Chapter 73 Warm
BRYNNE
Kade is lying in bed with the cover pulled over his face when I arrive at his room. He tucks the cover below his jaw, his nose wrinkling as I drag a chair closer to his bed and straddle it.
“Lilith is gone,” I tell him.
He nods. “She’s not happy with me.”
“That’s really all you care about?”
“It’s my top concern. She’s the only one who cares.”
“You’re an idiot,” I hiss. “We all care about you.”
He grins. “I know, but Lee Lee cares the most.”
“She told you to stop calling her that.”
That statement makes his grin widen. “She doesn’t mind,” he tells me. Folding his arms behind his head, he releases a sigh. His playfulness shifts to a seriousness I rarely see. “We shouldn’t go into Soma’s memories again. I don’t like being in them.”
Anticipation makes my insides knot, but I keep my face blank. Until Soma, he hasn’t been in anyone’s memories this year. Being a royalty of Shadowspire means many people fear us. We don’t need to use our abilities to intimidate anyone.
“What did you see?” I ask.
“There was a woman. Really pretty woman,” he adds. I snort, and he winks. “She was running. I don’t know where to, but she seems to have realized I wasn’t Soma because she turned, howled, and kicked me.”
“Do you remember what she looks like?”
“Platinum blond hair,” he says with a shrug. Soma’s parents weren’t important people. Her father was an omega, and her mother was a fool who chose love over a better life. “It was dark, so I couldn’t really see her face.”
Kade’s face goes distant, like he has been transported back to the scene. I place my hand over his, and he snaps out of it, flashing me a disappointed smile.
“Then it changed to another memory. Someone was hitting me. I mean, Soma. Someone was hitting her. It was brutal,” he whispers. “It felt so real, Brynne.”
“Sorry,” I mumble. “Are you okay?”
He nods, but his smile stays small. “Yeah. But Lilith is right. The backlash is real. I could have been more injured.”
Not just injured. He can die if he doesn’t handle the terror from people’s nightmares before it consumes him. It’s why Lilith hates his gift. If he must do it, he must be stronger than the other person. Soma might be weak, but the Moon Goddess is protecting her.
“Tristan is right, you know? Maybe we shouldn’t be giving her such a hard time,” he murmurs. My finger twitches, and I nod. If they know what I’ve done lately, they won’t say this. “She’s not had an easy life. Let’s just let her be. After all, she will be your Luna.”
“Yeah, I know. It won’t happen again. We’ll leave her memories alone,” I promise. As I slide to my feet, Lilith’s words sweep into my mind. The emotions hit harder than when she was here. I fix the chair where I pulled it out from, my back to him when I ask, “Do you believe me when I say the fire was an accident?”
“Yeah, I believe you,” he mutters. My hand curls at my side, and I almost turn. “You’re mean, but you’re not that mean. You’ll never cause her physical harm. I think Tristan and Sienna know this, too, but they’re feeling bad for all those times they stayed silent. And now, they are taking out their frustrations on you.”
Confidence lines every word he utters, breaking the wall of doubts surrounding my heart. I chuckle softly, exiting his room without a backward glance.
Lilith is wrong. I’ll make a wonderful king, one Mother would be prouder of than she ever was with Father.
I’m not cruel. I’m just sensible enough to try and prevent the past from repeating itself.
Those thoughts ring too loudly in my head, pushing a bounce into my step. I charge straight for Soma’s space, stopping at her door as it swings open.
Jade bows immediately. “Your Highness.”
“What are you doing here?”
Lilith said she won’t be here for two days, and it has been less than a day since the priestess left the house.
Jade keeps her head down, her voice low. “Priestess Lilith asked me to take care of Lady Soma.”
A sneer curls my lips, and I stop myself from ripping the innocent maid apart. Does Lilith think I can’t handle taking care of an unconscious omega? That’s just one more thing I need to prove her wrong about.
Pushing the door wider, I walk past Jade and step into the living area. “You may go. I’ll handle it.” Jade’s head jerks up. Her mouth opens, but she doesn’t speak. I wave her off. “Go. Don’t show up until Saturday.”
That’s in exactly two days.
“Your Highness. Lady Soma needs attention—”
“And you think I can’t provide that?” I mutter. Her eyes expand, and she shakes her head. “If you really want to help your lady, then copy the notes from the classes she’s missed and handle her assignments. I heard you’ve been attending classes with her. It’s time to put that knowledge to use. Go. It’ll be less work when she recovers.”
Jade lets out a nervous laugh. “Your highness. I’m not that smart. My handwriting is awful. It’ll be a bad idea to use me. I’d rather stay with her.”
A soft sigh builds in my chest, and I take a deep breath because she’s only trying to help. But she’s testing my patience.
“Leave,” I order. She puts a foot back but stays put. That’s when I lose control. “If you have specific instructions on how to care for her, mention them now or scram.”
A few seconds of hopeless staring pass. Jade exhales softly and spills everything from bathing to dressing to feeding her. I’ve never had to care for anyone this way, but it sounds doable. I fed her once. I can do it again.
Jade finally leaves with a plea to send for her through Dianna if I change my mind about giving her the two-day break. With her gone, I lean against the door and exhale.
If Soma is truly my fated mate, how do we navigate the future? I tear myself away from the door and enter her room. She’s on the bed, but I’m not worried. Lilith claims she’s fine. Her wolf is weak and gets sicker during a full moon. The fire hadn’t done much to help its weakness. Thankfully, her hair survived.
Jade already set up a bowl of soup. This one is less stinking than the last one, but it’s gone cold. I saunter into the kitchen and put it in the microwave. While it heats, I open the fridge to check for better meal options.
But the fridge is stocked full of fresh vegetables and odd herbs. I can only guess Jade has been using them to make her soups. Not only do I have to take care of her, but I also have to cook or recall Jade from her break. Great.
We can quit now, James reminds me.
No, I’m not a quitter. I return to the room with the warm bowl of soup and place it on her nightstand. After kicking off my shoes, I slide into bed with her.
She’s warm. If she’s any warmer than this, I’ll have to use the towel and cold water like Jade explained. But that’s for later. I try to keep a distance between us, but it’s only a matter of seconds before my hand moves.
My fingers brush her wrist gently, as if waiting for her to push me away. Then, my arm curls around her waist. This way, I’ll know immediately if anything is wrong. It’s not a big deal, but as soon as I relax, sleep takes over.