Page 32 of Bound By Fate

Maywin faltered at the request, and I eyed her. “What’s the issue, Maywin?”

“I can try to gather the staff,” she breathed. “But I’m not sure that they’ll listen to me, Luna.”

My brow furrowed, and I gazed at Jasper, who pretended not to listen in on our conversation.

“You’re my personal maid,” I informed her, as if she did not know. “Of course they’ll listen to you.”

“Iwilltry,” she squeaked unconvincingly.

I grunted, directing my attention toward Jasper. “What is going on here?” I demanded. “What is this disrespect?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” he intoned.

“You’re lying,” I snapped. “You can see as plainly as anyone that half the staff doesn’t respond to my commands here. Why not?”

“I can’t speak to what others are doing. If you would like me to punish them—”

“NO!” I cut him off, fuming. “I… I just want to know what’s happening in my own household.”

I stared at him expectantly, but Jasper continued to stare straight ahead, refusing to meet my eyes, and I groaned aloud, storming off toward the stairwell.

“Luna,” Maywin whimpered, following after me, but I whirled around and stopped her and Jasper from trailing after me.

“I need some time to think. See if you can’t get that staff gathering in order,” I told her gently, rubbing my temples. I was starting to get a headache.

“I’m sorry, Luna, but the King insists that you’re to be under guard constantly. After what happened with the attack,” Jasper reminded me.

I groaned again, throwing up my hands, but I didn’t fight him as I continued up the narrow back stairs toward the second floor.

The attack had been the furthest thing from my mind since I’d been back. It felt like it had happened so long ago, even though it had only been a couple of months. And despite what Shay had said about a darkness lingering over me, I hadn’t seen a hint of any threat around me.

Is that still even a threat? I’ll have to talk to Cade about that.

But at the end of the day, there were just so many petty things to discuss with my husband. Would I even remember to bring it up?

It will get easier,I told myself.Maybe Stralia is right. Maybe I just need to put my foot down and show some backbone.

But that wasn’t who I was. I couldn’t go around terminating house staff who had been part of Ironhelm Place since Cade was a boy… could I?

I’d just have to give it a chance to settle and hope that I didn’t lose my mind in the interim. My nerves were fraying bit by bit, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I was going to be able to battle these slights among the staff.

Chapter11

Cade

Itruly hadn’t believed that much would change after I was crowned the official King of Ironhelm. After all, for a decade I had basically run the kingdom myself as Alpha King, despite being a technical prince.

In my mind, I would simply accept the title and whisk my bride off for a fortnight to Casterberry on the beach islands, where we could only be bothered by satellite phone in case of dire emergencies.

The reality had been a slap in the face, the paperwork hurting my signing hand, coming at me in mounds, as I was meant to read pages upon pages of pacts and secrets that had never seen my eyes beforehand.

“What is all this?” I demanded of Aradia, who brought me yet another box. I was ready to set them all on fire.

“This is part of your duties to the kingdom, Alpha,” the enchantress replied with a smugness that irked me. “Surely you didn’t think that your life would be the same when you accepted your duties as Alpha King.”

“I didn’t think it would require a mountain of paper signing,” I grunted, gesturing at the boxes filling my office. “I’m going to need carpal tunnel surgery when this is done!”

“It isn’t bound to get any easier,” Aradia promised me. “But I imagine you’ll learn to handle it with more ease.”

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