Caleb can say whatever bossy things he wants to, but the chances of me letting him face a potential enemy alone are exactly zero. So while he turns to confront the intruder head on through the front door, I slip around out the back door in the kitchen and sneakily make my way around the side of the
Caleb stiffens. “Terrible stuff,” Mr. Harvey continues without prompting. “The King’s Beta is missing too. The Gamma, George has stepped up as Steward in their absence, but –” A low growl permeates the air. Mr. Harvey and I both look at Caleb. He wears his anger openly on his face. When he notic
Caleb wants to go back to the capital now? As in, right now? “That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard in my life,” I tell him. “What do you know?” he growls, fury crumpling his features. “That traitor is sitting on my throne like he belongs there, emboldened by the lie that I am dead. I will retur
Caleb returns then and peers over my shoulder. “What are you doing?” “Getting ready to make some grilled veggies,” I tell him. When he lingers, I glance back at him. “Do you… want to help?” It feels strange, asking a King for help chopping the vegetables – even after I had yelled at him to contr
In the capital, Tristan moves stealthily through the upper hallways of the capital. He’d disguised himself as a guard to sneak past the capital walls, aligning himself with a troop as they entered. Quickly after, before he could be recognized, he broke away. He maintained a few connections in the
“I’ve heard him give commands to allow specific vendors to pass through the walls,” Bethany says. “Good,” Tristan says. “I can use that information.” “Then you should also know, that all of the soldiers inside the palace have been replaced with bear-shifters or wolves easily bought. The ones in
Rolling away from me, Caleb wakes up a while later. He stretches as he pulls himself out of bed. Since he’s naked, all of his bare skin is on tantalizing display. As hot as he is, though, right now, I’m not as turned on as I am disheartened. Caleb’s wounds are almost all the way healed, so much so
Though Caleb is amped up to return to the capital and reclaim his throne, Tristan and the rest of the soldiers are showing a bit of fatigue. In a quiet moment, away from the ears of the others, I speak gently to Caleb, “Tristan doesn’t look like he’s slept since he’s been gone. Perhaps leaving in
Holding the note, I moved toward the bed and sat down on the edge. Caleb, finished with his shower, comes out of the shower looking relaxed as can be. The moment he sees me perched on the bed, he tenses again.“What happened? What’s going on?” he asks, his voice all business.I hold up the small not
The stare-off continues for an uncomfortably long amount of time. Around us, I see Gladys’s servants take notice, and my own worry sets in. If this continues, will they attack Caleb? Is Caleb willing to go to war to keep me safe and by his side?I fear I already know the answer to that.Yet, before
Even so, with the drama, I worry about the food getting cold. It does look good and a cook took the time to make it. I quickly cut a bite of the fish and eat it.Though my stomach is in knots, the fish is delicious so I force it down.“Careful, stepmother,” Caleb says, giving weight to the word I’ve
Of all the awkward, uncomfortable diners I have sat through over the years, this one has to be the worst. And that includes the ones right after my public disgrace, when I went from being the pride of my parents to their servant instead, with my sister taking my place.Gladys, Caleb, and I are in th
Caleb releases his hold from around my waist. Instead he takes my hands in his, then brings them both to his lips to kiss the backs of them, one after the other.Still holding my hands, he leads me toward the bed. There, releases my hand to grab one of the lamps from the nightstand. Carefully, he li
“Come with me,” Gladys says, her eyes flitting between Caleb and me. “I’d be happy to give you a tour of my home.”“That would be very kind, thank you,” Caleb says, his voice dripping with false diplomacy. It matches Gladys’s own.“Thank you,” I say, softer.Gladys turns and slowly leads the way out
Looking out the window, I watch as the car follows the winding tunnel road up and out of the underground.Caleb and I sit in the back seat while a driver sits up front, hidden from us, and us from him behind a partition.The view sends me back to the last time Caleb and I left the capital behind, wh
Staying by Caleb’s side is not the only rule he has in place for me. In fact, for three hours after the messenger with Caleb’s agreement, I sat sitting in the Hall, hearing many rules now placed upon me for this trip.“You cannot let anyone get you alone,” the advisor said. “Gladys herself will try
The messenger is dressed in a simple tunic with a sash bearing the colors of Gladys’s pack lands. He waltzes confidently through the Hall, seemingly uncaring that everyone in the room is looking at him. Or perhaps he thrives on that.Regardless, he walks the walk to the base of the throne, then bows