The corner of his lips ticks up. He takes a few steps forward, leaning against the stable door. “You could never look like death incarnate. You’re too beautiful.” He pauses, looking surprised with himself. As though he was trying to keep a leash on himself but the compliment just slipped out.
Leisel snorts quietly, and Camden shoots her a look of exasperated amusement. He doesn’t chastise her for disrespect like I assume he would most others, considering his position as Alpha.
“Is there a reason you’re here?” I ask, brushing off my dusty hands on my pants.
He pauses long enough to make me think he might not have come here for any particular objective. Leisel told me he’d been in and out of my room every few hours, day and night, checking on me like clockwork.
He clears his throat. “Yes. If you’re feeling up to it, I’d like you two to join me for dinner in a few hours.”
I feel my brows draw together. If dinner’s a big event with many people, I don’t know that I’ll be able to tolerate it well. For the last nine years, my tolerance for people other than Leisel was minimal—I could handle them long enough to trade in Aesara’s market a few times a week. The rare exceptions to that were Mariketa and Parker, mostly because they saved me many times over the years without even knowing it. I’m still not feeling my best, so the prospect of being around several people in a confined space isn’t appealing.
“It’ll be a small affair,” Camden quickly assures me, as though he’s reading my thoughts. “Just you, Leisel, me, and Wyatt.”
I glance at Leisel, who’s likely been going crazy cooped up in a room with me. She practically jumped for joy when I offered to go spend time with our horses after waking up.
It’ll be good for her to get out—and I’ve sensed that her fear has lowered while I’ve been out. She doesn’t trust the shifters, but she doesn’t believe they’ll harm her. I don’t believe they will, either, though that doesn’t set me at ease.
“I’ll send your lady’s maids up to help you prepare,” Camden says.
My head jerks back. “Lady’s maids?”
I feel both repulsed, because I have no need to be waited on, and at the same time slightly curious. How are these women treated? What exactly do they do?
My acquisitiveness is at play once again, nudging me to enjoy the luxury I’m being offered. With it comes a wave of guilt, because the luxury I’m curious about is absent in the lives of humans. They deserve such things too. I might not be able to get humans the equality and opportunities they deserve overnight, but if I’m to truly stay here as Camden’s mate and the de facto queen, I believe I’ll be able to extend aid to the less fortunate eventually. It’ll take planning and great tact, but if I’m very clever and proactive, I might actually be able to effect positive change.
In order to achieve all this, the shifter population must respect me for my human side, not merely my magical one. That’ll innately boost the value of humans in their society.
The plan I’ve formulated since waking is simple, really. I do what I’ve always done; work hard and be seen as working hard, not just by royalty and nobility but by everyone.
I’ll learn diplomacy—or try to apply what I’ve read about diplomacy over the years. Let Camden include me in his world; impress those in his world in whatever intellectual way possible. Be seen as someone who’s both a hard worker in the physical sense and someone who’s intelligent and helpful. In short, I’ll make mythics see humans as people of worth. I may not beentirelyhuman, but I’m much closer to human than mythics are, and I was raised as a human so I understand them.
It’s quite a large responsibility to take on, winning over shifters and working on human rights. I’ll also need to research witchcraft to better Leisel and me. Still, someone has to put in the work, and I’m perfectly set up for the task.
The biggest complication is my mate, who’ll demand my time, attention, body, mind, heart, and soul. He’ll also want to fuck my brains out if the way he’s staring at me is any indication.
“Yes, lady’s maids,” Camden replies. “They’ll be sent up to introduce themselves and help you dress at seven. They’ll always be around your wing of the castle, so if you ever need anything, they’ll be happy to help.”
Unsure of how to react to such deferential treatment, I simply say, “Thanks.”
Then, when an awkward silence begins to stretch between us, I look to Leisel. “You done, sweet girl?”
She turns her attention to me and gives a brilliant smile. “Yep.” Her eyes slide to Camden, and her smile disappears. She regards him with a stoic expression that’s at odds with her young age. “Do you have a library in the castle?”
He looks shocked that she’s addressing him. I’m surprised, too, though I shouldn’t be. I’d intended to ask Camden for access to more reading materials at some point soon, but Leisel beat me to it.
“Of course,” he replies. “It’s rather extensive. You’re welcome to explore it tonight or tomorrow—Wyatt can show you after dinner.”
Recognizing his sly attempt to get Leisel to spend time with Wyatt, I interject, “That’s alright, thanks. I’m sure we’ll find the way.”
I get the sense that Camden is trying not to roll his eyes. He clenches and unclenches his fists, and says, “You know, Sierra, you can’t keep Leisel and Wyatt separate. They’re mates—distance isn’t an option.”
“Explain the mechanics of the mate bond then.” The words escape my lips before I can think them through.
Perhaps I won’t need to do copious reading to discover more about the mate bond; I could get my information straight from a shifter who I assume grew up learning about it and understanding it, simply bywatching those around him with mates. I don’t know that he’d have gleaned anything from his parents, as the stories of them say that the shifter queen died long ago when Camden was still a child.
Camden looks pleased that I’m actually holding a conversation with him before suspicion shadows his expression. His brows furrow, as though he’s had a thought hereallydoesn’t like. He watches me from under lowered brows for a moment, assessing me. Then, a sly gleam enters his eyes, preceding his next words. “I’d love to tell you all about it. Walk with me and I will.”
I shift closer to Shadow who lets out a soft snort before gently butting my arm with his head. I stroke his forehead, enjoying the feeling of his thick short fur beneath my fingers.
