I belonged to him too. To all of them.
Chapter Five
A Story Told… And Cookies Devoured
“You’ve been summoned to the castle.”
Words I didn’t expect to hear that morning when answering the door in an apron covered in soapy suds and wearing a headscarf to keep the hair out of my eyes while mopping the floors.
Rest? Never heard of her.
“Um. Like right now?” I asked, spotting the boy’s horse grazing in the front yard.
“For this afternoon,” the boy answered. “A carriage will come to fetch you in two hours’ time.”
“May I ask what the summons is for?” My mind had a habit of jumping to conclusions. In recent weeks, all those worst-case scenarios revolved around someone learning my secret, telling the king, and then my twink ass being shackled and hauled to the castle.
“A request from Prince Sawyer, sir. I believe it’s an invitation for tea.”
Oh, thank god.
“Great. Thank you.”
The boy tipped his head before returning to his horse. I waved at him and shut the door, then slumped against it, expelling a breath of relief.
Lake stepped into the foyer, also in an apron. He’d been cleaning the kitchen while I’d tackled the main dining room. “A summons from the prince?”
“Yep. He invited me to tea.” I removed the scarf from my head. “I can’t go empty-handed. Kuya would never forgive me if I showed up without treats. Looks like I’ll be baking today. Don’t tell Maddox.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” He made a face. “Though, there’s no fooling him, I’m afraid.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” I snorted. “That man can smell muffins from a mile away.”
“Two miles, at least.” He grabbed my hand and led me toward the kitchen. There wasn’t even a mark where Oreo had bitten him the other night. Demi-humans really did heal fast.
I lifted our joined hands to my lips and kissed the spot anyway. “For an extra healing boost.”
He smiled. “I visited the garden earlier this morning. Another tomato met its fate.”
“A worthy end. Feeding our little hero.”
My wolf’s eyes softened. “A hero indeed.” Reaching the kitchen, he guided me to a barstool at the island and helped me into it. “You should eat a snack. It’s been a while since breakfast.”
As he stepped over to the counter, I eyed his ass. “Pretty sure there’s a snack right there in your pants. I’d love to take a nibble.”
He paused in step and cocked his head, one fluffy ear raised while the other flopped forward. “A snack in my… oh. I see.”
God. The cuteness was too much.
I grabbed a cookie from the platter in front of me, leftover from the day before.
Lake plucked it from my hand with a shake of his head. “You need a proper snack. Not sweets.”
“You sound like Briar.”
Color swarmed his cheeks as he cut off thin slices from the bread loaf. No doubt he took that as a compliment. After making turkey and tomato sandwiches, he sat beside me and looked out the window. “It’s a beautiful day.”
“Yeah, it is.” Birds chirped and chased each other through the air, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the large oak tree. “I wish you could come with me to the castle.”
