Chapter 15
Fawn stepped out of the carriage, groaning at the ache in her back. Dean had forced a grueling pace, refusing unnecessary breaks to stretch their legs. Nights meant no more than four hours of rest, and days blurred as she and Naomi drifted in and out of sleep in the swaying carriage.
Dean sat stoically beside her or rode alongside them, staying close enough to see her through the window. She’d have liked to have spent their trip getting to know each other better, and they did to an extent, but they were all so exhausted from lack of sleep that conversation felt impossible.
She tipped her head back, staring at the Garden Palace in all its blinding golden glory. It was huge with large domed towers accented in gold, and white marble steps leading to the front golden entrance. “The Garden royals really love gold,” Fawn muttered.
Dean stood impossibly close, his heat making her sweat beneath her heavy wool dress. “It’s obnoxious,” he agreed.
Naomi bent her head back to take it all in. “It looks really nice.” She plucked at the front of her dress. “I need to get out of this dress before I die.”
Fawn fanned herself. “I second that.” All their clothes were designed for the Mountain Kingdom climate, not the warm air of the garden climate. Fawn’s shoulders dropped. “I don’t have anything lighter.”
“You can wear one of mine,” her friend offered. “I have a few dresses from when I lived here.”
Fawn looked from Naomi’s tall, very slender body to her own. “I don’t think they’ll fit.”
Dean moved out from behind her but left his hand on her lower back. “I have a robe you can wear until your dresses arrive.”
Her brow furrowed. “What dresses?”
He guided them down the wide stone walkway toward the golden entrance. “The ones you two are going to order. I’ll have a modiste sent to our rooms.”
Fawn dug her heels into the ground, forcing them to stop. “ Our rooms?”
Dean’s eyes narrowed. “We’ve been over this. We stay together at all times.”
“ Dean ,” boomed the deepest voice Fawn had ever heard from the palace steps. A massive man with warm, light brown skin, wavy shoulder length brown hair, and a heavy brow strode down the cobblestone walkway. Dean’s grin split wide as he met the man halfway.
Naomi looked at Fawn and shrugged. “Let’s go meet your boyfriend’s friends.”
Fawn huffed. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
Naomi bumped Fawn’s shoulder, playful as ever. “He’s your mate. I don’t know much about them, but from what Grandma and Grandpa told me, you’re going to get married and become queen. That makes him your boyfriend.” She moved her head side to side as she thought. “Or fiancé.”
“Dean!” a feminine voice cried out, followed by the pitter-patter of light footsteps against stone.
Fawn watched as Dean turned to a pretty woman seconds before she launched herself into his arms and kissed him on the lips.
Everything slowed as Dean peeled the woman off him and set her on her feet. He patted her awkwardly on the arm. “Sweetheart, we need to talk later.” Sweetheart . He wasn’t speaking to Fawn; he was speaking to the woman who had just kissed him.
Sweetheart . The word hammered in her skull, over and over.
Naomi’s gasp turned into a snarl. “That fucking bastard.”
What the fuck ? How had she managed to agree to marry two men already involved with other women?
What the fuck is Cali doing here? This couldn’t be worse. His eyes darted to Braddock, who looked as lost as he did. He must not have received the letter. Fuck .
Dean spun away from his betrothed that shouldn’t be here and stalked toward his mate. Fawn’s inner turmoil made his anger rise, and he wanted to throw Cali in the dungeon for putting her lips on what belonged to his mate.
He reached for Fawn, but Naomi shoved him back. He didn’t budge, though her strength impressed him. A weaker man would have stumbled. “It’s not what it looks like,” he swore.
“What it looked like was another woman jumped into your arms and kissed you,” Naomi snarled.
Godsdammit . “That’s not what I meant. Cali is?—”
The woman in question appeared beside him and tried to twine her arm through his, but he shook it off and moved closer to Fawn. Cali’s breath hitched. “Dean? What’s going on?”
He couldn’t ask Braddock for help because no one knew he’d found his mate.
“Who are you?” Naomi asked Cali before Dean could explain the situation.
Grabbing Fawn’s hand, he gently tugged her away. “I need you to come with me.”
He watched in horror as Cali stepped forward and crossed her arms. “I’m Dean’s fiancé, Cali.”
Fuck my life.
Fawn ripped her hand from Dean’s and stumbled back. “You’re engaged?” His perfect mate tried to keep her voice even, but he heard the slight tremble.
The acrid feeling of her sense of betrayal soured his stomach before it fizzled away. “No, don’t do that,” he pleaded. “Don’t shut me out again.”
“Fine,” she spat. Her pain and anger slammed into him, forcing a grunt.
Dean cupped both sides of her face, forcing her to focus on him. “Fawn, it’s not what you think. Please let me explain before you run.”
Cali sucked in a sharp breath. She echoed Fawn’s name, her heartbreak evident, but he refused to look away from the brown eyes holding him captive. He had to convince Fawn not to leave, otherwise he’d be forced to lock her in their rooms.
His mate extracted herself from his hold and stuck out her hand to Cali. “I’m Fawn, Dean’s mate.”
Dean finally looked at Cali. The woman’s tear-streaked face twisted into something ugly as she slapped Fawn’s hand away. Dean snatched her wrist. “You lay a hand on her again, and I’ll kill you.”
Everyone fell silent until Braddock approached the group. “Let her go. It’s not her fault you bombarded her with this news in front of everyone.”
“I don’t care if she’s upset.” Dean released her with a warning glare. “I’ll not stand for anyone disrespecting their queen.”
Cali’s tears fell faster. “You can’t truly believe she’s your mate. Your mate died years ago. It’s time you accepted it. I don’t know how this woman convinced you otherwise, but you need to see the facts in front of you.”
“He approached me,” Fawn snapped. “Scared the shit out of me and claimed I was his mate.” She pointed at her chest. “I’ve felt him here half of my life.
I didn’t understand what it was then, but now I do.
” Her hand dropped into a fist at her side, and for a second, he thought she might swing.
“I’ll not let some woman I’ve never met accuse me of something she knows nothing about. ”
Pride swelled in Dean’s chest. His mate was a force to be reckoned with.
“You insult my intelligence and that of your queen,” he stated, placing his hand on Fawn’s lower back to stop her if she tried to lunge.
Or run away. “Braddock, take Cali inside. I’ll deal with her after I’ve settled Fawn and Naomi. ”
Braddock said nothing and guided Cali toward the palace. She protested the entire way, and Dean watched until they disappeared inside.
“You never mentioned an engagement,” Fawn accused. “We’ve been together for almost a week, and you hid this from me?” She jerked, but his grip on her side kept her pinned. “You thought what? That I’d be okay gallivanting around with a taken man?”
“I’ll kill you for what you’ve done,” Naomi vowed. “I don’t care if you’re a king or a god descended from the heavens.”
She tried to attack him, but Cassandra appeared out of nowhere and wrapped her large body around the furious woman. She looked down and froze, as did Fawn at the sight of the large serpent.
“What did you do?” his familiar asked, amused. “I’m tempted to let her go. I think she was going for your throat.”
“She’s Fawn’s best friend,” he said tightly, wishing he’d handled things differently. “With everything going on, I forgot about Cali, and she met us outside.”
“Dean,” Fawn whispered in a panic. “Help her.”
Cassandra uncoiled herself and slithered to Dean’s side. “Is this her? She’s commanding you already and her friend wants to kill you. I like her.”
Dean glared at the serpent. “This is Cassandra. She’s my familiar , and I swear she’d never hurt either of you. In fact, the wench almost let Naomi attack me for fun.” Naomi shot Cassandra an appreciative look, and Fawn bit back a smile.
Dean pinched Fawn’s side, coaxing the reluctant smile free. That’s a good sign, at least. He tipped his head toward the palace. “Please come inside and let me explain.”
She glanced at him and nodded once. “This explanation better be good, or we’re gone by morning.”
No, darling, you’re not.
Fawn followed Dean into a large study with Naomi close behind. She’d never been more thankful for her friend than she was when she’d stuck up for her. Well, maybe when she saved her life, but her protectiveness was a close second.
He closed the door and led her to a cushioned settee in the middle of the room. The study lacked the palace’s grandeur; she guessed it was the one place he’d redecorated for himself.
Naomi sat in one of the large chairs adjacent to Fawn, and Dean took a seat beside her on the settee. “First, I want to make it clear that there never has been and never will be a romantic relationship between Cali and me.”
A flicker of relief eased the unease twisting of Fawn, but she’d listened to the rest of his explanation before she made her final decision. If it weren’t for the bond revealing his truth, she would have left already.
“I can’t say the same for her,” he went on.
Naomi’s eyes slitted. “She thinks she loves me, but I’ve never given her a reason to.
” After only a few days with Dean, Fawn understood how a woman might fall for him.
“I’ve never been in a romantic relationship with anyone,” he continued, “and after I took the throne, I was forced to pick a wife.”
Hearing the truth, Fawn couldn’t fault him, but an ugly twist of jealousy still crawled over her skin.
“They gave me a list of women they deemed suitable. I’d only met Cali in passing, but she is Braddock’s cousin and a good person.”
Fawn hated hearing him praise the woman who he’d chosen to replace her. Not his fault , she repeated to herself. Perhaps shock had made Cali lash out—perhaps she really was a good person. The thought made Fawn feel worse.
“I’ve never touched her intimately.” His eyes bore into hers, imploring her to believe him.
“That’s bullshit,” Naomi interjected. “We saw her kiss you.”
A storm fell over Dean. “That was the first time, and she had no right to put her lips on mine without permission.” He slid his hand over Fawn’s. “That right belongs to you and no one else.”
A thousand butterflies took flight, putting Fawn in an internal uproar. What did she say to that? Thank you? Good? Touch her again and I’ll let Naomi slit both your throats?
Naomi sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. “I believe you.”
Both Dean and Fawn snapped their heads in her direction. Naomi no longer looked ready to string him up by his neck. Her playful demeanor returned instantly, and for a beat Fawn wondered if her friend was actually insane.
A few months ago, Naomi bawled her eyes out with the guilt of killing a bad man, but when it came to the king, she had no issue trying to separate his head from his body.
Dean huffed out a laugh and thanked her, then turned to Fawn. “And you?” His chest stopped moving with anticipation.
There was one thing he didn’t explain that she needed to know. “Why didn’t you tell me about her?” She wouldn’t marry a man who lied by omission any more than she would a man who lied with falsehoods.
It surprised her when his neck flushed red and crept into his cheeks.
“Because I’m a foolish man.” She said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
He scratched his jaw, muttered something to himself, and sighed.
“I sent a message to Braddock before we left to keep Cali out of the palace until we returned. I’d planned to settle you in, break off my engagement with Cali, and tell you everything. ”
“You thought, what? That’d I’d be grateful you left me in the dark until you were single?” She hadn’t meant to sound so harsh, but her men were fucking morons.
“I thought you would take the news better if I were no longer engaged when I told you. You have to know she means nothing to me.”
She felt his sincerity and remorse, but it still pissed her off. Would she have shut down had she known he was still engaged? Probably. Did she deserve to know a man she shared a bed with, if even innocently, was engaged to another? Absolutely.
Dean looked so forlorn, Fawn pushed her annoyance aside for another day and decided to put the man out of his misery. Fawn flipped her palm up and gripped his hand tightly. “I believe you, but don’t withhold anything from me again. I won’t be so forgiving the next time around.”
Air whooshed out of his lungs, and he hung his head for a moment.
Lifting it again, he stopped her heart with his intensity.
“I won’t lie to you—I feel guilty for what I’ve done to her.
We were meant to wed when I returned, and she’ll be humiliated.
But you’re more important than she ever was, and I’d cut her down a thousand times over to keep you. ”