Page 106 of The Shattered Kingdom
“Not today,” I beg. “Please.”
Kie scowls, still glaring at Mason.
The shifter presses his chest against my back. “There’s nothing you can say to me that I haven’t already heard. You think I’m a fuck-up. You think Zaha made a mistake. It doesn’t bother me, and I won’t apologize for protecting my mate.” Mason nudgesme toward the stairwell. “Let’s go.”
“You deserved better,” Kie blurts out. Mason stops walking. “You’re a strong, intelligent man, and Alpha Theon made a mistake pushing you away.”
Every muscle in Mason’s body tenses, and there’s a long stretch of silence before he clears his throat. “Why are you saying this?”
Kie steps toward us, but he halts when Mason bristles. The moonlight shines in his eyes, making the green color appear even more vibrant than usual.
“You’re upset, and I understand why,” Kie starts, “but we’re a team. I’m not your enemy, Mace, and I don’t want to be. You can’t keep sneaking behind my back and taking matters into your own hands.”
I step to the side, giving the two space. It’s about time they talked things through.
Mason turns toward me. “Is this what you want?”
Why’s he asking me? I nod. “Of course.”
I mean it, too. Mason has strong instincts, and good things seem to happen when he works with Kie instead of against him.
“Relations with the shifters are worse than ever,” Kie continues. “We need you to be on your best behavior. Abby and I need you on our side.”
“I…” Mason pauses. “I will try.”
Kie barks out a laugh. I’m not expecting it, and I jolt at its abruptness.
“You’ll try,” he says. “I guess that’s all I can ask of the man who just chained up a faerie noble in an abandoned building.”
Mason shrugs, and when I turn to look at him, I’m shocked to see he’s smiling. “Did you see Lord Bishop’s hand?”
“I saw that one was missing.”
Mason’s smile grows. He’s proud of himself. I don’tunderstand men. “Is he still crying about it?”
Kie nods. “Like a fucking baby.”
A warm hand lands on my shoulder. Mason gives me a gentle squeeze before nudging me again toward the stairs. “Let’s get out of here,” he says. “Kie will clean this up.”
Kie snorts. “Kie will clean this up. Thanks.”
I head down the stairwell and step into the park, and Mason quickly takes charge once he realizes I have no idea where I’m going. We manage to avoid running into any faeries—the guards excluded. Mason pauses once we reach the private path leading to our home.
“What?” I ask.
“Your family is staying there,” he says, pointing to the house I briefly shared with Lill. I haven’t been inside since she murdered Queen Gitta and vanished. “Would you like to see them?”
I nod, pushing my fears about Lill aside. “Yes.”
We find everybody sitting around the coffee table, cards scattered about. Dad waves us over when he notices us lingering in the doorway.
Mason places a hand on my back. “Go,” he says. “You should enjoy your time with them before everything goes to shit.”
I suspect it won’t be long before that happens. Alpha Theon will be pissed when he hears of my coronation and Mason’s very public dismissal of the shifters. Things will grow even worse when they discover the faeries are moving troops into the towns bordering Redstall Forest. I’m not looking forward to it.
“I need to speak with the guards,” Mason continues, drawing my attention. “Join your family. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Does he think I’m stupid?
