The Vampire King's Possession
Chapter 659. Terrible Timing

Chapter 659: 659. Terrible Timing

Jael walked into the room, finding Mill seated next to the bed, watching Mauve like a hawk. At the sound of the door opening, she stood up and turned to look at him. "Sire," she said, bowing her head, her face brightening. "I didn’t expect you back so early." She stood to her full height but didn’t move away from the bed.

Jael merely waved his hand at Mill and walked closer, standing on the other side of the bed. He looked down at Mauve’s sleeping face; it was clear the situation hadn’t changed.

"She hasn’t woken up?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"I am afraid not, Sire. I did try shaking and tapping her at intervals, but she still remains asleep."

"I see," he said absentmindedly. "I will take care of this, you may go."

"I-I..." she started to protest but nodded instead, saying, "As you wish, Sire."

Mill bent forward, then walked toward the door. Suddenly, she stopped and turned around. "It is time for the second meal, Sire. Would you like me to bring yours?" she asked.

"No, I am fine," he said, dropping down on the bed. "Don’t worry about me." His eyes were glued to Mauve as he spoke, barely concentrating on what he was saying.

He heard the door close but didn’t bother to check if Mill had indeed left. He didn’t really care. He sat on the bed and moved closer to Mauve before pulling her onto his body.

Her breathing didn’t sound any different, her heartbeat was fine, and more importantly, her skin still had color. More than usual, and he knew he had some fault in this. He trailed the pale marks on her skin. They were still as clear as the day they had noticed them.

He felt dazed. She was pregnant with his child, his mate, and yet there was nothing to celebrate. He could only imagine her reaction when she heard about it. What solution did they have if the chance of being pregnant meant she might lose her life?

Jael shook his head. He didn’t want to think about it, but it was something they would have to consider. Knowing Mauve, she would rather die than do it. Would he have to go behind her back for this? He touched the side of her face.

Still, there was no proof that she would die if she tried to keep the pregnancy. Was he just going to rely on hearsay? She jerked a bit in his arms and then moved closer. Jael frowned. When she made these tiny movements, it was easy to believe she was just sleeping, but if she was, she would have woken up already.

"What do I do, Mauve? I don’t want to lose any of you. When will you wake up?"

He leaned forward and kissed her temple, then pulled back to stare at the door. He didn’t have any appetite, nor did he have the zeal to do anything. It was time for the second meal, and he couldn’t think to eat. He didn’t want to be bothered either.

Jael lay on the bed, unmoving with Mauve in his arms. He didn’t know how long he lay there, and frankly, he didn’t care to find out. But after some time passed, it was easy to calculate that the second meal must have ended by now. Jael felt someone walking down the floor their rooms were located on.

He frowned as Louis stepped closer. Jael hoped he was just headed to the study, but that thought was immediately dismissed when Louis stopped directly in front of the room. He knocked once, and Jael didn’t respond; he knocked again.

"Go away, Louis." He was physically becoming a pain in the ass.

"You weren’t at the second meal," Louis said.

"That’s not your business." Jael’s frown deepened as he felt Mill slow down in front of the room.

"Thank you, Mill," Louis said. "I am coming in!"

"Don’t you dare," Jael yelled and would have jumped out of the bed if he wasn’t holding Mauve in his arms.

Aside from not wanting to be disturbed, the last person he wanted to find out about Mauve right now was Louis, but it wasn’t as if he could keep it a secret for too long. He swore and pulled Mauve to himself; maybe it was better to rip the bandage off.

The door opened, and Louis walked in, holding the door open to let Mill in. She was holding what was safe to assume was his food. He closed the door and took the tray from Mill. "Let me," he said.

"But Lord Louis," she protested, but he was already walking ahead.

"Mill, didn’t I tell you not to bother me?" Jael angrily asked.

"I am so sorry, Sire, but Lord Louis ordered me to get your meal." She nervously stood rooted to the spot.

"Who do you listen to—"

"Don’t take it out on her. If you want to be angry with anyone, be angry with me. I am sorry about what I said earlier," Louis said and walked closer to them. "You have already lost so much weight; you can’t afford not to eat. Irrespective of what’s going on, you are still our Primus, and you have a duty to—"

Louis stopped in his tracks and looked down at Mauve and then Jael. It was clear as day what he had just realized, and he didn’t look pleased. He took a deep breath and turned to Mill, who still stood behind him with her head bowed.

"Mill," he said with a smile, "could you leave us alone? I will call for you if anything happens."

Mill nodded vigorously. "Of course." She bowed to Jael and Louis before fleeing the room.

Louis waited for the door to shut close before turning around to face Jael. He didn’t speak, just dropped the food on the nearest table and glared at him. He paced and pinched the bridge of his nose as he walked around.

"Out with it!" Jael ordered. "Your prancing irks me."

"Your idiocy is driving me mad! How could you? I don’t even know what to tell you. I am doing my very best to phrase my words right."

"How could I what?" Jael feigned ignorance.

"Don’t give me that crap. You knew I was going to find out the instant I walked in here. If you wanted to hide it, you would have blocked me at the entrance to keep me from finding out."

Jael shrugged. "It’s not going to make much difference. You’re going to find out either way."

"Yeah," Louis stopped. "Not just me, everyone. As soon as she steps right through those doors, it’s going to be common knowledge."

"You’re not saying anything I don’t know about," Jael gave him a dismissive look. "You’ve dropped the food, now get out."

"Do you understand the magnitude of the situation?" Louis asked. "Your excuse for not choosing a mate before now is because you want to get rid of the Palers, right? Now, how do you think the Lords would take this information when they find out you not only took a mate, not just any mate, but a human? And not just that, you did it at a time when Palers attacks are more rampant and the drug Kieran made isn’t as effective as when it first started out. How do you think that would sit? Are you trying to rip the kingdom apart?"

"They are just going to have to deal with it," Jael said with a shrug.

"Oh God!" Louis grabbed his head. "You got her pregnant and now you mark her. Do you not care about Mauve’s life?"

"No one would dare touch her!" Jael said, gripping her tightly.

"Of course, they wouldn’t. At least not directly, but why are you putting her in such apparent danger? You only get one marked mate, and some vampires don’t mark until they are decades into their marriage; some never mark at all, and the Primus decides to give such an important gift to a human."

"You make it sound as though I have some control over it," Jael said. He didn’t regret his actions, and he knew he would do it again. The Lords would just have to take it; if they had a problem with it, they could choose someone else in his stead. It didn’t have to be him.

"No, you don’t. I know that much, but it still sucks just how terrible your timing is. Fucking Hell! What is wrong with you? Do you have some death wish or something? I don’t know what to tell you. I truly—"

"Louis," Mauve called drowsily. "Shut up," she dragged. "Whatever you are talking about can’t be that important. I am trying to sleep."

"Mauve!" They both called, and Louis rushed closer to the bed.

"You’re awake," Jael said.

Mauve slowly opened her eyes to see Jael staring down at her. He looked so relieved. Her first instinct was to touch him, but the sound of her stomach growling ruined the moment.