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Rothan’s eyes widen. “Come again? You hate human technologies.”

I get up to leave again. “But Leanna prefers them.”

I’ve nearly reached the door when Rothan says softly, “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve seen you so relaxed? I wish I had stopped her back then, Cedric. Things shouldn’t have come to this point.”

I pause and then shake my head. “No. If I hadn’t lost her back then, I might never have understood how important she was to me. This time, I’ll keep her safe. And if I have to wipe out every single member of the noble families to do so, so be it.”

I’d prefer not to have to do that because it will severely upset the balance of the Northern Kingdom. But steps have to be taken to reduce the power and control of the noble families. Since my parents’ deaths, they have been getting away with more than they should be allowed to, mostly because I spend too much time at the border rather than governing my kingdom. However, that will soon be rectified.

It’s late at night by the time I return to the human world. If I hadn’t had help from a witch to use portal magic, it would have taken me a couple of days to get here. Fortunately, Freya, the witch Leanna befriended in her short time in the North, now works at the border, creating portals for me and my soldiers to travel back and forth between the castle and the Veil, saving us a lot of time. The young woman seems to like money, and I give her plenty of it.

I see Derrick sitting on the steps outside Leanna’s house. When he spots me, he straightens up. “What happened? Why did Rothan call you away so urgently?”

“A new scheme by the elders to force Vivian into my bed.” I glance at the dark house. “Is she sleeping?”

He shrugs. “She offered for me and Edgar to come inside, but we refused. We’ve been patrolling since you left. Nobody around.”

I see the small, empty food container next to him. “And that?”

He flushes. “The queen gave it to us. She was worried we might starve.”

I give him a dark look. “You made my mate cook for you.”

Before Derrick can respond, I walk past him. Entering the place Leanna calls home, I look around and realize that another reason the castle looks so dull and bare is because Vivian removed every single thing that Leanna had decorated the castle with. Bella must have told her it was all Leanna’s work.

In the dim lighting of the hallway, I take a good look at the small house that is filled with bright colors. This is Leanna’s taste. Once she is back at the castle, I’m going to ask her to make it feel like this place. I want to see her touches everywhere, in every room I walk into.

She must be in bed since it is so quiet in here. But as I walk past the kitchen, something catches my eye. Flicking on the light, I see Leanna sleeping at the table, her head resting on her folded arms. In front of her, there are a few covered dishes and two places set.

Quietly, I remove the lid of one of the dishes and realize they are filled with food. Judging from the table settings, she must have been waiting for me to return. That means she hasn’t eaten, either.

My heart feels warm. Running my fingers through her short hair, I consider waking her up. She must be hungry. My own stomach is rumbling, but I don’t want to disturb her. I pick her up carefully, walk up the steps, and go down the hall to her bedroom.

She doesn’t stir as I lay her down on the bed. Looking around, I hesitate.

I want to stay here with her. This should be our bedroom, not just hers. But Leanna has drawn lines that she is slowly removing at her own pace. The idea of losing her again is far too terrible. I can wait.

As I move away, I feel her small hand grasp mine.

“When did you get home?” Her voice is thick with sleep, and when I turn to look at her, her eyes are still half closed.

“Just now. Were you waiting for me?” I can’t help but touch her soft hair.

“Thought we could have dinner together.” She yawns.

“I’ll put everything in your icebox. We can have it tomorrow.”

“Fridge,” she laughs sleepily. “You’re so silly, Cedric. Road box, icebox. Just call things by their names.” She sits up on the bed when I begin heading out of the room. “Wait, where are you going?”

“To put away the food.”

“But you’re coming back, right?”

I study her. She looks nervous, almost uncertain, a hint of vulnerability behind her eyes.

When I don’t answer, she pats the bed. “Just stay.”

I give her a long look. “Are you certain?”

She flops back down on the bed. “I don’t want to sleep alone, Cedric. Not tonight.”

“Alright.” Tugging off my shirt, I climb into bed with her. Without wasting a second, Leanna curls up against my chest. Her small frame presses into me, and my arm tightens around her waist. When she looks up at me, I smell something sweet and fragrant. “Have you been drinking?”

“Just a little.” She beams at me. “Just enough.”

“Enough for what?”

She shrugs. Her fingers start ghosting over my chest, and I feel my cock stir. My hand comes to cover hers, and there is a warning edge to my voice when I breathe her name. But she simply pulls her hand free and continues.

“Leanna, how much did you drink?”

She shrugs once again, clearly unwilling to answer. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Leanna drink before. I didn’t see any alcohol on the table. She must have drunk straight from the bottle and tossed it.

“I missed you,” she finally murmurs. “I missed sleeping next to you the most.”