Our Fatal Failings (Twisted book two)

Chapter Eighteen

I stand and everyone in the rooms stands with me. "Meeting adjourned."

Leaving, I walk through the hall and I'm hit with a daze in my head. She's close. Walking closer, I see an open door. Imani hums, sitting inside a living room space, drinking from a mug. My eyes must be glaring yellow. She hasn't seemed to notice me. Maybe for her, her head is always so foggy, unless I'm really close, she can't even tell I'm there.

I guess the moon goddess is blessing me with this heat. It'll make it hard for her to do any scheming ...or betraying. I know she doesn't love me. At least not yet. But does she hate me? How far would she go if she got the opportunity to strike me down? I don't like the feeling it brings up in me.

"Your Majesty." The Beta's mate whispers to me. I turn. Imani still hasn't noticed us, she's buried herself in a book. "The results of the blood test came back."

I look at them and a smile crosses my face. In the healer's own hand, there's a note. Her iron levels are much lower than they should be in a werewolf female her age. Without iron, young wolves may have trouble staying alert, focusing all around behave in ways that wouldn't be similar to themselves, even in heat. The Wolfsbane left no permanent effect on her and I'm pleased to say Imani is experiencing a perfectly healthy heat. She's in a late-stage and genetically, her symptoms are expected to be incredibly strong. "Has she seen them already?"

"Yeah."

"And what was her reaction?"

"She didn't say anything, only looked." I let my gaze drift back to her before snapping my focus back to the paper. "Her iron levels are lower than they should be. And the full moon is coming too. Put her on a diet with more red meat in it."

"I tried. She said no."

My nostrils flare. She makes everything so complicated. "Well tell her that she eats it on her own or I'm going to come in and start feeding her. There's no reason for the Luna of Lunas to have results that make it look like she's being starved." I hand her the paper. "Speak to the dietician. Work something out."

"At once." She bows and leaves and I step into the doorway.

Imani turns. "Mira, can you get me a-," she pauses, "I don't want to see you."

I walk closer. "Why aren't you eating?" She clutches her head as her eyes shift from a warm coffee brown to a golden yellow.

"Stay where you are."

"Your iron levels are low."

"I hate the meat they serve me. It's rare, almost raw. And sometimes it's bloody."

I frown. "You're a werewolf, you should like the taste."

"I don't," she spits out. "It's disgusting. I don't like the taste of blood, I'm not an animal."

I ignore the insult and cup her cheek. She grits her teeth and a knot works in her jaw. She's always fighting me and I'm getting tired of it. "Do I have to feed you?"

"No." She swats my hand. "Go away, I'm still angry."

I sit next to her, letting my eyes bore into hers and the power roll off my skin. It affects her because she begins to fidget, to scratch her skin, to worm away and out of my grasp.

"Do I?" I whisper, getting close to her ear. "Do I have to feed you? I'll do it, I don't mind." She hums and I smile. "Goddess above, you smell so sweet."

Embarrassment shows in her eyes. I'll never get tired of flustering her. "I'll eat." She whispers. "Is that all you came here for?"

"No." I run my lips across her neck. "I came here to see you." She's shivering like she's has a bucket of cold water dumped over her head. I draw back, a smug smile on my face. "Cold?"