“So you never had fertility testing before?” I asked, pushing him by the shoulders so he sat down on the bed.
“No, I didn’t. Lucretia and I fully expected to be parents by now. Or at least, expecting. And the council demands a child within the first two years, so we were getting a little concerned. Before she married me, she was required to undergo testing before the marriage, to make certain that she could bear children. It’s archaic, but it’s Pack Law. So…the council demanded that I get tested. I did. Much to my surprise, I have almost no viable sperm.” He blushed, one of the rare times I’d ever seen him embarrassed.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “And that means…”
“Exactly what happened. They did a second test, to double check, and it came back worse than the first. I can’t ever father a child, Elphyra. I can’t have children. And a king who’s infertile, can’t produce an heir. So I resigned, because I knew the next step would be to dethrone me. I decided to make it easier on all of us.”
I sat on a chair near the bed, trying to put some distance between us. “What did Lucretia say?”
He winced. “I’d rather talk about that later. She wasn’t…kind. In fact, it made me realize that her only goal had been to secure herself as queen. At least, I tried. I can carry that in my heart, knowing that I treated her right.”
I remembered that, at first, Faron had suggested that I be his mistress. But I wasn’t interested in a secret assignation. So I’d let go of the vision of the three of us together. Bran and I had gravitated together, and it worked, though I knew that I’d never fully be over the wolf-shifter.
Bran was connected to me in a magical way that permeated our love-making, that bound our souls. With Faron, the energy had been more primal, and a gut-deep emotional connection. They were two sides of the man I needed, and they complemented one another, rather than rivaled.
“Hold onto that,” I said, standing. “Now, rest. If you need a sleep-aid, I have an herbal remedy that’s gentle, but effective. May taught me how to make it.”
“I might take you up on that,” he said. “If I can’t sleep, I’ll let you know.” He slid his legs beneath the covers and curled up, resting his head on the pillow. Before I even could leave the room, Faron was snoring, slowly and rhythmically. I brushed his hair back from his face.
“Rest easy, sleeping beauty,” I whispered, before tiptoeing out the door.
CHAPTER FIVE
Bran looked up as I entered the kitchen. “He asleep yet?”
I nodded. “Yeah, he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.” I glanced at the clock. It was nearing ten-thirty. I felt like I’d been up for hours. “I feel bad for him.”
“I do too,” Bran said. He was sitting at the table, a cup of coffee and his notebook by his side. “He’s still in love with you,” he added.
I froze. I knew it, and I shouldn’t be surprised that Bran knew it. “Yeah, I think so.”
“How do you feel?” he asked, motioning for me to sit down. “Please, be honest. We can handle this so much better if you’re just honest.”
“I will always care for him, you already knew that. I don’t know what I feel, Bran. I still find him attractive. But you and I made a commitment, and we have a strong bond and I love you.” I met his gaze. “I love you more than you probably realize.”
“I love you, too. At one point, I was ready to accept being part of a thruple. I’m not interested in Faron physically, but I’ve grown fond of him. And I enjoyed getting to know him over the past year, as a friend. Now, things will be different. There’s nothing for him with his Pack. Not now. They’ll never look at him with respect again.” Bran sounded slightly bitter. “Way to turn your back on someone when he’s down.”
“I know,” I said. “The Packs can be cruel. A lot of their rules are archaic. He can’t go back. I wonder, will he want to stay in the area? He knows a lot of people around town, and it’s going to be hard on him, seeing them look at him with pity. Or disdain.”
Bran hesitated, then let out a long breath. “Do you want…”
I knew what he was asking. “I’m not ready to think about that. I’m not ready to commit to anything, except to continue being your wife. Let’s just see where things go. One day at a time. Just remember, you’re my husband and I love you.” I stood, draping my arms around his neck. “Kiss me.”
And he did.
At one PM, I pulled into the turnout next to where Lucretia had died. I slowly stepped out of my car, looking around. Daisy was pulling in right behind me, but I could already feel that someone had died here. The aura of death hung heavy, imprinted on the land. A tree, apparently the one Lucretia had run into, stood there, a massive gash from the car imprinted across its trunk.
“Hey,” Daisy said, tramping her way through the snow to my side. “How’s Faron? I feel so bad for him. And just to reiterate, there’s absolutely no question about his innocence. I do want to talk to him but it’s purely to see if we can figure out what her state of mind was. I’m thinking that what I saw—those prints—might have been some sort of psychic attachment. I know there are some creatures that focus on shifters.”
“Faron’s going to have to process this for a long time, I think,” I said. “Can you imagine what’s going to happen when word gets around that he’s no longer king? You know it will, and anybody who ever had a beef with him is going to be out in spades, trying to rub his nose in it.”
“I know. I’m going to do my best to make sure nobody comes after him until he’s had time to deal with this. If anybody understands how ruthless some shifters can be to others, it’s me. I’m glad he’s staying with you for now.”
She walked me over to the tree. “Here’s where the car hit the tree. I was wondering if you could… Can you tell me if her ghost is still around the area? I thought if we could contact her spirit, we might find out exactly what happened.”
I frowned. “I can try,” I said, looking around. A moment later, I caught sight of a vaporous mist near the tree. “She might be. I’m not certain, though something is here. I’ll have to go into a trance and see what I can find.”
Looking around, I sought for some place where I could sit without soaking myself in the snow. “I need a place to sit down.”
