Page 48 of Heart of the High King
Chapter 19
One month later
“When’s he supposed to be here?” Noirin asked.
“Any minute now. Just like before, he’s refusing to allow anyone to help him. He has rented a car and is staying at a hotel,” Aleksander responded.
“I’m glad he agreed to come,” Kendrick said. “After everything that’s happened, I wasn’t sure if it would get weird with Court Kestle.”
Aleksander’s mouth settled into a grim line as Gavrael walked into the kitchen with his other half at his side. “He is here. I just opened the gate.”
“Thanks, Gavrael.”
“I just hope he can answer some of your questions,” Gedeon added; then the pair strode off so their guest wouldn’t have to deal with more than a handful of D’Vaires at his arrival.
There was a loud knock on the front door, and Aleksander didn’t argue as Brogan charged down the hall to answer it. A minute or so later, Brogan walked into the great room with Duke Kestledraconis at his side.
“We really appreciate you accepting our invitation,” Aleksander said, reaching out his hand.
Sullivan shook it and offered a smile. “Of course, Court Kestle is honored to be friends with High Court D’Vaire, Your Highness.”
“No need for royal address. Can we offer you anything to eat or drink?”
“We have raspberry lemonade,” Kendrick remarked. “Could I pour you a glass?”
“I’d love that, thank you.”
“Please have a seat,” Aleksander invited. Kendrick handed out glasses of his freshly made beverage. Taking a sip, Aleksander found it as delicious as everything else that Kendrick and Noirin made.
Once Sullivan was seated, he drank half of his in a single swallow.
“You must be thirsty,” Kendrick teased.
Sullivan laughed and the sound was strangely caustic to Aleksander, but perhaps he was simply sensing things through his haze of hurt and anger over the mate he’d received one text from in the last five weeks. “My father and I have started a new hobby of caving. We were at it this morning. Ran out of light. Can you imagine? Luckily, it was an area we’ve explored a lot, so we were able to find our way back out to grab the extras from the car. It was quite the adventure.”
“Is that how you got the scrapes on your hands?” Noirin asked.
Glancing down and flexing his fist, Sullivan appeared almost surprised to see the healing wounds on his knuckles. “I suppose I did. Strange, I had so much adrenaline at the time, I guess I didn’t feel them.”
“You’ll have to be careful in the future. I’ve heard exploring old caves and such can be dangerous,” Kendrick said.
“It’s true,” Sullivan responded. “And they can produce awful smells too. But I do enjoy it.”
“Anything else new at Court Kestle?” Brogan asked, crossing his arms. While many members of the household had confessed to liking Rafferty, the moment his relationship with Aleksander had evaporated, there was a unanimous feeling of ire toward the would-be High King.
Sullivan’s mouth lifted in a half smile. “I suppose you all want news on Rafferty.”
“I assure you that’s not the only reason we invited you,” Aleksander assured him. “Like you, we value the relationship with Court Kestle. Although Kendrick lives here now, you guys are still his family. We don’t want things to be awkward or strained.”
“I feel as if I should apologize for my brother. While we wanted to build a friendship with D’Vaire the moment Kendrick arrived at your sanctuary, Rafferty was insistent that he be the one as the contact point. My father wasn’t thrilled with the idea. As you’ve learned, Rafferty isn’t always trustworthy and tends to bore of things as soon as the shine wears off, but King Kestle also likes to indulge his children. Rafferty did just as I feared. Once he had what he wanted, it was like a child whose toy is no longer new. He’s no longer interested in anything about D’Vaire. Rafferty’s back to doing whatever pleases him, and no matter how many times I beg him to text or call, he simply won’t hear of it. I assure you that we’re displeased with him, and it means the world to us that you’re not holding it against the entire Court Kestle.”
Aleksander’s jaw flexed with anger. His heart, his hopes, and his dreams were handed to Rafferty, and the man had simply walked away. Was everything he thought they were a complete lie? Did Rafferty tell him a single thing that had any truth, or was it a game to build his trust? Or was he wearing a mask as he dealt with his issues so no one at Court Kestle would suspect Aleksander was his mate?
It was impossible to know if Rafferty continued to refuse to speak to him. Although he’d thought they were close enough that Rafferty could confide in him, it hurt to know it might’ve been nothing but a farce. “You don’t need to apologize. He’s an adult and free to make his own choices. I appreciate your candor and want you to know that you’re always welcome here. I know you and Kendrick have quite a few plans for your trip, so I’ll let you two get started. Thanks for visiting, Sullivan.”
“My pleasure Aleksander, and feel free to text me whenever you want. And I’ll continue to try to get my brother to contact you.”
“Actually, there’s no need for that. I’d prefer it if Rafferty texted or called me because he values our friendship, not because he’s being talked into it. I appreciate the effort, but I think we should let it go,” Aleksander said, carrying his glass to the dishwasher and putting it on the top rack.
