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“So you have to give up everything for him?”
“Well, yes,” Levana spluttered. “It’s the least I can do, really. My sister already has. We each have our responsibilities, and she’s fulfilling hers. It’s past time for me to do my part.”
I wanted to disagree, but I didn’t want to push Levana away. Not when we were finally making some progress.
“I suppose it’s difficult for me to understand,” I said slowly, pausing as the meat hit the griddle with a loud hiss. “My father taught me my trade at my request and encouraged me to travel the realm to hone it. My mother tells everyone she meets that I cook for the royal family.”
Levana was quiet for a long moment. “They don’t expect you to move home someday?”
“They’re not together. But neither of them have ever expressed that, no. They raised me with the intention of sending me off into the world to have my own adventures. If anything, my father wishes I’d explored more before settling here.”
“Oh. That’s really nice.” She looked briefly wistful before hiding the flash of emotion as though it hadn’t existed.
I laid the strips of seasoned meat on a flatbread recipe I’d been experimenting with at Selene’s suggestion. She’d come up with a few ways of supplementing the Hunters’ meager dietary options here since she’d started babysitting a Hunter of her own. Peasant food and the grain we fed to the animals were clear successes so far.
“Thank you,” Levana murmured, inhaling deeply as I slid the plate across to her. “You’re not eating?”
“I’ve eaten.” I smirked. “You took your time to accept my invitation.”
“I was in a bad mood. And I had to talk myself into not immediately getting naked the moment I arrived,” she replied easily, shooting me a grin before biting into the bread while I groaned. My cock had only just been reluctantly accepting that this was a strictly platonic visit, and now I was right back at the beginning.
“Stop trying to seduce me. I’m not dropping my shadows no matter how much you beg,” I warned her solemnly, busying myself with washing up the dishes.
Levana hummed. “We both know you would if I begged, but don’t worry. I’ll be good.”
“Starting now?”
She laughed. “Yes, starting now. This is really good, by the way.”
“Obviously.”
Levana scoffed at my arrogance, but I wasn’t about to pretend I wasn’t an excellent cook.
“So, if you need to be at home, why haven’t you gone yet?”
“It’s not quite as easy to walk away as I hoped it would be,” Levana muttered. “And I don’t like the idea of leaving Ophelia alone.”
And. The queen was a reason, but not the only reason.
And I was a glutton for punishment.
“I’ll make you dessert.”
Chapter 10
WEEKSLATER
I woke up to the sound of knocking on the apartment door. With a resigned sigh, I rolled out of bed and draped myself in shadows as I made my way through the apartment, trying to find some sense of calm with each step.
Nyfain was going to ask me why I hadn’t done what my father said, and I was going to drag Captain Soren away from his mate for a few moments so he could tell Nyfain that I couldn’t leave yet.
I had a plan. I had allies. I had a legitimate excuse to keep putting this off.
“Finally,” Father snapped as I opened the door, striding past me in a swirl of agitated shadows. “Why doesn’t this lock recognize my own shadows any longer?”
“It’s been awhile—”
“Why are you still here, Levana?” he demanded, whirling on me. “Nyfain relayed my very specific instructionsweeksago, and I have graciously not sent him to you since, waiting to hear news from court that you had done the right thing of your own volition before returning to us. What is taking you so long?”
