AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t know. I never really wanted to share it. Like it was the last piece of my father that I had left somehow. I can’t explain it. For as big of a bastard as he was, I still had a connection to him, you know?”
I touched his face, turning toward him as emotion swelled inside me. “You brought me here, though,” I sighed. “Thank you.”
Jace beamed. “Don’t thank me yet. The mosquitoes are terrible.”
I embraced him tightly. “Then I’ll conjure up a bit of wind to keep them away.”
He returned my hug, burying his face deeply into my neck. Every time he touched me, I felt our connection growing stronger, deeper.
This is what it feels like. I can’t believe it’s happening to me.
“Will you move into my suite when we get home?” he mumbled through a mouthful of my hair.
I giggled and set my head back to peer at him. “Is that what this is all about?” I asked, flipping my waves over my shoulder to look at him.
Jace shrugged and released me to take my hand and lead me toward the water’s edge.
“This is about us getting out of the palace and forgetting about all the things that are plaguing us for a little while,” he said. “But I’ve been wanting to ask you that since you returned. Cirilla thought you could use some time.”
My pulse quickened as I thought about how we had left things before he’d learned about my bloodline, but I swallowed any mention of queendom or the past.
“If you make enough room for me in that overstuffed dressing room of yours,” I teased.
“Alpha, should we get dinner prepared?” one of the servants asked.
My head jerked around, and I stared at the unfamiliar face, hand tightening around Jace’s.
“Yes, please,” Jace replied, squeezing my hand back.
He misunderstood my gesture as affection, not alarm.
“Who is that?” I asked worriedly when the fae retreated toward the barbecue. Jace glanced back at the servant.
“I hired a private company to set all this up—” He caught the look in my eye. “They’ve all been vetted, I promise.”
“He’s still a stranger, Jace,” I muttered worriedly.
The king sighed. “It’s been weeks without any sign of Lysandra. We know that she’s working alone, Elix.”
“Still…”
“I don’t mean to sound uncompassionate, but Elix, we’re going to meet strangers. That’s part of the gig here. We can’t hide out in the palace. I will always do my due diligence for you—for us and the kingdom—but what else can we really do?”
I exhaled and nodded.
He’s right. Just because I don’t recognize him doesn’t mean he’s automatically a danger. Lysandra wouldn’t dare come near the Royal Guards, anyway.
My gaze darted toward Llyodiver, who kept a keen eye on everyone, and that made me feel better.
“Come,” Jace urged me. “Let me show you where we’re sleeping. We should test out the tenacity of that mattress, shouldn’t we?”
I snickered and let him lead me back toward the sprawling tent. It was difficult not to relax under the full moon and chirp of the crickets.
He was right about this, too: I did like good surprises.
The cracklingof the fire and a full belly lulled me into submission in the comfort of Jace’s arms. Beneath a thick, fluffy blanket, we curled against a wooden chaise lounge and sipped on drinks served to us by the servants. Dinner sat comfortably in my stomach, a warmth overtaking me as I sucked back on the fruity concoction.
“We have to get this recipe,” I commented, taking another long gulp. “It’s good!”
