He’d lifted Violet’s limp body off the ground and taken her to a healer. They’d cleaned up her head wound and waved something under her nose to wake her up. After they’d assured Roman at least ten times she’d be fine with plenty of rest, he’d carried her home and slipped them both under the bed.
“Open the bedroom door,”War rumbled.
“How did you get inside the bunker?”
“Your mother let me in. Open the door.” A moment passed, then, “Let me in or I’ll break in,”the beast warned.
Roman sighed. “War’s here. I need to let him in or he’ll—” No sooner had the words left his mouth than the tigon barreled through the bedroom door, splintering the wood. “Break the door down.”
War growled and padded across the room, and Violet laughed. The bed skirt ruffled, and War’s paws and nose appeared under the edge of the bed.
“I need to see her,”the beast insisted.“You should have made the beds higher.”
Roman kissed Violet on the forehead. “If he doesn’t see you in the next five seconds, he might rip the bed apart.”
Violet giggled and scooted out from under the bed. By the time Roman had joined her, she had her arms wrapped around War’s neck. “I’m okay.” She pulled back and kissed his cheek. The tigon purred and nudged her cheek with his nose.
Never had Roman seen a creature jump higher than War did when Babs came racing into the room. The tigon abandoned Violet, bounding onto the bed with a biting growl. The vicious little hen waddled as fast as her stick legs could carry her into Roman’s arms.
He picked her up and pet the top of her head, smiling as she burrowed into his chest.
Violet tilted her head back to stare up at War from her position on the floor. “Don’t worry, big guy. I’ll protect you.”
“The only thing you’re doing is climbing into bed,” Roman interjected.
Violet used the bed to stand and pointed at him. “You’re covered in blood, and I’m covered in dirt. We both need to bathe and eat before you tie me to this bed.”
He lifted a brow and grinned as a pretty blush spread across her face.
“I’m leaving,”War grumbled and jumped off the bed. He nudged Violet once more, then disappeared through the broken doorway.
Violet bid him goodbye and held out her arms for Babs. “You need to rest too. You’ve had enough excitement for the day.” Roman had examined the hen for injuries earlier. Other than her ripped skirt and missing bow, she was fine. He trailed after Violet to Babs’ coop and helped her lock the escape artist inside.
* * *
Roman held Violet’s hand as they stepped into her parents’ cottage in the warrior compound. Meri and Edgar sat on either side of Vivian on the settee in their front room, speaking about something Roman couldn’t make out.
Roman’s father, who led interrogations, had released Vivian earlier after gathering all the information she had on the rebels and their base. She’d claimed Titus had moved them to a remote village she’d never heard of on the southwestern side of the kingdom where his parents lived.
Unbeknownst to her, it wasn’t a village at all, but a rebel camp with small cottages and a training ground. Everyone knew to keep quiet around her and had hidden anything identifying them as rebels.
For over a year they’d fooled her, and when Titus had started to pull away from her, she’d followed him to see if another woman held his affections. Instead, she’d overheard him with his father and confronted him.
She had no information on the other rebel factions, and the beasts War brought had left no survivors to ask, but it was safe to assume the beasts had taken out a large chunk of the rebels from different areas of the kingdom. They’d succeeded in coming together for an attack but hadn’t counted on the beasts turning on them.
Roman’s men would head out for the rebel compound tomorrow. With luck, Marissa would be there, too. At Violet’s insistence, the woman had disappeared. Until they located her, they’d put a warrant out in every village in the kingdom.
Meri’s tear-stained face raised to Roman and Violet. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For sparing her. We know you were within your rights to execute her.” Her throat bobbed.
Vivian’s jaw flexed, her eyes downcast.
Roman tipped his head toward Violet. “Thank her. Had it been up to me, her head would be on a spike.”
Everyone in the room stared at him, Meri crying out, and Violet gasping. “Stop that,” his wife chided. “He’s joking.”
No, he wasn’t, but he’d let her believe what she wished.
Edgar tracked Roman’s movements across the room as he and Violet sat down. The general knew Roman well, having trained him since childhood. Roman recognized the man’s knowing look.
