AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 10
Itucked a bent leg underneath me, leaning back against the metal bench, watching Ash shovel soil into half a dozen pots. “Still can’t believe how much food you’re growing. Everything is thriving even while it’s snowing outside. You may need to come to my place in Terra and help me with mygarden.”
Ash twisted toward me, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smile. If I could have frozen time, I’d have done it in that moment and memorized his glimmering eyes, the stubble on his jawline dark enough to give him an edge, and the way the longer strands of hair across the front of his head danced over his brow. Add to that the bonus of him being half-naked, sweaty, and dirty. Yep, I wassold.
Goddess, help me.What was it about these three princes? When they looked at me, my stomach coiled, and I lost mywords.
“Let’s make a deal,” Ash said. “Save Talin, and I’ll transform your garden into aparadise.”
That sounded heavenly, particularly if he worked in my yard and I lounged with a cold drink watching him. Yes, that was verydoable.
“You’ve got yourself adeal.”
He laughed, deep and powerful, and returned to histask.
“What’s with the soil andpots?”
He glanced my way. “Trying to bring dead roses back tolife.”
I got up, stretching my back, admitting I knew little about gardening, but why not buy new flowers? “Okay. You must lovethem.”
“Something like that.” He spoke while piling dirt into a pot with hisshovel.
“Well, thanks for the information,” I said. “I’m going to work on breaking Talin’scurse.”
“I’ll be rightin.”
By the time I walked through the front doors to the castle, a waft of fried meat found me and I drifted toward the kitchen, following my nose. Raze was dressed and lounged on a chair, bare feet on the table corner, his hands behind his head. When he saw me, he lowered his legs to thefloor.
“Is Ash coming to join us?” heasked.
Leven glanced over his shoulder my way and nodded his morninghello, then returned to collect the strips of cooked meat from the frying pan. Was it dear orrabbit?
“He’ll be here shortly,” I responded, though I wondered how they’d known I’d been in the greenhouse. Probably went searching for me when they’d found my bedroom empty. “He’s planting a shitload of roses. He’s into flowers, isn’the?”
Leven joined Raze at the table and set down a plate with a mountain load of cooked meat. “Come andeat.”
Raze took two pieces and stuffed them into his mouth, his cheeks full, reminding me of chipmunks. “Our family crest is a rose,” he said, his lipssmacking.
“Oh, yeah, I saw it last night in the grand ballroom.” Joining them, I sat next to Leven and grabbed a piece. The gamey morsel melted on my tongue.Divine.I kept helpingmyself.
Raze wiped his glistening mouth, and with his hair slipped off his face, still wet from a wash, his thick, dark brows brought out his eyes. He had one of those hard faces where frowning seemed to come naturally, but to see him laid back and not brooding brought out a softer, approachableside.
Or I was just fantasizing instead of focusing on the issue at hand. These brothers were princes… royalty. And if I could help them, they’d be back to their fancy lifestyle without a second thought to what a witch like me did. And I had enough of my own issues to worry about, like ensuring Dad and I didn’t lose our family home, to worryabout.
Leven swallowed the food in his mouth. “Ten years ago, every rose on our property died, and Ash kept the stems that never rotted or perished. He took that as a sign that one day they will grow again. The plant is called a snow rose, and apparently, our mother’s grandma grafted the first flower to resist the icy chills of winter, and that’s how it got its name. I still think Ash is wasting histime.”
“The snow rose sounds impressive.” I’d never heard of such a plant before, but Ash had said their parents died ten years agotoo.
“Ash thinks it’ll bring peace back between the royal houses in White Peak and to all bear shifters,” Razeadded.
“Interesting. I’m assuming the roses all died after your parents’ and sister’s passing.” I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “Do you think there’s magic in theplants?”
They both stared at me with widened gazes, and Raze responded, “Ash sure loves to talk. What else did he tell you? Where the family treasure is? Did he also mention he still keeps his old teddy bear in his closet from when he wasfive?”
The kitchen door swung open, and Ash stood there, filling the space. “Fuck you. I see you’re in one of your moodstoday.”
Raze shook his head, grimacing, and reclined in his seat. “Notme.”
