back and folded his hands on his stomach. “Let’s open the box and discover the truth. Has Heller broken my edict and remained here with his clan? Or is he in Europe and now a citizen of the European Ministry?”
“I-I don’t see what bearing his current location has on this discussion,” Mara stumbled, trying to pull herself together, likely still shocked at Aiden’s possession of incredibly private information.
“A great deal, from my point of view. He’s either in my domain and the European Ministry is claiming stewardship over one of my citizens, or he’s in Europe and my answer is a simple no.”
“The Ministry is not claiming stewardship. We are only offering to speak on his behalf.”