Ethan stood. “Then I will return to the Circle and tell them to make preparations. We will march on the fortress as soon as I set foot back in Malovia.”
“I’m coming,” I insisted, attempting to stand again. I wavered. Odette jumped up to steady me on my feet.
“No, Emma. This is something I must do alone,” Ethan insisted. “You are staying here, where it’s safe. That’s final.”
Ethan swept away. The boys followed, to pack their things and take a portal back to Malovia.
It was cute Ethan thought he could boss me around. I went to go after him, but Odette’s grip was tight on my arm. Delmare and Kiara stepped in front of me.
“Oh,I see. He’s putting you girls up to being my jailers until the fight’s over.” I put a hand on my hip. “You know that’s not going to work, right?”
“You’re stronger than all of us, but you can’t take on the three of us at once,” Kiara said forcefully. “We’re not letting the Black Claw get their hands on you. You’re staying.”
“Fuck all I am!” My voice was high. I knew the boys could hear me inside the cabin, but I didn’t care.
“We can’t fight anyway,” Delmare argued. “You’re sick, I’m pregnant, Odette has sworn to not fight again, and Kiara won’t go into battle without us. It’s better if we just stay out of the way.”
I turned to Kiara. “Are you really okay with letting Alexei go off on his own?”
“He asked me to stay here, and I’m going to honor his wishes. He’s going to worry if he knows I’m not in a safe place. It’s better if he keeps his mind on the fight, and that’s where Ethan’s mind should be, too,” Kiara insisted. “We just need to relax.”
I threw my arms up. “How can werelaxwhen we’re going to be sitting around worrying our heads off about our mates?”
“Iknow, but in this situation, doing nothing is better than doing something,” Delmare said. “I promise that the day after the eclipse, you can take your happy little ass back to Malovia and help Ethan, if it’s still needed. But until then, you need to stay here, got it?”
“Fucking make me,” I growled. I’d be damned before I let Ethan fight alone. He was my mate. He needed me at his side, and Malovia needed a queen to lead them into battle.
“Emma, there’s more at stake than your pride,” Kiara begged. “Say the Black Claw gets their hands on you, and they use your blood to raise Droga. What then?”
That caused me to pause. That would be a far worse situation than the one we were in now.
“Whatever,” I huffed. “But the moment the eclipse is over, I’m taking a portal back to Malovia, whether I’m still sick or not.”
My goodbye to Ethan was tense as he prepared to drive back to the airport. He rubbed my arms as we stood outside the car, but it did little to dispel the fear inside of me.
“I’m scared. You shouldn’t be going to war without me,” I worried.
“I’ll make it back to you once this war is over and Gabby is dealt with,” Ethan said. He gave me a kiss and lifted my chin. “It’ll be all right.”
I didn’t know. There was a twisted feeling gnawing at my heart since we’d made this decision, and it had nothing to do with my hearthfire being destroyed.
I couldn’t help it. I cried once Ethan was gone. Being without him just felt wrong.
We had dinner, and although it was my favorite… spaghetti and meatballs… it tasted bland in my mouth. The cabin was quiet without the obnoxious noises of the men to fill it up.
We didn’t talk much. I think we were all wondering what our mates were doing now, and if they were out of harm’s way.
I couldn’t accuse the girls of not having my best interests at heart. After all, they were making a sacrifice, too. Their mates were fighting alongside Ethan. Delmare stared out the window, watching the falling snow and rubbing her belly as Odette knitted anxiously and Kiara read a book. I saw her turn a page, only to turn it backward and read it over again three times.
I had nothing to do with my hands. I’d figured they’d be preoccupied with something else— mainly, Ethan— on my honeymoon, but he was gone now, so I resorted to emotional eating, munching on snacks to try and regain my strength. I tried to watch a movie, but I couldn’t pay attention to it, knowing that our forces had to be marching on Gabby’s fortress by now. For all I knew, the battle had already begun.
Once it got dark, Odette yawned. “We should get some sleep.”
I didn’t know if I could, but I had to try. I stood from the armchair and shut the TV off. “Coming, Kiara?”
“I’m going to stay up a bit longer,” Kiara said tiredly, head bobbing over her book. “This chapter’s very… interesting.”
Oh, gods. They were taking shifts to make sure I didn’t leave. This was ridiculous. I rolled my eyes and hobbled back to bed. The California king felt empty and cold without my wolf here beside me.
