“It’s rude to keep her waiting!” Freya protested. “And of course, it is me business! If the council strips ye of yer title?—”
“They cannae do that,” Kaden snapped with enough venom that her mouth snapped shut. “I have given everything,everything, to this clan.”
He hadn’t even realized that his hands were balled so tightly that his knuckles popped until he heard the sound. It took even more effort to unclench his hands and jaw.
“I ken that ye have…” Freya’s words were softer now, more cautious.
He couldn’t look at her. He knew what he would see if he did—pity. Pity for the caged animal that he had become over the years, pity for the loss of the brother she had once had. Sadness for having a stranger sitting across from her.
“Ye shouldnae have to be unhappy just to please them.”
“And I daenae see how both things can be true,” he muttered, unsure if he wanted her to actually hear him or not.
It would be simple to inform her that his happiness clearly didn’t matter if this was the conversation they were going to keep having over and over again. But he wasn’t going to spread his unhappiness around.
“Ye could have at least greeted yer betrothed.”
“I’ll see her at dinner.”
“Kaden, that is nay way to start a new relationship,” Freya insisted.
The muscle in his jaw feathered, and he forced himself to swallow down the rest of his discomfort and bitterness.
“Careful, or else I’ll encourage Maither to start looking for a husband for ye sooner. Then, we shall see how ye like to be told how to act.”
Freya rolled her eyes, but his threat had the desired effect, as she rose from her seat and left the room without any further lecture.
13
The corridor to Emily’s chambers had never seemed longer, yet Kaden’s footsteps were oddly light.
He could hear voices speaking to one another before he even knocked on the door to announce himself. The temptation to eavesdrop was strong, but he refrained.
The moment he knocked, the voices stopped abruptly, and the high-pitched barking from Emily’s infernal puppy started up. He could hear its small steps as it ran across the room to the door to bark at him. Inhisown home. As if he were somehow an intruder.
He had been perfectly clear that she wasn’t welcome to bring the creature with her.
Not listening already, what a great start they were off to.
Emily wasn’t the one who opened the door. Instead, it was Skye, with the mongrel in her arms. The thing yipped and wiggled at the sight of him, but he refused to look at it. The last thing he needed was the beast thinking that it was welcome here. It didn’t need to get too comfortable.
“I see ye took yer merry time in getting down here,” Skye reprimanded, her voice low and intended only for his ears.
Emily rose from where she was sitting on the edge of her bed and joined them, taking the mongrel from Skye’s arms and stepping aside. Skye gave her a warm smile as she stepped out of the room and muttered something that sounded very much like “behave” to him before disappearing into the corridor.
Kaden pushed into the room, glancing around to ensure that at least the servants had arranged everything the way he had requested.
The door clicked shut behind him, and silence fell.
Even the mongrel was quiet.
“I presume that yer trip was uneventful?” Kaden asked, eventually.
“Very,” Emily answered. “Though I think that me faither would much prefer that I thrust meself upon ye at every opportunity to ensure the marriage proceeds. Other than the pressure, aye, I would say that everything was all right.”
Kaden turned away from her to hide his smirk. “I cannae say that I would be opposed to that.”
He could feel her rolling her eyes, and he didn’t even need to look at her.
