One #2
“Restless. Prowly. Distracted. Overprotective.”
“These are troubling times,” I noted, perhaps more hopefully that it was just that than truthfully.
“He only seems himself when he’s with me, or I’m near, and I know this because, if we’re parted for long, it takes a while for him to shake it off.
Actually, this behavior started happening earlier, it’s just that it’s gotten worse with time.
Since you got that threat on your life, I lost count of how many times he just ‘happened’ to show at the shoot to have lunch with me, or because ‘he was in the neighborhood.’ This worsened after the attack on Sigil.
Now, on the way up here, he’s asked me to abandon the shoot entirely for the foreseeable future.
‘Until we know what’s going on,’ he said.
And he’s a huge champion of me continuing in my career.
That’s really out of character for him.”
“A mate thing?” I guessed.
“Tanyn isn’t his mate. You aren’t either.
And it’s you two who are under threat. I think he notices whatever this is that’s happening to him, but he hasn’t addressed it with me because I don’t think he understands it.
What I do think he understands is Cormac’s reaction, because he’s feeling the same way.
So, he says we’re up here to negotiate with Cormac so he’ll leave Gayle’s safety to him and or Tanyn.
But I know something more is up because… ”
She let that trail and gave me a speculative look.
However, I was cottoning on.
“Because…you know about Aleece and Bainon.”
“Tanyn told you?” she asked.
I nodded. “And Aleece is pissed at Bainon because he told her she’s his mate because, maybe, he’s feeling this same thing Aleksei and Cormac are feeling.”
And Tanyn.
“That’s my guess. They should be here soon and hopefully we’ll find out more when they are.”
“Okay, so for now, are you hungry? I think you missed dinner.”
“While I was packing Gayle, Aleksei was dealing with the journey. He had something waiting in the craft. We ate on the way.”
“Okay then. Cocktail?”
“That I will not say no to.”
There were a variety of places we could go on this floor to have a drink and wait for Aleece and Bainon to arrive, and where we could also avoid Cormac and his mood.
The king had a dining room with its antechamber.
The queen had a breakfast room with a morning room attached.
We could go there.
As well as a variety of drawing rooms and parlors.
But I didn’t think Tanyn would want me somewhere else, or Aleksei would want Laura somewhere else for that matter.
So I led her to the antechamber.
I greeted Aleksei. I gave a brooding Cormac a wide berth.
Though, compounding why I was furious at him was the fact that he was sexy as all the hells being broody, and I wished he could love my gal like she yearned for him.
Not long later, Tanyn got a comm that Bainon and Aleece’s craft was approaching, so Tanyn left Nayden and Uly with Cormac (in other words, guarding him), and the rest of us went with him down to meet their craft.
I’d known Aleece for longer than the other gals, because my family might not hold titles, but we did have a lot of money and had for a very long time, and right or wrong, money gave you prominence, so I’d been consorting in royal circles for some time.
I’d always liked her enormously.
She was like Tanyn, down to earth.
She was also (fate?) like Bainon, easygoing.
However, as she stormed out of the craft that held her and Bainon, she was not at all easygoing.
She came right to us and bobbed an informal curtsy to Tanyn while Bainon prowled up behind her.
“My apologies, Your Majesty,” she declared. “But I’m in no mood to be good company and would request that you provide me with transport back to Nocturn immediately.”
“You are not returning to Nocturn,” Bainon growled from behind her.
She whirled on him. “I think you’ve had control of me and my emotions for long enough, wouldn’t you say, Your Highness?”
Oh dear.
I wasn’t sure he’d broken the spell, but he obviously admitted he cast it.
Bainon’s lips thinned.
“We all have a lot to talk about,” Aleksei said, and Aleece whirled on her brother. “But it’s late. We’ll do it tomorrow.”
“Oh yes, my dear, dear, dear brother, we have much to talk about.”
Annnnnnnd…
Bainon had shared Aleksei knew about her and the prince too.
“Right,” I pushed forward to get a handle on things. “Let’s get you to your chamber. Do you have a case?”
“No.”
“We’ll get you covered,” I mumbled, and Laura came with me as we bundled Aleece into the castle and up to her room.
Only when we got there did Aleece turn on Laura.
“Did you know?”
Laura’s face fell. “I’m so sorry, honey. Aleksei made me promise not to say anything.”
Aleece twirled away from her and stomped to a window, peered out of it, declaring, “I cannot believe this fucking shit.” She whirled back and snapped, “Spellbound. For over a decade. It’s unthinkable.”
It was.
I’d be just as angry as her.
I might even be angrier.
“I’ll get you something to sleep in and bring in my spa-visor,” I said. “I’ll see if the staff can unearth a Denti-Clean for you, or at least a toothbrush. Do you want a sleeping draft?”
“Oh no,” she said scarily. “I’ll be happily nursing my snit until the end of fucking time.”
Totally always liked this female.
Laura and I made ourselves scarce.
Well, Laura did.
I saw to the things Aleece needed.
Once she was settled, I checked on Gayle.
She was sleeping soundly.
Good.
I knocked on Laura’s door to say goodnight.
I could tell she was unhappy, and I could sense Aleksei moving around in the room behind her, so my guess was her unhappiness centered around Aleksei making her keep a secret from her soon-to-be sister-in-law and current good friend.
I left them to it and headed to Tanyn’s chamber.
I’d changed into a nightgown and was in the bathroom cleaning my face manually (because Aleece had my spa-visor), when Tanyn strolled in.
Face wet and dripping, I looked at him in the mirror.
“Are the males settled?”
His attention shifted from the water dropping off my face to my eyes. “It always delights me when you demonstrate your very high capacity to be cute.”
Ugh.
I reached for a towel.
Tanyn pulled off his sweater before he shoved in his Denti-Clean.
I leaned a hip against the counter, crossed my arms and watched him.
When he took it out and wiped his mouth, I prompted, “Well?”