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“I worry about her,” he admitted.
He watched her standing with Harper and a group of children. She was making them laugh. It warmed his heart.
He suddenly looked forward to them having children. He could see her being an amazing mother.
“About what? What are you worried about?”
He watched as the healer spoke to Lexi. She laughed, and Lexi held a smile. He could feel she was calm.
He frowned, wondering how she did it. How could she remain so calm, knowing she was talking to the person responsible for everything that had gone wrong?
“Everything,” he whispered to him. “I’m worried about everything.”
He worried about their future together. He worried that someone else could try to hurt her when he wasn’t around. He worried about not everyone accepting her.
Lexi could handle things, but that didn’t make it any less real. He wanted her to live a perfect life, and so far, it wasn’t.
Stephen looked around the area. “Now that Maureen is in the clear, do you have any idea how you will deal with the responsible party?” he asked,
He nodded, his eyes following the healer as she walked away from Lexi. “We do.”
“And?” Stephen asked.
He looked at him. “Lexi has it under control.”
Lexi walked over, holding a smile on her face. She leaned over, giving him a kiss. “I’m going to steal my man, Stephen,” she chirped.
Stephen waved a hand, scuttling away. She looked at him. “Show time.”
He took a deep breath as she raised her glass, tapping her nail on it. The sound made everyone turn. His anxiety spiked.
Remain calm, Xander. She has this under control.
He swallowed as she cleared her throat. “I want to thank everyone for coming and joining us for tonight’s cookout. I hope everyone is getting plenty of food. The chef is just about to do a few more racks of ribs, so there will be more food ready shortly.”
He scanned the crowd, the healer standing in the back, listening just like everyone else. He even noted Maureen was standing next to Harper.
Lexi continued. “I look forward to being your queen and someone that you can all look to as a leader as you do with Xander. And I know this isn’t a role that is just given. It’s earned.”
He gripped his glass tighter. He swallowed, looking at everyone’s reaction.
Lexi smiled at them, waving her glass as she spoke. “That’s been made very clear. I also know there is someone out there trying to get rid of me. Someone kidnapped my guard and tried to poison me more than once. They would have succeeded if I wasn’t careful. They also shot me in the chest with an arrow while I was sparing with my friend and enforcer, Harper.”
He inhaled slowly, trying to calm himself. He watched people looking around, some eyes falling on Maureen, who looked uncomfortable.
He watched Lexi’s eyes grow sharp, and her next words were like a bullet. “I will not accept this behavior moving forward. So, if you do not accept me as your queen, you’re allowed to challenge me. But if you do not, and you decide to continue with this behavior, we will not take it lightly.”
She glanced around the garden, looking at everyone. “You will be banished from Obsidianvale for the rest of your life.”
She placed her hands together, and at that moment, she looked like the strong queen he knew she was. “Choose wisely.”
He heard murmurs rush through the crowd, and he looked around. People gasped, and some people nodded in agreement.
His eyes landed on the healer. He could see her still in the spot where she stood.
He looked at Lexi, who looked even more powerful than him. He waited, and for one solid second, there was no noise.
He wanted there to be no altercation, but he knew that wasn’t how it was going to go. That wasn’t the reality. His reality was about to start.
