Baladar nodded. “As you wish.”
Violet crossed the room and gave me one of her rare and brief hugs. “All spells are breakable,” she whispered in my ear, and it gave me a small measure of comfort.
I just hoped I wasn’t going to find myself on that frozen lake anytime soon. Or at least not before I got some more training with Rowan and Violet in. Alone in the room with just Kade and Finn, I sighed and walked over to my dresser tograb some socks. I slipped them on, and then my hiking boots for extra measure.
“What are you doing?” Kade asked, from where he stood beside the bed. Arms still crossed, face still frozen in lines of fury.
“Don’t ask.” I fell onto the pillow, pulling the covers up over me again.
If I was going to be caught on that frozen lake again, I sure as hell was going to have shoes this time. Kade curled himself around me, his warm palm stroking my back until I fell asleep.
I hadn’t expected to, but my exhaustion got the best of me. I woke with the early morning light. Kade was hunched over at the foot of the bed, a deep snore rumbling from his chest. Poor guy, he would never be able to keep up with night watches. And I had a feeling Baladar was right. It wouldn’t help either way. It looked like I was sleeping fully clothed from now on, shoes and all. Hell, I’d even sleep with my sword.
After a quick shower, I was dressed and ready for training. Kade was awake when I went back into the bedroom. I gave him a quick kiss and told him I was going to get breakfast.
“I’ll go with you,” he said in a husky voice.
With a shake of my head, I kissed him again, lingering for a few extra moments on his lips. “Get some sleep. If you insist on taking nightshifts, you’re going to have to get some sleep during the day.”
He didn’t look convinced. “Promise me you’ll stay with someone at all times, and don’t leave the mansion without letting me know.”
I wrinkled my nose at him. “You got it, boss.”
He chuckled. “About time you realized who the boss was.”
I pounced on him, wrestling him down, pinning his arms under my thighs. “You’ll never tame me, King Kade.”
His eyes were sparkling now, laughter bringing out some of the gold in them. “I would never want to change you, your fire or your fight. They’re the things I love the most about you.”
He flipped me over then, and I realized I didn’t have him pinned at all. His huge body pressed into mine and a moan escaped from my lips as our mouths met in a fiery kiss. He was just wearing sleep shorts, which meant I had full access to all those bronzed muscles, running my hands across them as our kiss deepened.
Need slammed into me. The need to claim my mate, to brand our scents across each other. Kade must have felt the same way as he stripped my clothes off, his lips kissing along my jaw and down my collarbone as he moved. The dark fae was fighting a losing battle trying to coerce me to his side. There was literally nothing in any world,no power or stone, that could tear me away from Kade.
Nothing.
Later that morning, I got dressed for the second time, leaving a snoozing Kade in our bed. I’d lost some time with our morning love making, but even in the darkest of times one couldn’t skip out on the beauty of life and love. None of us knew how many tomorrows we would get.
I made my way toward the main dining room, Victor, Jen, and Monica joining me. All of my guards took shifts through the night, making sure they were rested.
It would be a big day today. Blaine would have to go to the Otherworld; he’d already agreed he was the best candidate for the position. I still felt uneasy about it, but there was little I could do except have faith in him and his abilities. Kade also had to choose his representative today. We all knew it was a real priority now. Training with the fae, learning what to expect in the coming battle, and hopefully bridging the gap between our peoples.
When I walked into the dining area I was surprised to see Bianca, the Boston alpha sitting with Blaine and Violet, eating breakfast. The moment I saw her, an idea popped into my head.
“Your Majesty…” Bianca stood and gave a slight bow. Blaine and Violet just waved at me; protocol was long forgotten between us. Jen, Monica, and Victor joined the others at the table. They might protect me, but they were my family first. We all ate together.
“Bianca, lovely to see you again. To what do I owe the pleasure?” I sat on Violet’s right and started to pile food onto my plate.
Bianca took her seat again. “I wanted to ask your permission to move my pack and dominants into the city. We would like to be stationed here to help until the threat is over.”
She was a true alpha, one who pushed forward with the duty of her people in mind. If she had the proper lineage, she would have made a wonderful queen.
“Permission granted. Now I have a request I wanted to ask you,” I told her.
“Anything,” she answered readily.
“I’m sending Blaine to the Otherworld to train with our allies in the Summer Court. I think a second representative would be a great idea, someone else I can trust to be a liaison between our two peoples. I would like if it were you.”
Her sharp gaze remained on me for a few long beats. I could tell she was analyzing what I had said, working out how she felt about it.
