Chapter 28

DOE

I’d read a little about Zaweth.

I knew it was an enchanted realm hidden by a magical veil somewhere in Croatia, the birthplace of vampires.

I knew it was a kingdom, had a castle, and was filled with supernatural creatures, primarily vampires and werewolves, although it was said to be a haven for any magical being to live free of humans.

But now that I was there, witnessing the kingdom with my own two eyes, I saw that what I had read had not done the magical place the least bit of justice.

Thanks to Belle’s ability to apparate, one moment, I was standing on the edge of a lake dock in Colorado, and the next, I was taking in the front door of the most spectacular palace I had ever seen.

~(Okay, the only palace I’d ever seen, but you get my point.)~

The absolutely massive castle was made of white stone that sparkled in the sun and was covered in creeping ivy and thick vines of blooming roses.

It sat atop a hill, surrounded by a moat, a long bridge stretching across the glassy expanse of water and connecting it to the distant village.

Belle laughed at my gawking face and pulled me inside, insisting on giving me a tour.

But one step inside is all I managed before I froze again, my breath stolen.

The inside was even more magnificent. The grand staircase rose like a royal invitation in front of me, its wide stone steps curving upward in a way that demanded reverence.

Every surface was adorned with intricate carvings, floral motifs, and delicate patterns that seemed almost too perfect to be real, as though the castle had been sculpted by hands older than time.

Above me, the ceiling soared impossibly high, its surface painted with scenes of mythical creatures.

Supporting this masterpiece were towering marble columns, their smooth surfaces tinged with the soft blush of rose gold.

Then there was the ~nature~. Cascading from the balconies overhead were sweeping garlands of ivy and white blooms, their fragrance faint but sweet, mingling with the cool, stone-scented air.

It was before midday when I left Colorado, which meant it must have been around dinner time in Croatia, and the entrance hall was filled with people. Or creatures, rather. Beings.

We passed by some who had pointed ears and purple skin, some who were wearing nothing but leaves and greenery for clothes, and some who were floating instead of walking.

Then there were others who weren’t people at all but horses with wings or huge wolves that bowed their heads when they saw Belle.

I tried not to gawk, but it was hard when every being I spotted was more fantastical than the last.

Belle dragged me down halls, the walls of which were covered in floating tapestries woven of vibrant colors that told stories of previous kings and queens.

I spotted grand staircases with railings made of twisting tree roots entwined with glittering ivy.

Despite being indoors, flowers and nature continued to appear everywhere—a staple in the decor.

And doors. There were so many doors. And each one was different. Some were simple wood decorated with detailed paintings and intricate carvings, while others were made of gleaming metals.

I even saw one made entirely of ice, its surface dripping and cold, with frost spreading across the surrounding wall.

We stopped in a library, larger than any I’d ever imagined, with high bookshelves adorned with ladders and cozy reading spaces in front of fireplaces and windows.

She took me to the dining hall, where an enchanted feast had been laid out along countless long tables.

Hundreds of chattering beings sat and ate, talking among themselves while they made their levitating platters of unfamiliar food appear and disappear with a simple wave of their hand.

The training room was both impressive and incredibly intimidating. It was a gym-like space equipped with exercise machines and weights—and a large sparring area in the middle.

Occupied mostly by werewolves in their wolf forms, they all stopped what they were doing when Belle and I entered the room, tilting their heads in submission to their queen.

Belle quickly ushered me out of that room, regretting letting all the werewolves there see me.

By the time Belle finished the tour in the throne room, I was swaying on my feet, my injured leg aching.

It was so worth it, though. We must have walked miles throughout the castle, but I was sure there were still plenty of spaces I hadn’t seen.

I stared at the vast, echoing space that was their throne room and meeting space, barely able to believe how large it was. They must have been able to fit thousands in here.

The floor was made of polished white and gold marble, and above, the ceiling seemed to stretch into infinity before fading into blue.

At first, I thought it was just painted to look like the sky, but then I noticed a cloud float by.

“It never rains here,” Belle explained when she noticed me looking at the open sky above us. “But even if it did, the ceiling is charmed, so nothing can get through.”

“Wow,” I whispered.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Liam said, coming to stand beside me.

I gasped and glanced up at him. I hadn’t even heard him walk up behind me.

He’d left Belle and me at the beginning of our tour to take the small backpack of things I had packed before leaving Colorado to the room I would be staying in.

I had no idea how he found us again. There were endless places we could have been.

Maybe he could sense where Belle was as her guardian. That was sort of his job after all—to know where the queen was and protect her at all costs.

“It’s…” I couldn’t find the words. So, I just nodded.

A massive dais on the far end of the hall supported two thrones: one carved from gleaming white stone, and the other, shadowy black marble.

Belle walked up to the white one and took a seat.

Above her, a circular stained-glass window depicted scenes of supernatural creatures in harmony: wolves running beneath a blood-red moon, vampires dancing in elegant masquerade masks, and witches weaving spells of sparkling dust.

Like most of the other large communal spaces we’d entered so far, the throne room’s walls were covered in flowers. Roses, to be specific. Red ones.

And they all seemed to tilt toward Belle as she passed, like they were watching her, admiring her.

“The supernatural really likes flowers, huh?” I asked.

Liam laughed. “Not especially. The elements of nature everywhere were Evangeline Viotto’s contributions to the palace during her time as queen several centuries ago.

“All fairies are born of nature, but Evangeline’s family line was born of roses. When she became a ruler, she basically made this entire palace into one huge rose garden.”

Liam looked at Belle, whose throne was already overgrown with green and red bushes. “And since Belle is Queen Evangeline reincarnated… Well, let’s just say the flowers around Zaweth like Belle a lot.”

“And I like them,” Belle added on. She bent down and pressed her nose to one of the flowers by her arm, inhaling deeply. “My dad always said I had a green thumb. And now I know why.”

Belle smiled at me. “It’s getting late now, but just you wait. Tomorrow, I’ll show you around the village…” Her voice trailed off, and her eyes clouded, looking suddenly far away.

“Belle?” I asked.

She didn’t answer, still staring off into the distance.

I looked at Liam. “Is she okay?”

Liam crossed his arms. “Get used to that. She’s mind-linking with her mate. Happens a lot.”

~Huh.~ I’d never seen someone mind-link anyone before. At least, not that I could remember. Is that what I looked like when I talked to Ace?

“I’m surprised Grayson hasn’t dragged her away from us yet,” Liam continued. “He usually can’t go longer than a few hours without seeing her.”

Just like another certain werewolf I knew.

Feeling the weight of the day starting to get to me, I shifted anxiously, wishing I could get off my feet. “Would it be okay if I sat down?” I asked Liam.

“Of course. Right, sorry, I forgot you’re suffering from a starving mate bond. I can’t believe we’ve kept you walking around for this long.”

Liam helped lower me to the ground so I was sitting on the marble floor. I stretched my legs out in front of me and sighed. ~So much better.~

Liam studied me with concern. “You must be exhausted.”

I nodded. “More sore than anything. I’ll be okay though.”

My orgasm-induced nap from earlier had given me some energy, but being dragged around a humongous palace definitely set me back a bit.

But as long as I was sitting or lying down, I figured I’d probably be fine for the rest of the day.

~Still, I should probably take some more suppressants before I do anything else. I am starting to sweat.~

Before I could stop myself, I lay back on the ground, hoping Belle had some magical maids who cleaned this floor regularly.

“Dorothy? Are you okay?” Belle rushed forward.

I gave her a thumbs up. “Yeah. I’m good now.”

“Mate bond’s getting to her,” Liam explained.

“Crap. Yeah, I remember the feeling.” Belle sighed. “Well, the good news is that Liam can take you to your room now so you can get some rest.

“I was hoping to spend some more time together today, but my mate is grouchy for not having seen me all day. He’s demanding I have dinner with him before we go to the pack meeting tonight.”

She looked at Liam. “You’ll help her get settled in and make sure she gets some food?”

Liam nodded. “Absolutely. I’m getting dinner with Minnie tonight, but I can make sure Dorothy has everything she needs before I head out.”

“Great.” Belle was already making her way toward the door.

Clearly, whatever conversation she had just had with her mate had lit a fire under her butt.

“Dorothy,” she called back over her shoulder, “I will see you tomorrow morning, okay? Is nine okay?”

I nodded and waved at her from my spot on the floor, not caring what they thought of me.

If I was being honest, I was a little relieved that it sounded like I would be spending the night alone. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed.

Not that I would be getting much sleep, but at least I could let my weary limbs rest.