AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Kaspar grinned as he gave her bottom a gentle smack. “Let me finish.”
Jesska giggled. “Sorry. Carry on.”
“Erik had been planning a coup for a long time. He’d been watching and waiting and preparing, but what he didn’t realize was that our people were far more loyal to my father than Erik knew. Even folks who told Erik they were with him continued to report back to my father about Erik’s movements. In the end, my father had had enough, and Erik and anyone loyal to him were sent here. Erik arrived and claimed himself king, changed his name, and the Cauld Ane were born.”
She scooted further up his body, kissing his neck. “Didn’t Kade say something about his father being dead?”
Kaspar nodded. “Alice had him ‘killed,’ however, she didn’t realize how loyal the people were to him. The ones she hired to commit the murder concocted this plan to fake his death until he could put an alternative plan into action. It took a little longer than he expected.”
“How long?” she asked.
“Erik Gunnach’s death certificate was issued in 1847.”
Jesska sat up. “Shut up. Seriously?”
He pulled her back down. “Yes.”
“Why did she want him dead?”
“Payback. From what I understand, Alice is a nasty, bitter woman, driven by her desire for revenge against the man who cheated on her.”
“Well, I can kind of understand that,” Jesska countered, her irritation rising. “I mean, not the actual going through with murder part, but wanting to, for sure. Can’t you?”
“I’m not excusing him, baby. Personally, I’ve never understood someone marrying for any reason other than forever love, and joining with someone who isn’t your mate is idiotic, but from all accounts, he was forced to marry.”
“How could that happen with a race of people who know they’re expected to mate to someone specifically?”
“Different time, sweetheart,” he said. “I don’t understand it either, and I don’t think the order came from my father. Kade implied that his father may have been repaying a debt, but I’m not privy to exactly what happened.”
“So many lies,” she mused.
“Yes. He is not a good man.” He kissed her forehead.
“So, what does he want with Sophia?”
“Erik’s plan was to use the girls to take out Alice and her cohorts, believing Kade would have his back.”
“And Kade didn’t,” she deduced.
“No. He didn’t. Kade rules by honor, and he’s been king for a long time. He’s his own man and not someone to be manipulated.”
Jesska raised her head. “Don’t tell me you’re growing fond of Kade Gunnach, Kaz.”
He chuckled. “I have come to respect him, despite our beginning.”
She kissed his chest. “I won’t tell a soul.”
“Thank you.” He smiled.
“Was he the one who kidnapped Charlotte and Pepper?”
“No. But he knows who did.”
“Who?”
“He won’t tell us. His plan came together after he discovered their gifts. But he has a wide reach and managed to find enough people who were sympathetic to his cause, so someone within Erik’s sphere of influence knows something. We just aren’t sure what.”
Jesska wrinkled her nose. “That’s a little disconcerting.”
