‘That fucking wolf. He leapt off your bed and dragged me back to my rooms.’
A snigger, unbidden and uninvited, burst out. I bit my lip as Matthias’s eyes lit up. His shoulders shook before that smile broke out on his face and suddenly we were chuckling. Real and easy.
There he was. Matthias – my Matthias – a young man of twenty-three years, and not the king drowning under the weight of an ill-fitting crown and the threat of invasion. For the space of a few breaths, the years, the deceit, the crucifying heartbreak, all vanished like a wisp. For a few precious heartbeats, it was us once more. A girl and a boy, who only knew how to adore each other.
Then the boy blinked, the muscles of his stubbled jaw tensed, and the king stood before me again.
I took a step back, hitting the wall. Anything to stop myself seeking the familiar comfort of his arms. No matter how much history we had, or how my heart did a traitorous flip each and every time he flashed his damn smile, he’d still let me down. It had still taken him eight years to find me.
Matthias released a deep breath. ‘There’s something else you need to know. Romero has sent a message. He’s sending Danté Lommond for what he calls adiplomatic visit.’
‘Danté?’ Oh Gods, Romero truly hated us. ‘The same Duke Danté who tried to beat you when you were a boy? The one who called yourebel scum?’
Matthias nodded. ‘The one you punched so hard he ended up on his backside minus two of his teeth.’
I smirked at the memory of the duke, a few years older than us, the red rage plastered on his round face after I’d overheard what he’d said to Matthias.
‘And I’m so sorry, but as I have to go away…’
My eyes closed. The reality of the situation slammed into me as hard as my fists on Danté’s jaw. The responsibility for entertaining the damned duke fell to me.
‘And I need you to do a few other tasks too,’ Matthias added. ‘If you wouldn’t mind.’
‘Have you forgotten how I don’t like being told what to do?’
A smile played on his lips. ‘Then I’ll make some requests and you can choose whether or not to carry them out. But this is Danté, Sorrow. Remember what will happen if he suspects this marriage is a sham and reports back to Romero.’
I leaned against the scarlet wall. ‘Must you leave?’ I bristled against the need in my voice.
‘I know, if I could stay, I would. But Sorrow, if Romero discovers your gift…’ He blew out a long breath, ran his fingers through his hair which immediately fell back across his eyes. ‘Your training’s vital. It has to continue, but you’ll have to go to Glesni’s private rooms so Danté doesn’t suspect anything and…’
There was the sheepish look. I wasn’t going to like this.
‘You’ll have to stay away from the library.’
‘No.’ I shook my head and moved away from the wall. ‘I can’t?—’
‘He’s only here for a week or so, just a week. If you give Skye a list of what to look for, she can help. The last thing we need is for Danté to be spying on your work here, feeding it to Romero.’
My eyes closed and I grimaced. This would hold everything up. I’d sorted through which books, records and maps were useful, but hadn’t had the opportunity to start my research properly yet.
‘Skye is more than willing to help.’ His face broke into a warm smile, and I suspected he’d timed this one to try and tug on my heartstrings. It wasn’t working. ‘She’s really fond of you. I think.’
He moved forward and suddenly the corridor constricted. He boxed me in against the wall, and my body, my stupid body, melted. My breath caught as his eyes raked over my features. A tremble ran through me as his voice lowered. ‘I think she might idolise you a bit. All she wants is to impress you.’
The hallway, the impending visit vanished, and there was only Matthias. He tucked a stray lock of my dark hair behind my ear. I should push him away. Say goodbye, wish him well and get to the library. But then his eyes flicked down to my lips, and a treacherous warmth spread through me. He met my gaze again, and somehow my head tipped. He leaned towards me, his sweet breath warming my flushed cheeks…
Pablo growled, and Matthias froze. His wide eyes met mine, and he swallowed.
‘Your wolf is about to bite my arse,’ he whispered.
I laughed, clicking my fingers.
Matthias pulled away as the wolf came to my side. Someone had earned an extra steak.
‘He’s rather protective,’ I said, breathing easier as I turned down the corridor. ‘I’ll try, Matthias. I’ll get a list for Skye, and I’ll train with Glesni. If that’s what it takes to keep Romero Thorne off our backs and give us a chance, I’ll try.’
He was smiling as I turned away, fighting the urge to peer back over my shoulder and take one last look at my husband before he left.
