21
Most of the guests found their way back into the house and I was left standing outside with Spencer, Star, and a few lingering males in security uniforms.
“You don’t need to stand out here with me,” I said.
“We do, we swore to protect the king. That means we stay to protect you,” one of them said.
I looked at Star. “Is that blood magic still binding everyone here?”
“Yeah,” she said. “It’s holding strong.”
“I don’t want it to,” I said.
The guards shifted uncomfortably. “The blood magic has always been used for security. It’s how we stopped the last attempt. No offense.” He nodded to Spencer. “You know we were all pulling for you.”
Spencer growled. “I lost friends that day.”
“We all did,” another guard added. “We all gave up on ever seeing the king’s reign end that day as well.”
“I’m not going to rule that way,” I said.
“It’s going to take me a few weeks to get rid of all the blood magic,” Star said. “But I can disable enough tonight so that our friends can step foot on the property at least.”
“That’s a start,” I said.
“Wait, does that mean I’ve got the job?” Star asked. “I had an agreement with your old man, not you. He was supposed to be king tonight.”
“Foiled again, were you, Spencer?” One of the guards asked with a smirk.
I bit down on my lip to keep from laughing. It was kind of funny.
“Are you kidding? I won tonight. Chris is gone, and I don’t have to do the work of a king.” Spencer grinned.
“What about your mate?” I asked.
Spencer’s smile faded. “She’s far worse than I expected.”
“I tried to tell you,” I said.
“How long were they giving her the toxin?” he asked. “I’ve never seen a shifter who was given it for such a long time.”
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. Was that what she’d been taking? “She was always popping pills. I never asked what it was. I didn’t know…”
“You think she did it on purpose?” Spencer was shocked.
“She was adamant that I not shift. Terrified you’d find me. What if she got hold of the toxin and dosed herself to keep from shifting?” I wasn’t sure why the thought hadn’t crossed my mind before. When I’d experienced the toxin, I’d been a wreck. No wonder my mom couldn’t keep her shit together.
“She’s going to need a major detox. And a lot of antidote,” Star said. “I don’t know if it’ll work, but I’ll see what I can do to help her.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Star let out an exaggerated sigh. “I guess I’m on the clock already. Tearing down blood spells and saving your mom. My salary better be really high.”
I laughed. “I don’t know how any of that works but I will make sure you get top dollar.”
“I’ve been away a long time, but I’m sure I can help you figure out the transition to the job,” Spencer offered. “But right now, I want to go with Star and check on your mom.”
I nodded. “Go.”