Page 57 of Their War

“You wouldn’t be wrong,” Callum admitted, a small smile slanting across his delectable lips. It dawned on me that he and I had never been just us. Other than a few hastily shared kisses and the shared experiences with Nox and Baer, we hadn’t explored anything further with each other. I clenched my thighs, knowing that when we did finally take things to that next level, it would be explosive.

Now, if things would just slow down long enough for us to take the time to explore each other, that would be great. However, I had a sinking feeling that things were only going to become more hectic before we defeated the Queen. Or died trying.

Chapter Thirty Three: Rhowyn

Callum and I made our way down the hallway, his large frame close on my heels. I heard grumbling voices first; sounds of an argument hissed out quietly as if not wanting to be overheard. My brow furrowed in confusion. If anything, we should be celebrating our win over the Queen.

Sure, it had been a close call, but the end result was that we’d accomplished what we’d set out to do. We’d rescued my grandfather from her clutches along with another important prisoner. I mean, I didn’t know who the man was, but he had to be important to have been kept down there for so long. We’d struck a blow against her, one that should have made her scramble just like we’d been having to do since being ousted. Instead, it sounded like something else had gone down, and now we wouldn’t have the chance to enjoy that win.

As I entered the living room, the voices cut off sharply, Arryn and Baer standing next to each other. Arryn’s face remained the stoic calm that it always was. I was sure a bomb could go off in front of him, and it still wouldn’t shake him or his calm assuredness. However, Baer’s face displayed frustration and anger before he wiped it away with a forced smile.

He tried so hard to hide so much under that joyful façade, but I knew that things were getting harder for him to find the bright side to. Lennox glowered from a chair, his gaze cutting over to Brannoc briefly before coming back to meet mine. Something was going on, but I knew they weren’t ready to fill me in on whatever it was yet. Instead of pushing them on what was so clearly a point of contention, I simply opened my arms and let Baer swoop me up into one of his famous hugs.

Smiling, I hugged him back before accepting a deep, claiming kiss as he set me back on my feet. Laughing as he pulled away, I said, “Someone’s happy to see me.”

“Always, Killer,” he replied, his smile finally reaching his eyes.

I moved forward into the room, Baer now hovering next to me as Callum walked over to Lennox, leaning over to steal a quick kiss from him. I gawked at the open affection from Callum, my blood heating instantly with desire. Okay, I definitely needed more alone time to explore all of these men more thoroughly. I couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to have them all at once. Blushing at my errant thoughts, I shook my head, needing a distraction from my runaway libido. “So, what’s going on? How long was I out?”

“Callum didn’t tell you?” Baer asked.

“No.” I met Callum’s eyes, remembering our heart-to-heart. “We talked about other stuff.” Somehow, I didn’t feel right exposing him and his fears to the others. If he wanted them to know, he would tell them. Otherwise, his secrets were safe with me. Always.

He smiled at me in thanks before Arryn began speaking. “You’ve been out for almost two days now.”

“Holy shit!” I gasped in shock. No wonder I had felt so much better and rested. “Really?”

“Yeah, you had us starting to worry,” Baer admitted with a shrug.

“I guess I really needed the sleep then.” Turning back to Arryn, I probed for more information. “So, what’d I miss while doing my best Sleeping Beauty impression?”

“Sleeping Beauty?” Callum questioned softly.

Baer laughed. “It’s a human story. I’ll tell you about it later.”

Satisfied, Callum just nodded, letting the point drop. Arryn looked at the others as if unsure how to begin. I straightened my shoulders, trepidation filling me as the silence grew. “Just spit it out. Whatever it is, I can handle it like a big girl. Promise.”

“It seems that you’ve done something miraculous, child,” a steady voice sounded from behind me. I turned to find Jude.

“You’re okay?” I asked him, rushing over to him. He pulled me into a deep hug, and I couldn’t stop myself from snuggling into him. It felt natural even though we barely knew each other.

“I’m better now after your daring rescue. Foolish though it was, I am grateful for it. I don’t know how much I would have been able to take from her.” He sighed at me.

I walked with him over to the chairs in front of the fire as everyone shifted around us. Brannoc jumped up from his chair, clearing it for my grandfather. I gave him a thankful smile, but his eyes darted away from mine. Okay, that was weird. I thought him and I were better after our talk and what came after.

Shaking off the interaction to discuss with him later, I went back to my conversation with my grandfather. “What do you mean by something miraculous?”

I glanced at the guys as I waited for someone to explain what was going on. It wasn’t suspicious at all, the way they kept avoiding my gaze. Okay…Now, I was starting to get worried. They only acted like this when they knew I wouldn’t like their next words.

“It seems that the man you rescued from the Queen’s dungeons wasn’t just some random fae,” Arryn started, hesitating at the last minute.

“Just spit it out. Someone tell me what’s going on. Now,” I demanded from them all, my anger rising. They were treating me like some fragile flower. Whatever information they had to impart, I could handle it.

“Rhowyn, why don’t you sit down,” Lennox urged me, having risen from his seat.

“No. I don’t want to sit. I want someone to explain what the hell is going on.” My hands flew to my hips as if to drive my point home, glaring at them all. Nothing told a man that a woman meant business more than the hands on the hips move.

“Child, the man you rescued was my son,” Jude chimed in, amusement on his face at our discussion.

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