Page 72 of Onyx Cage: Volume II

Her gaze flitted pointedly to the circles under my own eyes. It was a fair question, though I was somewhat surprised she had noticed since she wasn’t exactly swimming in observational skills.

I could have denied it, but there had to be room for some amount of honesty between us.

I quirked an eyebrow at her, deciding on a version of the truth. “For the same reason, I suppose.”

She huffed out a laugh, turning toward her door. “Then you hardly need to be so concerned.”

I wondered how exactly she thought I had felt when I carried her lifeless body back here less than a day ago. Bored? Unbothered?

“I’ll always be concerned when your life is on the line,” I reminded her darkly.

“And moreso, now, I suppose.” There was a flat note to her words, like she was disappointed by that fact, but it was difficult to decipher when she still wasn’t looking at me.

I put a hand under her chin, tilting it toward me until she had no choice but to meet my eyes.

“No, not moreso now,” I bit out. “Whether you’re my pet or my wife, Lemmikki, I have no intention of letting anyone touch you ever again.”

I let her hear every ounce of the lethality that pounded through my veins whenever I pictured the faces of anyone who had ever hurt her.

“Because you protect whatbelongsto you?” Her eyes blazed with something I couldn’t quite read.

Was she baiting me? I moved my body closer to her, deliberately skimming my hand along her waist as I reached behind her for her doorknob. Her breath hitched, and her pupils widened as she leaned just a bit forward.

Dropping my mouth closer to her ear, I murmured in a low tone. “Among other reasons.”

I turned her doorknob open with an audible click, and she backed abruptly away, the spell broken.

But her cheeks were still flushed with something that was decidedly not anger.

I let an arrogant smirk overtake my features. “Get some rest, Lemmikki. You’ll need your energy for all those games you play.”

Then I spun on my heel to head to my rooms, chuckling when her whisper ofaaliofollowed me down the hall.

I hadn’t been lying about the work I had to do on my end, though it was somewhat harder to focus after my…interaction with Rowan at her door.

Still, the relief I had felt when she agreed to our marriage was slowly being edged out by the sheer volume of tasks I would have to undertake in preparation, beginning first and foremost with my father.

It would have been far preferable to tell him in person, but the news would reach him before I could. Even if I took the letter to the bird myself, there was every chance it would be screened on the way out, so I had to strike a careful balance between playing to my father’s needs without inadvertently incriminating myself here.

Dear Father,

Per our conversation before I left, I have secured an alliance with Lochlann to further our mutual goals. I know that you have been impatient for me to wed for the benefit of the clan,but I appreciate the trust you’ve shown in me in allowing me to negotiate the specifics of the agreement.

Your dutiful son,

Evander

I scanned the letter twice, ensuring it suited my purposes. It implied that I had obtained his permission ahead of time, a tactic I used sparingly enough that he was unlikely to be suspicious. Since many of our meetings were held in private, there was no one to contradict us, as much as Ava may have wanted to.

All I could do was hope it was enough to stay his hand until my return. And then…

Then, I just had to find a way to keep him away from my wife.

Next, I penned a quick note to Taras so he would be able to address the issue on his end as well. I told him briefly about the plans for both weddings so that he could begin planning on the Socairan end of things. Or more likely, Mila would.

Just as I was stamping my seal on my missive to my cousin, a servant arrived, carrying a missive from Princess Jocelyn.

It was a schedule, meticulously detailed. Rowan’s expression when she mentioned the week ahead made more sense when I got halfway through the list. There, nestled between a slew of social events and wedding planning was an event that contrasted sharply with the rest.