Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
The plane ride was a nightmare, mostly because of Cecil.
Nate and Eryk failed to realize he’d packed baby bottles filled with vodka.
Cecil got horribly drunk in the first hour of the first flight, screamed, cried, and threw up on the floor.
At one point, a red-faced man sitting in front of them turned around and told Nate to shut his baby up.
Cecil reached into his diaper, pulled out an adult-sized turd, and flung it at the man’s head.
Luckily, Nate was gorgeous, and the flight attendants all assumed Cecil was just a fussy baby, so they took turns trying to soothe him. Cecil spent most of the flight napping with his head nuzzled between their boobs.
The only part that went smoothly was the sprint to catch our connection in Denver.
On the next flight to Madison, all of us were sitting in different parts of the plane.
I had a single middle-row seat in between a young college boy and a tall, dark man in a turban.
Donovan was eight rows back on the aisle.
Cress and Bart sat further toward the front.
I had been keeping half an eye on her, mindful that Bart wouldn’t be able to hold her back if she decided to stab someone.
But after we started to take off, I noticed she had gone quiet.
I took a peek and saw her head tilted to one side. She was asleep.
Suddenly, her terrible mood made sense. She was exhausted. None of the company had slept in the last few days. They’d been out both nights, searching for traces of Connor and his minions.
Once the seatbelt light flicked off, I breathed a sigh of relief. As long as everyone kept quiet, we’d make it to Madison, Wisconsin, and I could start looking for Audrina.
A shadow fell over me. Donovan leaned down and tapped the turbaned man next to me on the shoulder, gesturing for him to get up and switch seats. To my surprise, the man got up instantly and moved into Donovan’s seat.
“How did you do that?” I asked him. “Normally you have to beg, throw punches, and submit yourself to the mercy of the Am I The Asshole posts before you can ask someone to switch seats with you on a plane.”
Donovan settled into the seat next to me. Suddenly, I could barely think straight. These chairs were too small, and he was so big. His long limbs stretched out into the aisle. “I wish to speak with you.”
I licked my lips. “What is it?” My mouth had gone dry. His whole glorious body sprawled next to me—long black hair swept up into a messy topknot, arms long and loose at his side.
“I am mulling over what the shifter said,” he said, his voice low.
“The Lady Bronwyn asked me to take note of the things that disturbed me, the ideas that angered me. According to her wisdom, I am supposed to ‘feel my feelings’ which is a phrase that sounded nonsensical when Lady Bronwyn said it, but now, I think I understand.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “Go on.”
“When the Bear said that tradition serves no one, it infuriated me. Tradition unifies, it strengthens our bonds, it provides boundaries and fosters solidarity. It is paramount, especially in a kingdom like mine. If we do not have our traditions, we have chaos.” A shadow passed over his face. “We must have order.”
I nodded. “Well, we’ve already established that you take your duties seriously,” I said mildly. “You have responsibilities.”
“The bear’s opinion outraged me. Instead of striking at him, as I may have done in the past, I did as Lady Bronwyn requested and thought about why it made me so angry that he would hold that opinion.
He is a commoner, and his thoughts mean nothing to me, but I was angered at his words.
I have been mulling over why I care so much. ”
I met his eyes briefly. “Do you think you might want to… see it from his point of view? Empathize with him?”
“I understand the challenges he faces. I understand that he does not wish to marry a woman, as his parents ordered. This does not concern me. The fault lies in human society's backward way of thinking.”
“So, you’re cool with gay marriage in your realm?”
Donovan gave me a puzzled look. “Of course.” His expression turned stony again.
“My duties consume me. I understand why I must do what I am ordered to do—it is for the good of my kingdom. Perhaps I am enraged at the idea that I do not have to be so obedient after all. Who would I be if I did whatever I wanted?” He exhaled wearily. “I am afraid I will be Connor.”
“I understand. You’re scared of your own power.” Poor Donovan put himself on a tight leash because his own brother was a monster.
“Perhaps.” He glanced over at me; some of the tension went out of him. “Lady Bronwyn asked me what I wanted in life. If you asked me three days ago, I would have said something different from what I would tell you right now.”
“That’s quite cryptic.”
He sighed—a gruff, deep noise. “I do not mean to be.”
“But I get it.” I nudged him. “This is what happens when your worldview gets shaken up. The certainty is gone. You know, I’ve been thinking almost exactly the same thing. I was always so sure of myself, then I had my breakdown. But I’m starting to think that it’s okay to be unsure.”
“Perhaps. But I do not like it.”
“If I’m allowed to be unsure about something, so can you.”
Without warning, he picked up my hand and entwined his fingers in mine. “We will be unsure together.”
I spent the rest of the flight trying to remember how to breathe.