Unforgettable Lover (12 page)

She faced Blaine’s door once again. Muffled voices filtered through the cracks. She placed her hand against the rough grain and leaned forward. The door opened.

Her instincts went on high alert. Blood pounded in her ears. Voices came from the far corner of the room. 

“Blaine?” she whispered.

 No response. She pushed on the door.
Creak.

“What the— Who’s there?” Blaine’s voice was tight, strained.

Rustling sheets and feet padding along the floor carried across the room.

Leonna crossed the threshold and peered around the edge of the door. She gaped at Blaine who stood naked in front of her, a sheet haphazardly wrapped around the front of his torso, his erection tenting the fabric. Behind him, on the bed, was another male. His eyes widened when he caught her gaze. He grabbed the pillow from behind his head and placed the cushion over his crotch.

Leonna clamped her hand over her mouth. She couldn’t process what her eyes showed her. Although same-sex coupling wasn’t forbidden, she didn’t expect this from her qithan.

“What are you doing here?” Blaine’s face contorted into a mask of horror.

 “I could ask the same of you.” She spit the words out, but deep inside the weight on her chest lightened. He’d just made this conversation a whole lot easier.

The gold qithan bracelet burned against her skin. She unclasped the heavy chain and threw the symbol of his promise at his feet. Turning on her heel, she headed for the door.

“Leonna…wait. I can explain—” 

She didn’t slow down and slammed the door in her wake.

*****

Whoosh.
The double doors opened, creating a soft breeze that caressed Nicholai’s cheek. How many times had he entered the throne room? More than he cared to count. The smell of age and antiquity mixed with his mother’s scent of lavender. The strange blend didn’t ease his anxiety, not with the news he brought. At the end of the short entryway, his father sat on his throne, his mother on the cushioned dais at his side. Her hand rested in the crook of his arm. 

She caught Nicholai’s gaze. The lines around her eyes creased as she smiled. 

His chest constricted. 

Councilman Gareth bowed low before the king, his cape wrapping around his shoulders like a bat’s wings. “Thank you, Your Majesty, I shall attend to your request immediately.” The male rose and as he turned, his cape flared out behind him. His quick strides brought him close to Nicholai, and he gave him a quick nod in greeting. “Prince.”

Nicholai nodded in return. As Gareth left, Kit closed the door behind him, leaving Nicholai in the room with his parents. He tried to step forward, but his feet wouldn’t move. Heavy with the news of Tiernan’s death, he didn’t want to break his mother’s heart, but he had no choice. They needed to know.

“Nicholai, what is it? You’re pale, and your arm—” His mother rose from her perch, her fingers outstretched, pointing at his injury. 

Her worry loosened his muscles. He walked to her side and clasped her hands. “I’m fine mother, but I bring sad news.” He glanced at his father.

“What is this news?” King Monroe sat forward in his chair, his elbow resting on his knee. His gaze pierced into Nicholai’s soul.

“Tiernan…he’s dead.” A rush of adrenaline pooled in Nicholai’s stomach.

King Monroe stood, his body rigid. His brow furrowed, as if he couldn’t believe the words. “W…What? How?” 

On the trek back through the Keep, this was the question he’d thought about over and over again. His marking for courage and conviction drove him forward. He inhaled a large breath and spoke the truth. “I killed him.”

His father visibly flinched, and his gaze roamed Nicholai’s face.

A small hitch escaped his mother’s lips. Her dais creaked as she sat down.

Nicholai worked hard to control his breathing. The shocked look in his father’s eyes just about broke him. Silence filled the room, except for the pounding of his own heart.

Monroe’s eyes narrowed. “What did you do?”

Nicholai knew they’d blame him. He was bad luck to anyone that got too close. “It matters not. I wanted to be the one to tell you, before you heard from someone else.”

His father shook his head, the lines in his face more pronounced, deeper. He’d aged many years in the past few minutes. “Leave us. I need time alone…to process this.” He waved his hand in the air.

Nicholai glanced at his mother. She covered her eyes with one hand. A tear dripped off the end of her finger and landed on her dress. The wetness left a dark spot, one that matched the ache in his chest.

With a deep heaviness in his heart, he left his parents to mourn the loss of their son. His brain couldn’t handle the overload, and he let his feet lead him. Where he went, he cared not. 

Chapter Twenty

As Leonna approached her family’s residence, she slowed her pace. The walls of the Keep seemed to bear down on her. The weight of the qithan had been like a collar around her throat, the leash attached to her father’s hand. No more. She wouldn’t let her father dictate to her which male she bonded to. An image of Nicholai crossed her mind, his intense gaze penetrating into her heart. Her hand clenched into a fist.
I can’t have him. 

Nicholai was a member of the royal family, part of the elite inner circle. As a common merchant, she couldn’t be a part of that. Besides, despite his kisses, the ones that told her that he cared, he’d made no mention of his feelings for her. 

The relief that had coursed through her veins disappeared, replaced with regret. She took a breath, but couldn’t seem to fill her lungs with air. Although she was no longer qithan, she still had her responsibility to her family—the honey cart. Her chest clenched tighter.

She rounded a corner and a Jixie bumped into her. The small female landed on her behind, green beans falling out of the basket she carried and scattering across the floor. The look on her face was priceless, her mouth contorted into an ‘oh,’ her eyes wide.

“I’m so sorry.” Leonna helped the little Jixie to her feet. 

The young female straightened her dress, mud stains streaking the once vibrant yellow a gritty brown color. “ ’Twas my fault, m’lady, not yourns.” She didn’t make eye contact, but proceeded to pick up the beans.

Leonna assisted, grabbing a handful of the vegetables that had landed in the crack between the wall and the floor. The waxy beans smelled fresh, like the garden. She held out her hand, the beans dangling over the edge of her palm. “These are dirty. Will you be in trouble?”

The Jixie finally met Leonna’s gaze. Her deep, green eyes contrasted with her bright red hair. The difference was striking. “Doesn’t matter. ’Twas my fault. M’ mind wanders and…” Shrugging, she corralled the last of the stray pods. She gave one last glance at Leonna before sprinting down the hallway. Even for a Jixie, her little feet moved fast.

She reminds me of myself.
A new sense of understanding made her knees shake. The evening’s events raced through her mind—Nicholai discovering her necklace, their kiss, her desire to escape the Keep and run free, the chasm, the fall, Nicholai’s rescue. Dizziness made her vision blur. She placed her hands against the rough stone of the corridor walls and closed her eyes.
My impulsiveness—causes trouble for myself and others. I can’t be that way anymore. 

The responsibility to her family and their reliance on her was a burden, one she’d harbored for a long time. Her destiny was the honey business, her role in the Keep, and she wouldn’t let her father down.

Her heart beat steady and strong as she accepted her commitment. As she walked the few remaining feet to her family’s quarters, she steeled herself. The discussion with Papa wouldn’t be easy. He’d be hard to convince that she’d changed. 

She gripped the doorknob and entered her home. The room contained the same table with the flower vase, the rack filled with leftover sample jars of honey, and the pictures of her and Corbin that she’d painted, but her home seemed different. Somehow, she felt confined, restricted. 

“Oh, you’re home. Hello, hon.” Maman emerged from her parents’ bedroom. She smiled as if nothing had changed. 

“Is…is Papa here?” A burning need to see him right away made her edgy.

“Did I hear my name?” Her father limped into the room. His gait seemed more pronounced, as if he were in pain.

“Papa, are you ok?” Leonna held her breath.

“Just a bit tired, that’s all.” His smile was the one she remembered from her childhood, but she didn’t need his approval, not anymore. 

She gripped his hand, squeezing his fingers. “I have something to tell you, something important.” 

He gazed into her eyes. “Do tell.”

“I made a decision…a couple of decisions.” She swallowed. This was harder than she’d anticipated. 

He didn’t speak, but cocked an eyebrow. 

She pulled on her courage and raised her chin. “I won’t bond to Blaine. I don’t love him, and he’s a cheat.”

Her father’s eyebrows furrowed, and he dropped his hands, breaking their connection. “Really?” He rubbed his face and let out a loud exhale. 

Before he could say anything more, she dove in. “I can handle the honey cart on my own. I won’t be late, I’ll make sure all the stones are counted at the end of the day, I’ll stay late to clean up, I’ll—”

Her father held up his hand. 

She bit her lip.

“Tell her, Riordan.” Leonna’s mother stood at the counter, combining the honey samples into a larger jar. Her smile was infectious, and she winked at Leonna.

Leonna’s stomach fluttered, as if birds had found their way in. “What’s going on?”

“Your timing is uncanny.” He chuckled. “When you are finally ready to take ownership of the honey cart, we no longer need you to.”

“What?” She blinked. Her mind couldn’t process what he’d just said. 

“Corbin!” he bellowed.

Her brother emerged from his bedroom, and he wasn’t alone. On his arm was a young female with short blond hair and striking blue eyes. One look at her brother’s throat answered all her questions. Two black bands circled his neck. He’d bonded to this female.

Corbin grinned. “Leonna, this is Em, my mate.” 

Em gripped Leonna’s hand with warm, strong fingers. “I’m so happy to meet you. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you.”

Leonna couldn’t help the smile that formed on her lips. By the sparkle in her brother’s eyes, this female had stolen his heart. Leonna embraced her new sister, thankful for the opportunity to get to know her. “I’m so happy for the both of you. How—”

“Betram. Oh, and I quit the training program.” Corbin wrapped his arm around his new mate’s shoulder. “We’re going to run the honey cart together.” His smile was all Leonna needed to see to understand his happiness.

“That means you can paint, if you want to.” Her father’s voice was low, comforting. “I put too much pressure on you. I should’ve thought more about your feelings. I’m sorry, daughter mine.”

Leonna rushed into her father’s arms. “Thank you, Papa.”

As he petted her hair, her heart expanded. 

He pulled away and cradled her head in his hands. “Now, tell me about Blaine.” 

She stilled and looked at the ground. What could she say? No good could come from telling him what she’d seen. Instead, she settled for a half-truth. “He found someone else.”

“I’m sorry, daughter. Perhaps I can find someone for you.”

“No! Don’t!” She held his gaze. There was only one male she wanted. An urge to see Nicholai built in her soul. She wanted to bolt to him, tell him she loved him.
And that’s what gets me in trouble, my compulsiveness.
Instead, she lifted her chin and held her ground. “I can find my own mate.”

He nodded, a sly smile lifting at the corner of his mouth. “My grown-up daughter, as you wish.”

Reflexively, she gripped the seashell on the end of her chain. The shell was warm from resting against the skin on her chest. She wasn’t sure she believed in the old ritual. At the time, she hadn’t known what she’d wanted, but she did now. 

“Lea, I wasn’t wrong.” Maman pointed at Leonna’s closed fist. “The sun infused the shell with good luck. You’ll see.”

Against Leonna’s will, she evoked an image of Nicholai. If only her mother were right.

Chapter Twenty-One

Before Nicholai knew it, he stood outside the door to the infirmary. Of course, he’d come here. Maybe a discussion with Gaetan would help ease his spirit. He knocked.

“Door’s open.”

Nicholai entered the room, and the smell of disinfectant was a familiar, yet calming salve. Gaetan leaned against the counter. His shoulders flexed as he ground medicinal herbs in a stone bowl. He glanced at Nicholai then resumed his work. 

Nicholai wasn’t sure what to say. He’d come here, but now, he questioned why. His teeth ground together so hard a tic started in his jaw.

“What’s on your mind? Your brother?” Gaetan continued to press the wooden grinder against the leaves. The scraping sound echoed around the room.

“You already know about my brother?” 

Gaetan stopped his work and gave Nicholai a pointed stare. “Word travels fast along the stones, as you know.”

“I killed him.” The confession came out in a rush of words. Funny, admitting it didn’t make Nicholai feel any better.

Gaetan raised an eyebrow. “In self-defense, I hear. But your brother isn’t what brings you here, is it?” 

Nicholai chuckled, eased a bit by Gaetan’s candor. “You know me so well. I can’t hide anything from you.”

The skin on Gaetan’s forehead creased, and his eyes brightened. “From your reactions the past few days, I suspect you found a female at the Betram ritual.”

“Was it that obvious?” 

“To me, yes. What concerns you?”

“The tradition to select a female from the elite class as a mate—how firm is that?” He tensed, waiting for Gaetan’s answer.

Gaetan blinked, but maintained his composure. “Kings for countless millennia have selected their mates from the eligible elite females. I take it your female in question isn’t one of them.” 

He held Gaetan’s gaze, sure in his choice. “No, she’s merchant class, but that matters not to me.”