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Dean walked out of the kitchen with the picnic basket in his hand. I told myself I was just simply watching him walk up to us and not focused on the way his muscles bulged as he carried the obviously heavy basket. I shifted my weight next to Lily, glancing over at her slyly. Her attention was completely focused on Dean and didn't seem to notice my uncomfortable position.
Dean walked up to us acting like a kindergartener who had been caught doing something wrong. He looked completely miserable but like he was ready to accept his fate. When he got to where we were standing, Lily cleared her throat. “How are preparation’s going?”
“They're going well, Your Majesty. We should be on our way in the next hour or so. I would like to request that my absence be kept as under wraps as possible. I would hate for Jack or any one else to try something while I’m not here to protect you or His Majesty,” Dean said. Lily rolled her eyes and smirked at him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, lightly shaking him.
I stared at where her hand was placed, not understanding the feeling of jealousy and rage that was bubbling up within me. All I wanted to do was rip her hand off his shoulder and keep her away from him. That wasn't like me, especially considering this man had literally dumped me into the dungeon a few hours earlier. I shook my head, trying to clear these thoughts from my mind and focused on the conversation.
“Of course, Dean. We wouldn't want something to happen without you right there in the mix,” Lily smirked. Dean nodded at her and then gave her a small bow. I swallowed thickly so I didn't freak out and start yelling about this whole situation. I hated that Dean was bowing to Lily. I didn't know why I was so worried about it, considering Dean made his hatred of me plain and Lily was my best friend, who was mated to Jason, but all I knew was that I wanted Dean to stay far away from Lily.
Nia walked by us and Lily stopped her. She wrapped her arm through Nia’s and stood there, staring at the two of us. She smiled and waited for us to say something. I raised an eyebrow and glanced at Dean, to see if he knew what to say. His face was completely blank so I knew he'd be of no help. I turned back to Lily and gave her a small bow. “Thank you for coming to see us off, Your Majesty. We will take our leave to make our final preparations and be on our way. Please let us know if you need anything else before we start our trip.”
Lily laughed lightly, her eyes twinkling. She turned away from me and waved over her shoulder. I glanced over at Dean, and saw him eyeing me, I scowled before glaring at him with my best murder stare. Unfortunately, he didn’t spontaneously combust into flames. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Dean blinked, then turned on his heel. I threw my hands up in exasperation, fed up with his attitude. We hadn’t even made it out of the damn castle yet. We walked down the hallway and I could hear the Royal Guard starting to fill up the dining room for the dinner rush. I knew that a big meal would be carried out by servants and given to all of the guards who were on their breaks. This would be the perfect time for us to head out because literally no one would see us heading to the tunnels that would lead us to the edge of the pack lands.
I caught up with Dean. “We should grab our packs and head out now since the Royal Guards are starting dinner. That way nobody will see us leave and you can keep the knowledge of your absence under wraps for longer.” Dean glanced my way with weird look on his face.
I didn't bother trying to figure out what he was thinking. I was exhausted just from spending the last hour around him and all we had done was either stare at each other or fight. We walked down the hallway in silence. I started walking to the laundry room, intent on heading through the tunnels located back there. Dean threw a hand in front of me, stopping me from passing the Royal wing. I looked up at him in confusion
“We're going to take the entrance in Laura's room. There are less people and we wouldn't want it to get out that there are escape routes or entrances throughout the castle that others can use,” Dean explained. I stared up at him for a few minutes before nodding and turning down the hallway. I opened Laura's door slowly and took a few cautious steps in.
“Laura,” I called.
Dean sauntered into the room, letting the door slam behind him. I jumped, turning to look at him and threw my hands up. “What is the Goddess-damned point of being careful about leaving and being quiet if you're going to slam doors everywhere we go?”
“I do what I want,” Dean responded. I scoffed.
“Apparently, that includes messing up every plan and doing stupid things that counteract your goals all the time,” I responded. Dean grunted, looking pissed at me for arguing with him and pointing out his stupidity.
“Shut up. If I wanted someone to critique what I fucking do and when, I would have brought Jason along or asked Shaun to come with me,” Dean growled.
I rolled my eyes and laughed, making sure he knew I knew he was bluffing. “The only reason we're going to Luke's lands right now is because we're trying to figure out what the hell I am. That’s not possible if I'm not there. So, saying that you would have brought Jason or Shaun along is just another example of you being stupid and trying stupid things. You should probably shut your own mouth and let me do the thinking since I'm clearly better at it. By the way, if you ever tell me to shut the fuck up again, I will stab you in the shin.”
The toilet in the bathroom flushed and both of us turned toward the doorway, snapping our mouths shut. Laura entered the bedroom, looking entirely too amused for my liking. She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway. “Well, if I knew I was going to get a show like this, I wouldn't be so in a hurry to head out. You too clearly don't understand the meaning of sneaking or being quiet. I will say it at least made my day to listen to you to fight.”
Dean turned away, not bothering to say anything but I could tell he was pissed at having been caught unaware. He turned back to Laura. “We need to discuss putting a guard in your room or barricading the entrance to the tunnels when I get back. This is a serious breach in protocol and safety.”
Laura scoffed. “Not bloody likely. There's no way in hell you're going to leave a guard in my room twenty-four seven. Not only that, but I'm sure Jason doesn't want to barricade the tunnel entrance when it's good to have an escape route available. If it's really that big of a deal, station someone on the other side of the entrance. That way, they are out of my way and are still guarding the entrance.”
Dean considered it and then nodded. “That's a good compromise. I'll make sure to get somebody placed in rotation when I get back.”
“When will that be again?” Laura asked
“Not really sure. We have some things to accomplish while at Luke's,” Dean explained. I folded my arms, watching the two of them talk and banter so easily. My jealousy and anger were rising again and I wasn't happy. I spotted two packs sitting near the tunnel entrance and walked over to pick up one of them. I started to put it on my back when it got lifted out of my hands. I turned around to see Dean taking it and putting it on himself.
“What in the hell do you think you're doing?” I asked folding my arms. Dean didn't say anything but reached around me and picked up the other pack securing it on him as well. His shoulder brushed against my stomach and his scent filled my senses again. He shifted the picnic basket in his arms and looked at me expectantly.
“I'm preparing to head out on our trip. Are you ready?” Dean asked, not bothering to address the fact that he was carrying everything and I was carrying nothing. I glanced over at Laura, completely unsure of how to proceed. She shrugged, looking uninterested. I shook my head and decided to leave it alone. If he wanted to wear himself out by carrying everything, that was on him. I turned on my heel and pushed the entrance to the tunnels open. The darkness of the tunnels was barely broken by the light from Laura's room. I shivered slightly as the cold air blasted past my skin.
“Here's a flashlight,” Dean said, handing me a long black light. I took it from him, clicked it on, and stepped into the tunnels. I wished I had thrown on something warmer than the servant dress I was currently wearing, but I couldn't complain. At least I wasn't in these tunnels alone.
The door to the tunnel swung shut after Dean entered behind me. We were plunged into darkness and the only sounds were my and Dean's ragged breathing. The light from the torch in my hand barely pierced the darkness surrounding us. Something shifted beside me and I jumped. Dean chuckled, clearly amused and not at all as freaked out as I was feeling.
“Are you okay?” Dean asked. I was glad he couldn't see my face because I felt my cheeks heat in embarrassment at his question. I swallowed thickly, trying to keep my voice steady as I answered him.
“I'm okay. The dark and I just don't have the best relationship. There are monsters in the dark.”
Dean remained supisciously quiet.
