The next morning I untangled myself from Max’s sleeping form, which was far easier when he allowed it. Even though he slept naked I was still fully dressed, so I stripped out of my jeans and tank top and headed over the opposite end of the room, where a waterfall filled a pool, then drained out over the edge of a cliff.

It was beautiful to look at, but compared to the hot spring it was freezing. The pool had steps which I descended slowly giving myself time to adjust to the water. Once I was waste deep, I looked through the basic of soaps smelling each one and trying to guess which one Max would like the most.

I settled on a pink bar with rose petals in it. As I suds up, I couldn’t help but think how easy it would be to get used to this. Shacking up with a sexy, sweet hunk who knew how to make me cum for four minutes straight in his fairytale castle. There were worse fates. But I couldn’t do anything until I knew Abby was safe and out of the hands of that abusive vampire.

Max stirred as I stepped out of the water, wrapping myself in a large cloth that seemed laid out for that purpose. “Get up, lazy. We have business to take care off.”

He pulled the covers over his head. “Five more minutes.”

I grabbed the bottom of the blanket and snatched it off him. “Sorry, my watch broke in the kidnapping.”

I bit my bottom lip as he sauntered over to the pool scratching his right butt cheek. There was something about it that was so adorably unguarded.

A knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” I called a split second before Max could. After all, this was technically my room for the time being.

In came Mildred with a tray of food. Fluffy eggs, greasy sausage and massive slices of toast dripping with butter. I made a gimme gesture and she sat the tray on the table. Moaning over my first mouthful of eggs, I asked, “Do you guys have coffee?”

"Right away, Miss." Mildred turned on her heels and rushed out the door before I could say another word.

"I hope the kitchens aren't too far down, I'd hate to think I'm making that little old lady climb a bunch of stairs."

The straight line of Max's lips as he stepped out of the pool told me the kitchens were in fact far as hell. I was a bad person.

He grabbed one of my sausages before I could slap his hand away.

"Hurry up and finish breakfast, you need to pick a dress so that we can get ready to go to the palace."

I pointed to my jeans and tank lying balled up on the floor. "Why can't I just wear that?"

Max followed my finger. "I'm not taking you to court in that."

I rolled my eyes. "This is an investigation, not a fashion show. I don't need a dress."

"Wearing street clothes would be considered disrespectful and believe me, you don't want to disrespect a bunch of powerful ancient vampires, especially when you need their cooperation."

"Fine. I'll hurry it up so that we have time for my beauty makeover." I stuffed my mouth with food and chewed aggressively.

Yep, I needed coffee. I was cranky.

After breakfast, I stood in a fitting room, sipping my coffee and deciding which comically impractical dress would be the one to ensure I'd be utterly incapable of self-defense.

"Women really wear this?"

"I assure you, m'lady, these are the newest fashions at court," said the beady-eyed man holding a tape measure to my crotch.

"Where am I going to put my gun?"

"Your holster can be altered to strap around your thigh." Max offered.

That surprised me. I expected him to tell me that I wouldn't need a gun. That he'd protect me or that my weapon would be useless against immortals and I was just clutching on to it like a metallic binky.

Knocked off guard by the lack of contention, I gave in about the dress. "I'll wear the emerald one." The one that most reminded me of his eyes.

It took four people to get the monstrosity over my head. I had to stand on a stool while tailors raised the hem so that it would stop right above the ground. After I chose a dress, Max left to get ready.

While I had a slip underneath, their realm must not have invented the concept of panties yet, so other than my thigh high stockings I was bare down there. And wearing a dress with such flared hips, let's just say I felt every breeze up there on that stool.

After I was dressed, they helped me down and over to a cushion on the floor. Given what I was wearing it was easier to kneel than to sit. How convenient. I knelt down as servants took care of my hair and make-up. So many hands working at once made me feel more like a doll than a person.

As they were finishing up, Max returned in a straight collared jacket with gold and green accents obviously meant to compliment my dress. "Wait, do you have a matching suit for each of these dresses?"

He looked so handsome all dressed up. A sword dangling at his waist. "Of course."

Just then, the leatherworker entered with my altered holster. He handed it to Max who lifted my skirt and strapped it on for me. "You know, it's going to be a pain getting to this thing if I find I need it."

"If you start raising your skirt for any reason, believe me, you will cause a distraction."

I couldn't help but laugh as I tried to imagine that. Once we were dressed, we headed down to a carriage waiting out front. I looked around in every direction.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm looking for my singing mice."

"Come here, Princess." He lifted me up and sat me down inside the carriage. A gesture that was not only sweet, but functional as I wasn't sure if I could have managed it own my own.

He climbed in on the other side and we headed off towards the palace.

"These dresses are ridiculous, you know? These people need a women's movement or something."

He grinned devilishly. "They can be an inconvenience at times, but they have their perks too."

That's exactly what a man would say who wanted to see women walking around in impractical clothing in order to have the advantage. "Perks? Like what?"

Max slipped down from the seat onto the carriage floor. His entire bulky frame was lost under the layers of my skirt before I realized what was going on.

The moment I did, my clenched and started to get wet in anticipation. His fingers dug into my thighs as he pushed my legs apart, which gave him a full view of everything.

I, on the other hand, couldn't see anything. Not his face. Not what he was doing. Nothing. I may as well have been blindfolded given everything worth seeing was buried under my skirts.

When he didn't immediately go for my cunt, I found myself pushing my hips forward towards the edge of the seat. How embarrassing.

I should have at least pretended I wasn't dying to have him tongue fuck me.

When his tongue ran the length of my slit, I grabbed his head through my skirt. Yes, more of that, please.

His tongue flicked my clit sending electric waves through my body. Then he went wild, licking and sucking everything, making me squirm, but he held me firmly in place.

My eyes rolled back, and I flailed around looking for something to grab ahold of ass he assaulted my pussy with his tongue. When I thought I couldn't take anymore, he'd thrust it inside me, making me ache for his cock.

And right when I found myself on the verge of begging, he'd go back to sucking on my clit and making me see stars.

There was no way the driver didn't know what we were doing. My half-muffled cries made it pretty damn obvious, but I didn't care. All I wanted was to come on his silver tongue. "Please let me come," I begged.

He put two fingers inside me and worked them in and out hard and fast, sending shockwaves through me. At the same time, he tongued my clit until I couldn't take any more.

My back arched as I exploded. My juicing flooding as my orgasm left me breathless. As I was coming down he slid his fingers out of me and gently licked me clean.

I was half melted on the seat when he worked his way from under my skirt looking far too pleased with himself.

"One," I argued. "One perk."

He took a seat next to me. "You only say that because I haven't taken you on your hands and knees yet."

I imagined him bending me over, lifting the skirt from behind and sliding inside me. The image made me squeeze my thighs together with want.

"You don't play fair," I mumbled.

He laughed. "Neither do you."

He had a point.

The ride to the palace was long enough for me to fall asleep on Max's shoulder. I should have been more interested in my surroundings, but someone had found a way to tucker me out.

I awoke to a tap on the shoulder. "We're here."

I stepped out of the carriage into the courtyard which didn't give me a full view of the palace. What I could see was endless gold and ivory stretching towards the sky.

It an ethereal beauty, but sterile and cold, much like the vampires that called it home. I preferred the rocky peaks of Max's home.

We were escorted directly to the throne room and I already had a feeling that something was wrong. There was an edge to everyone that looked at Max that suggested they all knew exactly why he was here.

"Let me ask the questions. I have experience interviewing people," I told Max as entered the throne room.

"The reagent would never allow himself to be questioned by a human woman. No offense."

Much taken.

The room had two rows of smooth white pillars, a pikeman stood between each one, twelve in all. A red carpet lead to a flight of stairs, another two guards standing at the foot of them with a throne at the top. On it sat what looked like Julian's more handsome older brother.

"Is this much security normal?"

Unease emanated off of Max. "No, something is very wrong."

I sped up, covering as much distance as my ridiculous dress would allow. "You must be Lucius," I said attempting to walk up and shake Lucius's hand.

As expected, the guards crossed halberds to prevent my approach. And just as I expected Lucius gestured for the guards to allow me pass.

Yes, I'm just a human girl in a pretty dress, no threat to you at all, which meant that all these guards were here for...

He took my hand, but instead of shaking it, he raised it to his lips and kissed it. "Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Bates."

He knew my last name. I assumed his kind could only read my surface thoughts, but he was able to dig around in my head.

"It's a skill and like any other skill, after a millennium of practice, you get relatively good at it."

"What's going on here?" Max asked as the guards stopped his approach and Lucius didn't gesture to let him pass.

"Isn't it fairly obvious? Ms. Bates figured it out right away."

My heart broke for him. "He knows. On some level, he knows. But he always wants to see the best in the people he cares about so he's refusing to believe."

That's when he put it together. His eyes drew together with hurt and he started to shift as he tried to push pass the guards.

Instantly, everyone in that room fell on him. They were fast, so impossibly fast, but he was strong. In his half-shifted form he tore limbs from bodies. Slashed through bone like it was nothing.

Even though they outnumbered him twelve to one, it seemed as though he might reach his target. As he howled in despair more guards rushed in to help.

The rope they were trying to get around his neck told me they were trying to subdue him, not kill him, but that made things even harder for them. What would happen if I shot Lucius then and there? Would all this be over?

"You'd never draw your weapon in time. Not to mention, you want Julian dead more than I do."

One of the guards ran a sword through Max's back causing him to fall to his knees before reaching back, grabbing the guard and tearing him in two.

"Is it necessary to hurt him so much?" I asked Lucius.

He cocked a brow. "Are we watching the same fight?"

"What's going to happen to him?"

"He'll be held until this is all over."

The ropes they used must have had some sort of magic because once they got it around his neck he was unable to break free. More ropes followed and soon enough he was bound and bleeding among a mound of body parts.

"There had to be a better way," I whispered, stunned by the carnage.

"They refused to kill him. They knew they'd suffer heavily losses trying to take him alive, but they still refused to kill him."

"Why?" I asked, tears forming in my eyes because I already knew the answer.

"Because he's earned their loyalty and respect. And mine. Don't think this is easy for me." Lucius rose from the throne and offered me his hand.

I took it, unsure of any alternatives.

Max fought against his binds, his eyes full of rage. But he wasn't watching Lucius. He was staring at me.