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She’s upset with me. I mentally go through our conversation last night, but I can’t figure out what I said to make her so perturbed. I’m failing epically at the whole being married thing.
I take a seat next to Wisteria, pretending I don’t notice how her body stiffens when I do. She keeps her eyes on Jason, like she’s trying not to look at me.
Maybe she really was upset that I left without saying anything. It was the day after our wedding, I just thought she would appreciate the time to herself. Clearly, I was wrong.
“Good morning,” I say to her.
“Morning,” she says back, but her purple eyes don’t even glance my way.
Ouch. That icy tone.
I clear my throat, trying to think of something else, butwhen I look at her and see her holding my nephew, my words get caught in my throat. Why does she have to look so freaking adorable?
I’ve been around plenty of attractive supernaturals in my life, but never has anybody affected me like this. Maybe it’s because she’s holding my nephew, or maybe it’s her purple eyes that seem to flash with her changing emotions. It would be so easy for fall for her. Only to feel absolutely nothing for her when I meet my mate.
That is why I’m keeping walls between us. Because I can’t fall in love with her, it would only hurt her in the end.
But… for the sake of our marriage, I should try to be her friend. Long after I meet my mate, and am forced to reject her, Wisteria will be here. And someday we’ll have to have children, which is the point of the alliance. I have to try and befriend her.
“My sister should be back in a couple of hours. Maybe then we could do something,” I suggest. “Do you want to see the island?”
That has her perking up. “You’d show me the rest of the island?”
I chuckle at her enthusiasm. “It’s a big island, so I couldn’t show it to you all in one day, but I’ll take you to some of my favorite spots.”
“Okay.” She grins widely, her eyes changing from purple to blue. They don’t flash back like they normally do, instead they stay blue. I study the color—a bright, cerulean blue—wondering what it means.
My heart beats a little faster as I realize that this colormustmean happiness. From the way she’s smiling and her entire body is relaxed, it’s clear to see.
My wife is absolutely beautiful. And I realize, as she watches me with bright blue eyes, I’d do anything she asked, anything that would make her happy.
“Jason is so cute.” Wisteria gently runs her hand over his head, moving the short strands of his dark hair.
I swallow hard. “You’re really good with kids. Do you have young cousins or something?”
“I haven’t been around a baby since Cypress was little.” A smile tugs at her lips, but it quickly falls. “I don’t have any cousins. My father’s only family passed away before I was born.”
I want to ask her questions. Supernaturals don’t naturally die young, so there had to be something to cause their untimely death. But from her closed of expression, I can tell she doesn’t want me to ask.
“Thank you, Stellan.”
His words are completely out of context, so I give her a questioning look. “What for?”
She looks down, not meeting my gaze. “For offering to show me around the island.”
As I watch Wisteria holding my nephew, I think back to the conversation we had the day she and her father showed up. She told me that she wasn’t allowed to leave the castle she grew up in. At the time, I thought it was strange, but now that I think about it, her wording was very sure.
“When you say you weren’t able to leave the fae castle, what do you mean by that?” I ask.
“I mean exactly that—I wasn’t allowed to leave. The first time I’ve ever left my home was when my father and I flew here.” She chews on my bottom lip, still keeping her purple eyes down.
“What about going to town? Were you ever allowed to go out to eat or go shopping, anything?”
She shakes her head. “No.”
Something in my gut twists at her admission. She really has been a prisoner, locked away. No wonder she was soexcited about marrying me—because marrying a stranger who is offering freedom is better than being a prisoner.
“We don’t have to stop with just our island. Anywhere in the world that you want to go, I will take you,” I promise her.
