Page 104 of A Warrior's Fate

She glanced over. “He gave it to you, didn’t he?”

“You knew what was in the package?”

Davina smiled. “When it was Marin who dropped it off, I put the pieces together.”

Yet another female name associated with her mate that she wasn’t familiar with.

“Marin?”

“Kai’s do-all.” Davina stepped back from the gown. “He has his council, obviously. Then he has us—we’re like his personal council—and then there’s Marin.” She fluffed the pillow on the chair in front of the bureau she’d converted into a makeshift vanity. “She wears many hats, the alpha’s secretary being one of them—she was his father’s, too. From my understanding, she keeps him sane, organized, and maintains face within the pack and outside of it.”

At the description, Isla felt a pang of homesickness. “His Winslow,” she said in a breathy laugh.

“His what?”

“Nothing.”

Davina gestured for Isla to take a seat, and as Isla proceeded, she added, “She’s a scary thing, quite honestly, and she was probably strung out because of the banquet. I was surprised she agreed to waste time running the errand herself, but Kai can be persuasive when he wants to be.” She gathered Isla’s hair in her hands and clipped it back out of her face. As she examined her features to determine the first line of attack, she said, “You have beautiful eyes.”

Feeling heat rise to her cheeks, Isla thanked her before commenting, “My mother had the same.”

Something flashed along Davina’s face—something like regret—as she caught the word. Had.

“Very pretty,” she complimented again before rising and retrieving a cream off the dresser. She nodded to the side, and Isla followed her gaze to Kai’s jacket sitting by the window. “That looks familiar. Did he leave it here?” A playfulness colored her tone. Probably an attempt to lighten the mood.

“No,” Isla countered just as sprightly. “It was cold, and he let me wear it.”

“And you kept it?”

“I forgot to take it off and never had a chance to give it back.”

“I’m sure he has no problem with you keeping it. He has plenty.” She shook her head and snickered. “You know, I cannot believe you’ve gone this long without even touching. I mean, Kai is…he’s an alpha and your destined mate. You have the self-control of a saint.” She dabbed spots of the lotion over Isla’s skin. “One look at Rhydian and I was ready—well, I already explained.”

Isla recounted her and Davina’s first interaction. “At a bar?”

Davina nodded, swiping over Isla’s forehead. “Before I worked here at the hotel, I worked at a pub in Abalys. It was my second night on the job, and some hooligan started up a fight.”

“Rhydian?”

“Jonah,” Davina said as if she was still wrapping her mind around it. Isla was just as confused, as Jonah seemed the most mild-mannered of them. “Rhydian and Kai had gone in to break it up. Got caught in it themselves—not the best for a prince. All the while, Ameera was watching from the side. When I went in to berate them, I saw Rhydian and…” She trailed off into a dreamy sigh. “We went into the storeroom after that.”

“Sounds romantic,” Isla mused, trying not to grin too wide as Davina rubbed at her cheeks.

“We knocked over an entire rack of liquor. More than we could ever afford.” She sounded both amused and mortified. “Thankfully, Kai took care of it as a mating gift.”

The two women fell into a fit of laughter that forced Davina to break away for a moment.

Isla used to always enjoy hearing the anecdotes of how mates found each other, even if it caused the smallest resentment. It seemed the meeting—even with its increasing rarity—could happen anywhere. A crowded market, an elegant ball, a walk down the street, or a bar brawl. Somehow, the unpredictability made it feel plausible, possible.

She’d always wanted to have a story of her own—of choice or fate, she’d take anything. If only to be rid of the pitying look she’d receive when she confessed she had no one. And thus…Callan.

Though a bit unconventional, maybe now she did have that tale to share.

As Davina reached for a tinted powder, Isla began explaining for the first time to anyone. “We met on a terrace by the garden of Callisto’s Hall. I was trying to get a break from the feast, and, I don’t know, just found myself outside. He was already out there apparently, hiding in the shadows.”

Davina grabbed a firm feather brush and dabbed it into the small glass jar. “It’s like your body knew where to lead you.”

Isla pursed her lips, remembering the pull. “I suppose.”

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