Page 113 of The King’s Queen

It’s because he’s happy, I realized.He also didn’t think we’d ever work, but because of his people, we are.

I mean, I was pretty happy, too. I obviously had missed Noctus a lot, but I hadn’t realized how much I missed our bond.

Even now, my collar—or necklace as I was describing it to my siblings—was a warm reassurance.

Noctus might think his past is a red flag, but we got through me pretending to be a cat and him making me his well-fed prisoner. We’re going to be fine.

It occurred to me that it was perhaps a tad hypocritical to be assuming that, when I hadn’t told him about Ms. Booker.

But the status of our relationship—and my trust in Noctus—weren’t really my biggest worries. Trying to figure out how to return the bond was.

Still…it’s not like I’m looking forward to this.

“Hey, Noctus? I need to tell you something.” My voice wobbled as we walked down the hallway, Noctus moving more slowly to set a pace that was comfortable for me.

“Yes?” Noctus asked when I didn’t immediately continue.

“I told someone about you—I never mentioned Calor Villa or even Charon. I just told them I was living as your pet, and that you were from the Mors royal family.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chloe

Noctus thought for a moment. “Your employer?”

My eyes grew wide. “Yeah. How’d you know?”

“I didn’t. It was the most logical guess,” Noctus said. “You hadn’t told your siblings or family—you wouldn’t want to put them in danger—but you have the sense to know your cat act was potentially dangerous and seek help. Book Nookery has an odd sort of power to it, and I knew the Curia Cloisters actively stonewalled you, so Ms. Booker is a reasonable supernatural you would look to for advice.” His face had lost the relaxed expression, but he didn’t seem angry.

“She hasn’t told anyone,” I quickly said, though I was pretty sure that based on the way Noctus hadn’t let go of my hand, he wasn’t upset. That thought cheered me on as we started down a spiral staircase. “But she did help me research the collar once I realized you were able to track me, and she knows about the bond.”

Noctus slowly nodded. “When did she learn of it?”

“The bond? Well, she didn’t know the details and precise type of bond—I never did tell her, since I left shortly after you explained it to me, and she very kindly never asked.”

Most likely because I acted like a nutcase with a broken heart when I got back to work, but Noctus doesn’t need to know that.

I convulsively tightened my loose grip on Noctus’s hand, but was too embarrassed to look at him as I stared straight ahead while we cleared the last stair. “But Ms. Booker realized it was an elven bond pretty shortly before I revealed myself to you.”

“I see,” Noctus said.

Silence stretched between us as we turned up a hallway, still heading for the front door.

“I’m…I’m sorry, but also not sorry I didn’t tell you when I was still living here in the villa,” I continued. “For so long, I didn’t know what was going on, and I needed someone in my corner, or—”

“Chloe.” Noctus stopped and turned to me. He tugged me closer with his grip on my hand, then slid his free hand under my chin, tilting it up so I’d look at him. “You did what was right for you. I was keeping you captive in Calor Villa. You would have been an idiot to let yourself be so entirely isolated when you had no reason to believe I’d protect you.”

I took a breath, then nodded. “Thank you for understanding.”

“It was a smart—and reasonable—thing to do,” Noctus said. “It was a way of protecting yourself—something I would rather you be proactive in.”

He smiled finally, and there was almost a sly quality to the twitch of his lips. “Besides, I’m proud that you were able to carry the entire thing out right under my nose. Charon will be furious he didn’t catch on.”

I shyly smiled back, relieved I’d finally told him.

Noctus brushed the gems on my necklace with his thumb before he reluctantly started off for the front door once again. “And while I’m grateful you told me for the sake of our relationship, the fact is it doesn’t particularly matter that you told your employer since she refrained from attempting to blackmail us, and we will be going public shortly, so there isn’t a chance to use this information to her advantage.”

“Well. I was going to ask if I could tell her about everything that happened,” I said. We were almost to the front door by this point—I could see the giant golden gate we’d have to pass through to get out to the Cape Cod’s front lawn. “Including Calor Villa.”

---