Idiot.If I had a woman like Emma—strong, brilliant, and beautiful—waiting to hear from me, I’d make damn sure she did.
Changing the subject quickly, I said, “You must be hungry. Why don’t you join us for dinner tonight?”
She froze for a moment, as if caught off guard. “You want me to eat dinner with the rest of the team?” Her voice was raw with emotion, and I felt a twinge of guilt. I should have invited her sooner. She must have felt pretty alone.
“You fight with us, you eat with us,” I said, trying to sound casual despite the contrition bubbling up.
She gave a curt nod, but the relief in her eyes was evident. She was craving company, maybe even a sense of home. In that moment, I decided if it was the last thing I did, I’d make sure she found a place where she’d belong, a new family—mine.
THIRTY-THREE
EMMA
By the time we portaled back into Crown, I was utterly drained—the kind of exhaustion that makes your legs feel like they're about to give out beneath you. If I weren’t so determined not to show any weakness in front of Caden, I might have asked him to carry me to my room. Would’ve been the least he could do for healing him. And saving his ass in battle.
All I could think about was sinking into a relaxing bath, a glass of Scotch in hand, and the book I was halfway through —a modern-day "why choose" take on Romeo, Juliet, and Hamlet, with vampires. Weird but surprisingly entertaining.
Stepping into my room, I suddenly remembered I’d taken the book with me when I’d gone snooping in Caden’s library earlier and had accidentally left it there. I sighed deeply at my own stupidity and dragged my exhausted legs back downstairs to retrieve it. The massive wooden door creaked slightly as I pushed it open, and I held my breath, relieved to find the room empty.
I tiptoed quickly across the room, careful to avoid making even the slightest sound.
But when I reached the couch—no book.
I frowned, scanning the surrounding area. Maybe it had slipped behind? Determined to find it, I kneeled on the plush cushions, gripping the back of the couch as I leaned over to peer into the narrow gap behind it.
Right as I started looking behind the couch, I heard voices near the door.Shit.
I wasn’t entirely sure I was allowed in here, and the last thing I needed was to get caught snooping. In a split and very mature decision, I jumped behind the couch, pressing myself into the shadows, hoping to stay hidden until they left.
But it took only five seconds for my heart to sink. The voices grew louder, and then, unmistakably, I heard them—Caden and Sean had just walked into the room.
Yup, I was screwed.
“What the hell, man? Ye leave Crown without me and bring Emma along like she’s yer new sidekick or something,aftershe lied to ye about her translation?” Sean's pitch was thick with frustration, nearly echoing off the library walls.
Crap. I instinctively curled up tighter behind the couch and tried to make myself as small as possible.
“Mate.” Caden's voice was low, trying to diffuse Sean’s anger.
“Don’t ‘mate’ me!” Sean cut through scathingly. “Ye never exclude me from anythin’!” The hurt was evident in all his words.
“I’m sorry,” Caden said, attempting to calm the situation.
“I don’t need yer apology, Caden, I need an explanation. Ever since Emma showed up—an arrival which was insane on its own by the way—you’ve been acting strange. Yer inviting her on missions, letting her sit at our table…”
“She saved my fucking life during that battle!” Caden snapped with defensive anger. “You don’t think that earns her an invitation?”
“Ye know this isn’t about that!” Sean shot back, concern lacing his words. “What the hell is goin’ on with ye?”
“Nothing!” Caden’s voice was defensive.
“Caden. You’ve never kept anything from me,” Sean said, and he sounded almost sad.
“It’s complicated,” Caden muttered, before he sighed.
“Then explain it to me!” Sean demanded, as his impatience rang through.
I shrank back even further into the corner and wished I could become completely invisible. My heart was pounding so loudly, I was sure they could hear it.
