Page 69 of The Fox Heir

I wipe my tears roughly from my cheeks and sit back on his bed. Dim light from the overcast sky makes the room feel cold, even with the fire in the hearth burning strong. I shiver beneath my red cloak, then pull Hunter’s blankets higher up his chest. He pushes them back down. I know I’m fussing, but I can’t help it.

His eyes widen as he takes in my leather pants for the first time. His eyes drift up to mine, one eyebrow raised.

“They’re practical.” I sound defensive.

“I bet.” He squints at me, studying me for a long moment. “A lot has changed over these last two months.”

“It has.”

He leans back into his pillows and closes his eyes. Exhaustion etches his face. “I don’t know where the hell I am, but they sure have nice pillows.”

I laugh. “You and I both know these pillows are shit.”

“I was trying to be polite.” A weary smile cracks his face. To me, it shines like the light of a summer day in Llwyn. He opens one eye to look at me. “I sure would like to know what happened.”

“We’ll get to that, but first, are you sure you’re alright?”

He nods. “I am.”

I punch him in the shoulder as hard as I can.

He shoots straight up, his eyes accusatory. “Ow! What the hell, Sienna?”

I point at his face, my finger a mere three inches from his nose. “What were you thinking, sailing a ship north in the dead of winter?!”

He snaps his jaw shut and rubs his arm where I hit him. I hope it leaves a bruise.

“At least you have the decency to look chagrined.” I glower at him. “Seriously, Hunter, of all the harebrained, foolhardy, misguided things you’ve ever done, this⁠—”

“It was for you,” he says evenly.

I stop, mid-sentence. “What?”

“I stole a ship and sailed north for you.”

I can’t hide the bewilderment I feel. I blink at him several times. “Wha … I … how …”

He sighs and leans back into the pillows again. “They all died, didn’t they? The men? My crew?”

I nod slowly.

“We knew it would be dangerous. I just thought we’d at least make it to shore before we all died.”

“Hunter, it wasn’t just dangerous. It was suicidal.” I stare at him hard. The past couple of months have changed him too, I realize. He’s thinner, and his eyes have dark circles beneath them. I’d wager he’s had more than a few sleepless nights since I left him on the battlefield at Ellyll.

“We didn’t have much of a choice,” he says, the corners of his mouth turning downward.

I bite my lip, thinking of how to proceed. There are a million unspoken words between us. How I broke my promise to marry him. How I convinced him to help me save the Wolf from my father’s prison. How he gave me his body and soul before I abandoned him on a burning battlefield, to follow the Wolf into Annwyn.

I heave a weary sigh. “Hunter, but why come here? We both know I made my own choice to leave Llwyn.”

To leave you, I don’t say. Still, behind his deep brown eyes, I can see the words there. The pain of betrayal shows when he looks at me.

“I swore an oath to protect the royal family, and I intend to keep it.”

“You’re not a member of the King’s Guard anymore,” I remind him.

An involuntary look of disgust crosses his face. He tries to hide it, but not well enough. He turns his face to look out the window. “You wouldn’t understand. Some of us value our words. Our promises.”