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Cade bobbed his head. “I had intended to do that after the gala and your speech,” he informed me, sending shockwaves of relief through my core. “You really should work on your patience, Zephy. I’ve heard it said that it’s some kind of virtue.”
“I have other virtues,” I quipped.
Cade reached for me, pulling me close against his body to kiss me softly.
“Yes,” he agreed, curling his muscular frame against mine and once more eliminating all of my concerns. “You certainly do. I can’t wait to learn every last one of them.”
I savored the feeling of being in his arms for the moment, my eyes closing as he held me.
I must stop overthinking this. I have found a kindred spirit in Cade—a lover and a friend. This is precisely what I’d hoped for.
It was all going to work out in the end, after all. I had nothing to worry about.
Chapter13
Cade
The more time I spent with Zephyrine, the more I realized that she truly was a good fit for my wife. Aside from being a powerful fae, she could potentially command the respect of the kingdom—if she learned to tone down her impulsiveness. And that was something I was sure I could assist with.
She had come to me as a virgin as well. It had been expected, but I hadn’t genuinely believed that was what I’d be getting. Now I had been her first, her only, and she truly belonged to me. The thought rushed shivers through me, arousing me in the most sporadic and inopportune times. I couldn’t stop catching whiffs of her in all corners of the palace as I went about royal business, distracting me on occasion.
“Alpha, did you hear me?” Ryland asked, shattering my latest reverie.
Guiltily, I looked up and stared at the faces that belonged to the Council of Ministers. I’d almost forgotten where I was in the moment, my mind locked on the naked perfection of Zephy’s form.
“Of course I heard you,” I lied. “You’re arguing about the budget. Again.”
“It’s not an argument!” Yasmir cried out, and I was relieved that I’d guessed right. I hadn’t really been listening. “You’re not allotting the proper funds where they need to go!”
“Didn’t we agree that this would wait until after the coronation?” I grumbled. “I’m getting a little weary of rehashing the same irritating argument every single meeting.”
“Apologies, Alpha,” Hampstermeyer called out, standing from his place in the queue. “May I inquire about the gala tonight?”
Unexpectedly, I tensed.
“What about it?” I demanded, leaning forward in my chair.
The fae offered me a gold-toothed smile.
“I’ve heard Miss Zephyrine will make an address. Is that true?”
I sat back, my pulse racing for reasons I couldn’t identify.
“It is. A large reason for tonight’s event is to formally introduce Miss Zephyrine of Carrottrove to the kingdom of Ironhelm.”
“Will she speak?” Sepher called out.
My head moved toward him, my eyes narrowing. There was a shift in the atmosphere as Zephyrine’s name came about, one that I didn’t easily identify, but it troubled me.
“I just confirmed that she will make an address,” I replied slowly, my gaze darting about to read the faces of my cabinet. Some of them exchanged looks I didn’t understand, while others nodded approvingly. “Is there something I should know?”
A deep silence fell over the room, and I glanced at Ryland, who stood at my side, staring perfectly straight ahead.
“If I find out that someone is withholding information about the future queen…” I allowed my threat to hang over them, but even so, no one spoke, and I had no choice but to allow the Council of Ministers to continue without another discussion of Zephyrine, but the questions about her weighed on me well after the meeting was over.
I pulled Ryland aside to ask about it. “What was that about?”
“What?” he asked, genuinely confused.
