Page 28 of Victoria's Embrace

“But I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep,” she whispered under her breath, quoting Robert Frost.

* * *

Victoria pausedat the entrance doors and turned back to scan the market. If she didn’t know better, she’d say it looked like business as usual. The people dressed as sellers were shouting bids up at the people dressed as auctioneers. Those dressed as hawkers were shouting at passersby from the stalls and restaurants, trying to lure people to buy their wares. Others still were dressed as slaves, following meekly behind their ‘owners.’

What wasn’t visible were the weapons hidden on every single person in there.

“It’s going to work. Please, let this work.”

Thegan, standing next to her, bent and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “It will work, my sweetling. You have done well, but we must go now.”

“I know.”

Hearing ships land behind her, and knowing they needed to leave before their occupants disembarked, she blew out a hard breath and turned, letting the entrance doors close behind her, muffling the racket of the market inside.

Following between Thegan and Thorn, they trailed Vi’kail, the lupka, and the rest of their group to the four cargo runners they’d be appropriating to get home.

Walking up the ramp, she eyed the visitors approaching the doors.

“Showtime.”

* * *

The silencein the cockpit was deafening. Victoria was sitting stiffly in the copilot seat while Vi’kail operated the runner. It was dark, despite the rising suns outside. He’d activated a tint function on the windshield so they weren’t visible, a precaution, despite having killed Rukeel, in case he’d hired other bounty hunters to track them.

When they’d boarded, she’d quietly asked the giants and Snitch to ride in the back with everyone else. She needed to speak with Vi’kail, and she didn’t know if she’d be able to ask the questions she needed to ask with an audience, even if that audience was her other boyfriends.

Not stopping her constant sweeping for threats of any kind on the road ahead, she drew in a slow breath and tried to brace herself for the conversation to come.

“So. R’aithe Re’deia. That’s your real name?”

She felt his eyes on her but didn’t turn to look at him.

“Yeah, baby. That was my name,” he murmured, his smoky voice low and rough.

She knew that, but confirmation still hurt.

It wasn’t him having a different name that bothered her so much. It was that he hadn’t trusted her enough to share it with her. What did that lack of trust mean for their relationship?

Insecurities she thought she was past flared up. Did he not feel as deeply for her as she did him? That was a big secret to keep from someone you claimed to love, so did he really love her? What else was he hiding from her?

Swallowing to clear the tightness from her throat, she whispered, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He mimicked her earlier slow breath. “I was gonna. I was just… ”

At his pause, she turned just enough to peer at him from the corner of her eye. “What? Waiting for the right time? That’s a shitty excuse. You could’ve told me after we had sex when you were sharing your past with me. Or before. Or at any time during the days we were making our way to the market.”

He looked over at her, his white brows tented. “No, little flower. I was trying to protect you. Knowin’ my real name puts you in danger. I know you wouldn’t share it on purpose, but if you ever let it slip, if it ever got out I was here… ” He shook his head. “I’ve got enemies, baby. More than I can crikking count. And they’d take great pleasure in killing my mate to hurt me.”

Twisting to face him fully, she searched his face. She wanted to believe he’d only kept it from her to protect her. So damn badly.

“Is that the only reason?” she whispered.

He looked at her again, his eyes narrowed questioningly. “Why did you think I’d kept it from you?”

Shifting in her seat, she bit her lip, hesitating, but finally voiced her fear. “Because you didn’t trust me. Or– or because you didn’t care enough… ” she trailed off when his brows snapped together in a frown.

She could see the muscle ticking in his jaw even in the low, green light cast by the screens and indicators lining the dash and blinked in surprise.

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