Page 94 of Enchanted Shadows
“Did you really have a choice? Your parents wouldn’t hear you. Your youngest brother was at risk. I did some things for Theon Ihated myself for. Including standing there when he put a bruise on Jorah’s wrist.”
Her eyebrows bounced toward her hair. “How’d you get over it?”
“I watched him bleed out on the throne room floor.” Graphic? Maybe. But it was the honest answer. “And I am watching his own sons tear down the walls he built, heal the countries he poisoned. The legacy he worked so hard to secure is obliterated.”
She took a bite of her cookie, as if lost for words. When she got the bite down, she asked, “Are you sure I can stay the night, Owen? I thought I needed to be at the barracks until we are officially dismissed after the celebration.”
“You can and you will. Perk of marrying your general. I’m the only one who can kick you out for messing up. And I’m not kicking you out. Extenuating circumstances and all that. You’re staying.”
We chatted about the last few days of training, the celebration ball in two days’ time while I got her to eat a little more.
“Owen?” she asked as she crawled into my bed.
“Yeah?”
“Get over here. You’re old and I need you the next few days. Can’t have you all stiff.”
I sat up to look over at her. “Your way with words is justenchanting.”
Her eyes went wide. “I meant your neck! Your stiff neck!” Her hands flew to cover her face. “The one attached to your big he—” Her words cut off entirely. “I’m just going to just shut up now.”
Some opportunities you just couldn’t turn down. “I’ll be stiff no matter where I sleep, Princess.”
“Owen!” she began laughing. Then laughing harder. “Just get over here. Please.”
It was again the “please” that got me. Maybe she didn’t want to sleep alone after being told that Calix was coming for her. Igrabbed my blanket from the couch and opted to sleep on top of the covers. It felt less invasive to her that way since we were crowded in closer in this bed than we had been at the castle.
“All your beds smell like you,” she commented on a sigh.
I snorted a laugh, not expecting that. “Apologies.”
“They smell . . . safe.”
“Kessara, he can’t have you. You’re no one’s property.”
“Technically I’m yours,” she said from around a yawn.
“Let’s keep it that way then, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
She went quiet, all curled onto her side, so I didn’t say anything further.
I listened to her breathing until I was sure that she was asleep. I stared at the ceiling with my wife asleep beside me well into the early hours of the morning. I couldn’t kill her ex until he showed his pretty face, but for now?
For now, I could plan.
CHAPTER 30
The four hours Kessara had to get ready with the other women for our celebration ball was the longest I left her alone in the following days.
Still nothing from her ex-lover. Hopefully he’d caught a whisper that one of the team members married their general. The prick didn’t deserve to hear it from her lips. He didn’t deserve a thing more from her at all.
I’d had some business to attend to with Keir and Krew, but demanded Emric, Miles, and Allen keep watch over the women. The team was spending the night in the castle, and Jorah had arranged for them to be on my floor, the old Assemblage rooms, so I could keep an eye on them.
Business attended to, I felt more energized than I had in days. Training was wrapping up and we had a month off. I had the entire weekend off to do nothing other than hang out with my nephews and catch up on sleep.
Calix could come. And when he did, I’d be ready.
