“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“I would.” He takes a step closer. “Tell me why you’re here.”
I hold my ground. “I’m in Canada to rescue Comet.”
The corners of his lips twitch. “Grand theft dog, Wheeler? Really?” I wonder if he’s remembering the time that we dabbled in grand theft auto.
“Not theft. I can’t steal what’s already mine. I’m here to—”
“Rescue him. I heard you. Do you think he must have been miserable all this time, trapped in a palace with everything he could ever want at his beck and call?” His tone is balanced on a knife’s edge, giving nothing away.
“That life is clearly suitable for some, but no, not for my dog.”
He narrows his eyes for a moment, scrutinizing me in a way that makes me feel painfully transparent. He always had a way of doing that, and I hated it… right up until the moment I stopped feeling exposed and started feeling seen.
“Are you going to release Naomi or not?” I ask evenly.
“I already did, as soon as my guard told me what happened.”
Oh.I soften at this revelation, unsure what to say and morethan a little relieved that Naomi’s life isn’t about to be blown up—and that being king hasn’t changed Theo completely. He takes another step toward me.Have his eyelashes always been this long?
Over his shoulder, I see Winston approaching. The marriage certificate is nowhere in sight. Theo must hear him too, because he lowers his voice and says, “We probably don’t have much time. But it isreallynice to see you, Wheeler.” There he goes again, calling me “Wheeler.” It sounds likeWheel-a.It’s a far cry from when he used to call me “American girl.”
“Can I please take Comet home with me?”
He grimaces and rubs the back of his neck with his hand. “Unfortunately, I can’t agree to that.”
“He’smine!”
“Your Majesty,” the bodyguard interrupts. “It’s time to go.”
Theo looks at me, his expression filled with regret. “Iamsorry, for what it’s worth.”
I wish I could tell if he’s apologizing for Comet, oreverythingelse. He turns to leave, and once again restless frustration burns inside me.
“So that’s it?” I ask.
He freezes mid-step and turns, his face indecipherable. Once upon a time, I would have let him go, too scared to say how I really feel. If the world almost ending taught me anything, it’s that I might not get another chance.
I lift my arms in an exaggerated shrug. “I came all this way for five minutes of banter and now you’releaving?”
He glances over at his guard and then back at me, a sad smile on his face. “I thought you came all this way for Comet?”
He’s calling my bluff, and I can’t keep lying to myself.
I exhale, dropping my arms to my sides without taking my eyes off his. “Ninety percent for Comet.”
His eyes blaze, and for a split second, he looks tortured. And then he moves.
He closes the distance between us in a flash and wraps me in a hug. I pull him tight against my body and bury my face into his neck, fighting the urge to cry. All the times I thought about seeing him again, I didn’t dare to imagine it would feel like coming home.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t last.
CHAPTER6
A man shouts. Arms push us back. I stumble, but Theo keeps me on my feet. I hear another shout, followed by a series of clicks. I glance up and am blinded by a camera flash. Theo swears and covers my face with his hands, tucking me behind him to shield me from the cameras as bodyguards try to pull us apart.
“Who’s the bird?” a voice yells. I look up and squint against the flash.
