When I explained what had happened, Gramps and Reyna looked surprised.
“Why didn’t Donovan come here and get me?” Reyna asked, her brow furrowing.
Donovan shook his head. “Rage is good king.”
Yep. I’d told him to get Rage, and he did.
‘I like him a lot,’ Rage told me. Then he explained to the room how he’d felt me getting attacked through our bond and that he’d spared the heirs at my request. “I won’t allow Nai to stay here overnight anymore since it’s clear that you can’t ensure her safety. I’d like her to stay at Alpha Castle unless she’s here having a lesson.”
Grandpa’s shoulders fell, and his eyes filled with tears as he looked at me. “I’m so sorry, my girl. It isn’t right that you should be at risk here. Your mate is right.”
Whoa. He agreed.
“I can stay with him … in Alpha Castle?” I asked Gramps as I slid into the empty chair next to him at the table.
The old mage nodded. “I think it would be best. Today, I’ll watch you create a portal in the real world a few times, and by the end of the day, you’ll be able to portal right into the castle and be there with Rage in case the mages close them.”
Rage frowned next to me,‘Portal? Close?’
‘I was trying to tell you about the high mages threatening to close the portals to keep us apart when you stormed off,’I told him, and he winced.
‘I’m sorry, my love. If they closed the portals to keep us apart, that’d lead to a war.’
I nodded.‘That’s why I’m learning to create them.’
He sighed, and everyone around us seemed to understand we were communicating mentally. Rage then reached up and cupped my face. ‘Are you okay with this? Staying with me at night and coming here for lessons?’
‘Definitely.’ I leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. Then, facing the rest of the group, I winced. “I still have a problem. One of the mages blew that magic-canceling powder in my face. I don’t have any of the special flower to counter that.”
Reyna snorted. “Those stupid selkies should have never discovered that.”
“In all fairness, it was a mage that created it,” I said, thinking of Jakko.
“Yeah, but there are selkies selling it in Dark Row now,” she replied. “The selkie king needs to put a stop to that or we’ll continue to have problems.”
Rage growled low in his throat. “I’ll have a chat with Ozark when I get back to the island. We’ll stop the sale of that powder before Nai gets home tonight. Reyna, if you come with me, I can send you back with a remedy flower for Nai.”
She nodded.
“Well, that’s settled, then,” Gramps said, patting my hand.
Rage, Justice, and Noble all left with Reyna, and Honor stayed with me, Gramps, and Donovan.
‘I’m not allowed to leave your side until we get back to Alpha Castle,’he said.‘So please don’t ask me—’
‘I get it,’I told him, threading my fingers into his fur.‘I’m glad you’re here.’
I turned then, trying to make eye contact with Donovan, but he was staring at something in the corner of the room. “Donovan? I want to thank you for getting Rage. I know that must’ve been scary.”
He tapped his fingers in a quick rhythm on the pads of his thumbs. “They hurt Nai,” he mumbled. “Nai is family. Rage is good king.”
My throat pinched, and I tried to swallow down my emotions. I don’t think Donovan understood that he’d saved my life. “That’s right, buddy, and I appreciate you so much. Maybe you should get a couple chocolate cupcakes as a thank you.”
His eyes snapped to mine then, and he grinned wickedly. “Chocolate is a good idea!”
I looked to Sariah, who was smiling. “Is that okay?” I asked her, and she nodded.
“I’ll have Annette start on them while you have a lesson with your grandfather,” my aunt replied. “I’m off to work.”
