I sighed, slumping on my cushion as they bickered.
“I don’t like waiting off to the side,” Ruru grumbled.
“Me either.”
For some reason, I’d pictured me and Aiden sneaking into the mine. I’d thought of disguises and lies to tell. But all along, he had the Shadow-Wolf gear and the plan.
I conceded his plan made sense. But I wished he’d told me before this meeting. Perhaps he just hadn’t had the time. Or he was worried that I would argue.
He’d been this way in Aquinon, too. Always secretive. Always wanting to be a step ahead.
It wasn’t like I’d proven very trustworthy.
I pushed aside the sinking feeling just as Frieda intervened between the siblings again.
Aiden ignored them, focusing on me. “In the unlikely event that we don’t return, you are all to leave immediately and come back here. No rescues.”
This time Nikella and Jek added their voices to the loud dissent. I merely folded my arms across my chest and shook my head.
Aiden’s eyes narrowed, and he leaned closer so his next words were only for me. “What would it take for you to obey that command?”
A delicate shiver trickled down my spine. From the moment I’d heard his deep, alluring voice in the darkness of our cell, I’d felt a tug at the very center of my being. Inexorably drawing me to him.
Then. Now. And every moment in between, his pull on me never faded.
I tried to steady my breathing. “You once said I was stronger for the commands I didn’t follow. This is one of them. If you and Maz get captured, then we’ll liberate you when we free the other prisoners.”
His jaw clenched, his gaze turning molten. “So I’ve become a dirty little thief, and you’ve transformed into a reckless rebel. How does it feel to swap roles with me?”
“Dangerous.” My lips quirked. “But even if you add ‘king’ to that list of roles, I would still refuse to follow your command.”
“Pity. That was the only perk of being your king.”
My cheeks burned. I lifted my chin. “Rebels don’t follow a king’s orders. It’s the most crucial part of the job.”
His smile was slow and dangerous and full of things I didn’t understand that my body seemed to understand all too well.
I squirmed as he whispered in my ear, “And the most crucial part of mine is fighting my way back to you.”
Chapter 26
Kiera
Warmth invaded my heart.
His words were like sharp rays of sunlight. Pure honesty. Gone were the murky clouds lined with vague niceties of the last few days. And I wished them never to come back.
“If you two are done flirting, can we get back to planning our deadly mission?” Maz’s drawl was like a bucket of cold water.
I jerked away from Aiden, my cheeks heating further when I realized everyone was staring at us.
“We were arguing, same as you,” I fired back, my voice not nearly as strong as I’d hoped.
Maz smirked. “No siblings argue like that, lovely.”
“Definitely not,” Yarina said, wrinkling her nose at me.
I glanced at Aiden for assistance, but he merely leaned back with a smile.
