If Jayden was still in love with Rosalyn, why did he worry she would harm herself? “Jayden, we should return to bed. You returned home—” she frowned because she didn’t know what time it was. “I assume it is late. You need to rest.”
They were near the back gate when Jayden started walking faster. “I rested at the barracks before returning home. Before you worry, know that a few hours of sleep can be enough for me. Besides, I want to ask you something about our future room. I wanted to do some modifications, but I would like to ask your opinion first.”
Mina frowned. “I don’t think I will be of any help. When my aunt—” she took a deep breath before continuing, “—Duchess Rhona, died eight years ago, Rosalyn and uncle Tedric changed all the mansion’s furniture, but they never asked for my help. I don’t think I can help you with the house.”
Days after her parents’ death, Duchess Rhona went mad. Duke Tedric mostly kept his wife in a room next to his, with brief contact with the servants or other people. Duke Tedric and Rosalyn were the ones who took care of the Duchess until the day Mina returned home from the market, only to find her aunt dead in the old Drawing Room. She had escaped her room, found some poison her uncle had purchased from an alchemist to exterminate some rats from the cellar and drank it. After that incident, for many months, Mina had nightmares and was afraid to sleep alone. If not for Hugo, she was sure she would have gone crazy as well.
“You should know I trust your taste in decorating our mansion, little lamb. By the time you finish, I am sure you will transform it from an abandoned place into a lovely home.”
Jayden walked fast, using the shadows of the night to conceal Mina and him until he was in front of the two enormous gates of the Ruxman estate—the gates were made from iron bars; an intricate mandala proudly stood out where the gates met. Jayden opened the left gate just enough to permit him to slip by. He helped Mina stand before closing the gate and took her hand in his.
While Jayden led Mina to the mansion, she tried to look around the garden. It was full of weeds, and many rose bushes were dead while the trees needed pruning. A big fountain with carved ravens was in the middle.
“There’s a lot of work to do, and I thought about hiring more men to have the mansion ready soon. What do you think?” Jayden asked.
“I don’t want you to spend your money. What if you have the house ready, only to move to Ora Dorei?”
“When that happens, a lot of things will change, Mina. You will no longer be a Baroness. You will be a—We will talk when that time comes. I don’t want you to worry about Ora Dorei.”
They reached big stone steps. Magic crystals were placed to the left and the right, from bottom to top. As they climbed the stairs, Jayden tapped magic crystals, activating them.
The Ruxman Mansion was at the top, and Mina lifted her head to look at the big house. While living with her uncle, she never thought about asking him to take her children in, but perhaps Jayden would let her. After all, he knew how hard life was for all the bastards. Once the repairs were finished, she would approach the subject.
A big redwood door guarded the entrance. A raven was carved on it—the raven had been the Ruxman’s family crest. Big scaffoldings were around the mansion, with various tools scattered on them. The East wing, the one that burned almost fifty years ago, despite all odds, was still standing. Part of the exterior brick wall was gone, the roof was mostly caved in, and the windows were broken. The South wing was in better condition, requiring fewer repairs.
Jayden opened the front door and tapped a magic crystal, illuminating the mansion’s entrance. Mina peeked inside. “Are you sure it is safe to enter?” she asked when Jayden waited for her to enter.
“Beams and props have been used to support the ceilings and the roof until the repairs are done. Besides, I only plan to take you to our room in the South wing. That part of the house was not affected by the fire and only needed repairs because the mansion has been abandoned for a long time.”
Reluctantly, Mina entered. Bricks and other materials were piled next to the walls, while beams and props were used to hold the big ceiling.
The floor was a tessera, with a big raven in the middle. An oak library was at the end of it, between the staircases that led to the East and South wings. A few old paintings hung at the top of the stairs of the South wing.
Mina stopped in the middle of the entrance and looked around. Jayden stood behind her, putting his big palms on her shoulders, his thumb stroking her behind her left ear, her pulse quickening. His touch seemed to have that effect on her, and she tried to calm her drumming heart.
“The kitchen is in the South wing. Caesar loves it,” said Jayden, and Mina remembered she had to talk to him about Kara, Caesar’s sister. “You should have seen him the first day we came to evaluate the mansion. His eyes almost popped out.” Until Caesar, Mina had never met a man that liked to cook and clean. “He already told me everything he wants to change inside it.” Jayden chuckled. His thumb was distracting Mina. “The Drawing Room is in the East wing. Once the repairs in the South wing are done, we can move here. I think that in about a month, you can start decorating our house. Let me show you our future room.”
They climbed the stairs to the first floor, and Jayden led Mina down the hallway while he activated a few more magic crystals. He stopped before a door with a raven carved into it, and Mina brushed her fingers over it. “Did you know the Castex family crest is a kelpie? My uncle hates it so much he rarely uses it.”
Jayden chuckled. “A kelpie is not that bad. Imagine having a cat as a family crest.”
Mina put her hands on her hips, her shawl falling down her right arm, revealing her shoulder. “What is wrong with cats? They are nice, and they purr!”
Jayden’s eyes light up with amusement. “They scratch and bite. As a matter of fact, I married one! I make you purr while you bite and scratch my shoulders and back!” Mina blushed, and Jayden laughed. “I should call you little kitten, not little lamb,” he said while taking a step towards Mina. He cupped her ass and squeezed it hard before kissing her. Mina didn’t notice when her shawls fell on the floor. She put her hands around his neck and stood on her tiptoes, and Jayden pressed her body to his. He lifted his right hand, fisted her hair, tilted her head, and lowered his mouth to her neck. He nibbled and kissed her delicate skin. “Gods, I can hardly wait for the Litha festival so I can mark you and claim you as mine!” He lifted his head, his golden eyes shining. “Each passing day is torture, knowing I can’t mate you, Mina. Not yet, at least.”
“The next seven weeks will pass fast,” Mina said.
Jayden groaned as if he was in pain. He grabbed her hand and put it on top of his erect cock. “Not when I am supposed to catch thieves! I can barely walk because all I can think about is all the sounds you make when I make you come.”
Mina’s breath quickened. She snatched her hand back and cradled it to her chest. “You thought of me? Today, I mean, while you were not home?”
Jayden looked puzzled. “Who else should I think about? You are my wife, my mate, and one day you will give birth to my children.”
‘Rosalyn,’ Mina almost said but bit her tongue before the word got out. She shrugged. “You could be thinking of anyone.”
Jayden picked up her shawl and put it around her shoulders. “I could, but I think you have witch blood because I... Come, let me show you the room!” he said and opened the door to a spacious room.
The room looked in good condition, and a few beams and props were placed inside.
Murals depicting various creatures and people—a man with black wings fighting a woman wearing armor and holding a big sword with a black diamond in the pommel, with seven stones surrounding it; the sky opening and a man coming out of it; a new moon appearing in the sky, creatures of the night looking up at it, among other things, were on the walls.
A big canopy bed was at the far end of the room; the curtains were missing. On the right wall to the door was a wardrobe, and another door was next to it, leading to another room or the bathroom. To the left was another door, and close to it, the entrance to a terrace.
Mina looked around the room, captivated by the mural. “This is beautiful,” she breathed.
“There is more,” Jayden said before opening the door close to the wardrobe, revealing a smaller room, but with a feminine touch, and they went inside it. “I think this was the late Baroness’ room, but I don’t plan on letting you sleep in a different room. How about we make this room the nursery?”
Looking at the room and seeing herself in a rocking chair with a baby in her arms, singing lullabies and toys scattered all over while an older child played, Mina said, “I think it is perfect.”
Jayden nodded. “Good. Then I will make the necessary repairs to it. Let me show you the rest of our room,” he said and grabbed Mina by her hand, returning to the other room. He opened the other door; a bathroom was behind it. In the middle of the tessera floor was a large bathtub. “I will mate with you in here each time we bathe,” Jayden cooed in Mina’s ear.
Mina cleared her throat. “Can we see the terrace?”
“I think you will love it! There’s a hedge maze behind the mansion; you can see it from up here,” Jayden said while taking Mina to the terrace. There was a big hedge maze in the Royal Gardens, and when Mina was a child, she spent a lot of time exploring it. The terrace was in the shape of a rectangle. Empty flower pots were strewn around it and in the middle was a stone table. “We can have breakfast here,” Jayden suggested, and Mina nodded absently; her eyes were fixed on the maze.
The light from the magic crystal Jayden activated on the terrace permitted Mina to see the first rows of the maze. “Can you show me the maze, or do you want to return home and rest?” Mina asked.
Jayden smiled. “We can see the maze before returning to our room.”
They walked fast, reaching the maze a few moments later. The bushes needed a lot of pruning and all the grass and weeds cut. She was eager to see it restored.
“My father used to chase me around the Royal maze,” Mina said, and a wicked smile appeared on her face.
Guessing what she was about to do, Jayden growled. “Don’t you dare run away from me, Mina! Because you will provoke my ocxoa, and I will chase you! I will catch you faster than you can blink, rip off that nightgown, and fuck you while I mark you! And it is not yet time! But soon I will do that and more!” he said, breathing hard; Mina didn’t dare to move a muscle. He pulled her into his arms. “One day, I will find out what makes you special,” he promised before kissing her.