“It’s urgent that I speak to her, now,” the man argued, brandishing his fist, which held an envelope with Ryder’s blood-red emblem on the wax seal. I was up and striding to the guard, palm out for the message, before any of the men could so much as turn toward me. The messenger shook his head, fear flashing in his gaze as I plucked the letter from his hand, I stepped back. He looked haggard, and his uniform suggested he’d been with the group of men we’d sent to deliver fresh supplies to Ryder and his men who were searching for Kahleena. “He will not make it back here before the disturbance evolves and we’re all slain. I can feel it deep in my soul, folding around me until air no longer reaches my lungs.”
“Get a grip on yourself.” I fumed with impatience, annoyed that his sudden hysterics were making the kids anxious. “The king will come back when he’s ready, and not a minute before. He is right where he needs to be and is doing his best to continue his task. I recommend you keep command over that fear of yours. I’ll not tolerate you spreading it in this palace or in my kingdom. Get out,” I demanded icily, seizing his gaze until he’d backtracked out of the chamber and the guards sealed the door behind him. The moment he’d exited the room, I forced a reassuring smile into place and aimed it toward the babes. “Such a silly, overdramatic fellow, huh?” I asked before locking eyes with Ristan, whose brow was creased with worry as he watched Orion.
“The storm is getting worse by the hour,” Ristan whispered, rubbing his palm over his face. “This isn’t natural. We don’t have ice storms here, Synthia. There have been reports of gale-force winds bitter enough to freeze your marrow. We’ve accumulated over three feet of snow today, alone. It’s like we’re living in the Winter Court.”
“I’m aware, but I feed the land power every day until I am depleted and exhausted. Still, the world punishes us with the weather. I don’t know what to do, and no one else does either. If it’s because of the prison fracturing, there is no telling when it will stop. It may be something else, but I don’t have answers right now. Nothing that is cemented or verified, anyway.” My words came out sharper than I’d intended, forcing me to regret them as soon as they’d slipped free.
I wanted to indulge them with what I’d learned with Erie, but I held no solid proof. Ryder would want to be here when I told them anything that important anyway, which left me with only one option, which was to remain silent. Besides, what good would it do to have them feeling the same fear and anxious dread that I held? My fingers tightened on the letter, and I silently prayed for Erie to be wrong and for this to be nothing more than a fluke storm. However, Alden was proof that shit was heading sideways.
It took effort not to shred the envelope and read what Ryder had written. His being away was hard on us, but not knowing where Kahleena was being held was harder. I’d forced myself to keep hope and to place my trust in the belief that everything would be all right. That worked when I’d spent months with Ryder, searching every shadow and crevice for her with him. The farther along in the pregnancy I got, though, the more I slowed the search party. And while they’d refused to comment on it, I’d finally admitted it was best I return home. That was when that belief started to slip into fear.
“You know I didn’t mean that you were to blame for this, Flower. My intention was only to express my concerns about how strange the land is operating. You cannot stop it. None of us can.” His intense stare slid over my face, thinning when he noted how pale I had gone.
“No, we can only sustain and ensure that everyone gets what they require to survive it, right?” I swallowed past the knot building in my throat and went back to the throne, settling on the plush cushion, easing the ache of my spine.
My gaze fell over the seal of crimson wax marked with twin dragons. Gently, I used my nail to separate the wax from the paper before carefully opening the envelope. Inside was a delicate parchment that carried the scent of my beast. It took me a moment to brace my emotions, greedily inhaling him as deeply as I could before I pulled the note free and unfolded it.
I miss you, Pet.
The days are long and the nights are miserable without your warmth against me. You’re well, I hope. Right now, I crave to plant my face between your thighs and dine on that heated cunt for hours. This developing storm is building my desire for your hot skin, and if I could, I’d drive my cock deep within you and never surrender my position inside your ravenous, needy cunt again. I’d slake this insatiable hunger on those soft, subtle curves until you begged me for mercy. I miss the heat of you next to me, and the smell of your hair after you’ve showered from being fucked for hours. Since I aim to travel back in the next couple of weeks, as I don’t intend to miss being beside you when our child arrives, I look forward to satisfying that craving soon.
Our boys . . . our sons, both are well and miss their mouthy, fiery mother. I wish you could have witnessed them fighting beside me, Synthia. They’re not children any longer. Both have turned into men we should be proud to call our sons. They’re the perfect mix of us, and maybe even a little like my asshole brothers, if I’m being honest. I’m not, because these are my sons, and those bloody pricks can make their own. We missed their childhood, but we won’t do so with the next one. Zander reminds me of you. He’s headstrong, persistent, and stubbornly prideful. He is also brave and a fighter, down to his very soul. Cade is a lot like Zahruk, with a passion for weaponry and fighting. He’s begun designing weapons he means to forge when we get home. I miss Kahleena, too. I fear what she is enduring or if she’s hurt, pleading for us to come save her. When the wind picks up and howls at night, I flinch at the thought that she’s somewhere making a similar sound, screaming for us. I know you have the same fears but hide them behind fake smiles and a brave face. I pray she’s like you, refusing to let them terrify her with threats. In fact, I hope she’s exactly like you were when we first met. I also hope she’s like me, at least a little. Us together in one little girl? Maybe she’ll save herself and be home before the boys and I?
Still, I won’t stop searching for her until she’s back with us where she belongs. Even if we have to tear the entire realm down to nothing more than rubble, we will to return her home to you. The unit is leaving here soon, and I’ve tasks to accomplish to ensure we’re sustained through the coming weeks. I’ll continue to pursue the means to circumvent this unnerving storm, and identify what’s blocking us from mentally reaching each other through the connection.
We’ve reached the mountain passes, but with the snow drifts and low visibility preventing us from proceeding, it might be beneficial to find another route around the mountains that border the swamps. We’ll take the next couple of days to decide if we should push on, or come back and regroup. The inability to use magic is making it harder than it should be, and the men grow weary of the frigid temperatures. The thought of you swelling with my child, and dealing with so much happening doesn’t sit well with me either. It doesn’t help being torn between needing to find our daughter, and being home for the birth of the newest prince. I can understand your hesitancy of abandoning the search more now than before. I can’t wait to hold you, and hear you whimper my name, woman.