Chapter 1
Adele
He was doing it again; Zayden. He was spending a lot of his time alone. I know he’s said it a few times since but I just felt like he wasn’t over it as much as he thought. He just would never talk to me long enough to admit he was ashamed of me but I knew he had to be on some level.
“Zayden, are you going to stay in bed all day?” I was leaning over him as he faced the edge of the bed, hoping I could get him out of it.
“I’m all right, Love. I just haven’t been sleeping well.”
“I thought we were passed this.”
He sighed and turned over, looking at me with his perfect blue eyes. “It’s not that. We are passed it. I guess I’m just not used to—well, doing nothing. When I’m home, my father always has something for me to do but we don’t live there because you chose to live here and I’m fine with that.”
“You don’t seem fine.”
He got the first sign of a smile on his face in what seemed to be weeks. “I am. I was just going to get some rest before lunch.”
“Okay.” I leaned down and kissed him. “Shall I help?” I rubbed my hand on his bare chest in a downward motion towards his stomach with the gentlest touch.
Zayden kept the soft smile and I was hoping that he’d agree but instead he took my hand, moving it away before I could get any lower. “No. Not right now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Just go continue with your day. I’ll be down shortly.”
“Okay. I guess I’m just going to see what the others are doing before I start making lunch then.”
We kissed again and I left the room to go down six flights of stairs to the first floor where the other four were gathered in the open lounge. It was kind of pointless to even talk to him but I at least had to try.
“Hey! Where’s Zayden?” Jaylyn asked.
I sighed and just lowered myself down onto one of the chairs. “He’s doing the same thing as yesterday and the day before that and the day before that and a lot of days before that. I know something’s wrong with him. He just won’t tell me.”
“I guess he’s just not used to this.” Ruby said.
“I know. That’s what he said but I know it’s more than that. I’m worried about him. Do you have any idea when the last time we had sex was?”
They looked around at each other and Troy’s look was the strangest. “Ah—should we?”
“Three weeks and that was only because I started it in his sleep and he was too tired to stop me!” I sighed again from my outburst and leaned back in frustration, speaking more quietly. “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I get him out of this?”
“It’s not that you can’t.” Darius said. “He just needs time.”
I sighed with only one thought and started getting to my feet with a voice showing that my emotion level was dropping. “Time for what? Deciding that he doesn’t want me anymore? That’s great advice.”
I walked away into the kitchen and hoped no one followed. I wanted to be alone. Nothing any of them would say could possibly help me. I just didn’t know what was wrong and nothing I did ever worked. I was ready to just breakdown and die to think that Zayden could have possibly gotten over me. I needed something to do to keep my mind off it and lunch was it. Cooking has always helped.
Chapter 2
Troy
“Oh, no.” Jaylyn sighed. “How did we not see her coming to that conclusion?”
“But it’s not true.” Ruby said. “There’s no way it could be. We all know how much Zayden loves her.”
“Well, apparently he hasn’t been showing it.” Darius replied. “You don’t think that’s in any way my fault, do you?”
“Of course not. He’s over that part. We all just know what part of it he’s not over.”
There was a short pause. We were all thinking it. It was the baby and how Zayden feels he lost Seth forever. I knew that wasn’t true and I was the one to walk towards the stairs. “All right. I’ll go this time.”
“Try not to come off as worried.” Jaylyn begged. “You know he’ll hate that.”
“It’s all right. I know how to talk to him.” It was true and I walked up the six flights of stairs to Zayden’s room, going right inside without announcing myself. He was sitting on the stone windowsill with Rift at his feet as usual but Zayden was just looking out with his mind completely unfocused on what was going on around him because he didn’t turn his head at all when I entered.
“Zayden?” He finally turned only to see who it was but looked back out the window without a word. I had to get somewhere with this. “What are you doing? You can’t keep this up. You’re really getting Adele worried about you. She’s starting to think that you don’t want her anymore.”
“What?” He turned his head back to me and kept it there this time like the thought had worried him. Good. It should have.
“It’s true and I can see why. You’d rather spend all your time alone rather than be around the rest of us or even her.”
“It’s not that I don’t want her, Troy. You should know that.”
“I do but she doesn’t and it’s not like we can just tell her that. It probably wasn’t our business to know but she told us how frequently you’ve been having sex.”
Zayden laughed smugly and looked back out the window. “You mean never?”
“See? How do you really think that’s making her feel?”
“I just haven’t been thinking about it. Too much on my mind.”
“Please tell me that this isn’t because she’s been compromised by Darius and you think she wouldn’t want you.”
“Don’t mention that.”
I let out a quiet sigh and stepped closer. “Zayden. It’s me. You know you can tell me.”
Zayden returned the sigh but kept his look outside. “No. It has nothing to do with that. You couldn’t understand how hard it’s been on me. I couldn’t be with her and just pretend that everything is fine. Everything is not fine.”
“It wasn’t anyone’s fault. We couldn’t have known what would happen.”
“But I seemed to be the only one to know what it did. She hasn’t had the dream in weeks or any. She would have told me but she hasn’t.”
“You can still have what she saw. You don’t know that future is over for sure but in all honesty, you’re making it over just by not being with her. You do know that it takes sex for that to happen, right?”
“Don’t insult me.”
“Well, by not doing it, you’re never going to get that.”
“How can I when my mind is always somewhere else? Can you ever have sex with your wife even when you don’t want it?”
“But I always want it.”
Zayden sighed and looked away. “Of course. Look who I’m asking.”
I laughed. “What? You make me sound like Darius.”
“No. I’ve just known how you’ve been with Jaylyn from the beginning. Remember, it was you that got all of us into this so you could be with her.”
“And I’ll gladly take credit for that but you need to do something about what’s happening now. Don’t push her away.”
He sighed yet again but this time he got down off the windowsill and started walking towards the bed. “I’ve known that Adele hates seeing me like this but it makes it worse that I can’t tell her why. Being alone has made it easier to keep it to myself but even then I just can’t stop thinking about it. Nothing I do seems to work.”
“Hey! I’ve got something!” Darius came through the door in a hurry, holding a folded piece of paper.
“What is it?”
“It’s from father. He’s on his way to join us in a trip to Hintus.”
“What for?” I asked.
“A royal wedding. Their Prince is getting married.”
Zayden sighed—again. “Sounds fun.”
“Well, you said you needed to get your mind off it.” I said. “And it could be fun. We’ve never been there.”
“Really?”
“Nothing like getting away to clear your mind.” Darius smiled with a wishful convincing voice.
“All right.” Zayden replied with a longer sigh than any other before. “Then it looks like we need to pack.”
“Well, what is it? Are you going to tell us now?” Ruby walked in behind us with Adele and Jaylyn following, all taking deep breaths.
“We need to pack.” Darius said happily. “We’re going to a wedding in Hintus.” All at the same time, the girls turned their heavy breaths into sighs. “What?”
“We kind of hate going there.” Jaylyn groaned. “They treat their women like cattle. It’d be worse than the uneasy moment at your military base.”
“Last time we were there, someone actually asked where our man was so he could try to buy us from him.” Adele said.
“I’d never sell you.” Zayden said, showing a sign of a smile. “So, you’re not coming? We kind of have to go. Father is on his way to get us right now. Maybe an hour or so.”
Adele sighed and looked back at Ruby and Jaylyn. They both had the same look. They truly didn’t want to go but at the same time, there was something else like they didn’t want us to leave. “We’re not sure. Would you completely hate it if we did stay?”
Zayden stepped to Adele, taking her hand. “You do know what this means, don’t you? Even if we stay for just the ceremony, we’d be gone for at least two weeks maybe more.”
“I know but I also know you need this. You need to just get away and do something. We’ll be all right.”
“Are you sure about this? We’ve never willingly been apart before.”
“I said we’d be all right. Two weeks isn’t forever and it would take something a lot stronger than that to kill us so you better start packing. I’ll make sure you have something to eat before you leave.”
Zayden still seemed unsure and looked down at Rift on the floor. “What do you think? Want to go on a trip?” Rift barked a few times and it made Zayden smile while he looked at us. “All right. Go, I guess. We leave when father gets here.”
We both nodded and walked out of Zayden’s room.
Jaylyn had followed me down to our room on the fourth floor and passed me with a solemn sniffle when we entered.
“Jaylyn, what’s wrong?”
She wiped her eyes before turning. “I’m fine, really.”
I stopped what I was doing and went to her. I knew she wasn’t fine. “I know you’re not. It’s about me leaving, isn’t it?”
“I don’t want you to go. The last time we were separated was awful and it was only four days.”
I touched her face and looked into her eyes, making sure she was looking back. “I know but you could always come.”
“I don’t like going there.”
“Then it won’t be so bad if you’re choosing to stay. Time will go by quicker than you think.”
She rushed into my arms and buried her face in my chest. “But I’m still going to miss you.”
“I know. I’m going to miss you too but you won’t be alone. Adele and Ruby will be here.”
“I know. It’s just we haven’t—”
“We’ll get through it. I promise.”
She nodded but I knew it wasn’t over. She was truly upset about me leaving and I wished I didn’t have to but Zayden needed this most of all and wherever he went, we’d be with him.
Chapter 3
Ruby
I headed out with Darius to our room on the fifth floor and he got out a bag to pack. “So, you’re really not coming?”
My arms folded in close to my chest and I leaned against the bed, pondering the question for just a few seconds. “It’s not really a place for a woman to want to go. We always said we’d never go there unless it was for a mission in which we would happily complete.”
“It’s really that bad?”
I let out a light laugh. “Yeah. You’re going to Prince Wyatt’s wedding for his second wife.”
“Second?”
“It’s how they do it. He already has a son. They try to get as many as possible so they acquire many wives to do that.”
“Wow. I have a hard enough time pleasing one.”
I laughed a little harder that time and hit him in the shoulder for his playful remark. “You do not! You please me just fine.”
“Just fine? Is that an insult or what?”
“You know what I mean. I could never want anything else.”
“Good.” He leaned in closer to me for a kiss. “So, you’re seriously not coming?”
“How many times are you going to ask me that?”
“At least once more. Are you seriously not coming?”
He was sweet and I couldn’t hide this smile from seeing it. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
“Easier said than done.”
I kissed him again. “Just finish packing. You don’t want to be the one to keep the others waiting.”
He nodded and continue to pack while I stayed by and just watched him. I needed to take in every sight I could to savor it for the long days ahead. I didn’t know what I’d do without him. We’ve always been together since he found me again in Dorlin and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for this. I missed him even when watching him in front of me. I hope it wasn’t going to be this bad; I’d never survive.
Chapter 4
Zayden
Everything was packed and we sat in what would be our last meal together for the next couple of weeks. It was completely silent at the table and eyes merely shifted around, wondering if someone would say something but no one did. No one wanted to make the separation any harder.
Just as fast as we started, we finished and it was time to go. We took a slow walk into the stables together to ready the horses and I looked to Adele’s blank expression while putting the saddle on mine. “So, you sure you’re staying behind?”
She stood in the doorway of the stall and just gave a nod. “I think it’ll be safer if we stay behind this time.”
I laughed. “What? You don’t think we’d fight for you? I wouldn’t let anyone near you.”
“That’s the last thing we really need, Zayden. It wouldn’t be hard to provoke a fight with a country that used to be your enemy. I’m sure they’re still getting used to it.”
“Okay, maybe that’s true.”
“It is.” Ruby said. “You’re going to get some looks when you get there. That’s for sure. They’ve probably never even seen a Senian before. At least that generation.”
“We’ll be able to deal with it if there’s a problem.” Darius said. “You shouldn’t worry about that.”
“Please don’t let there be one.” Jaylyn replied, turning her worried attention directly at Troy.
He laughed. “We won’t. Not intentionally of course.”
Before she could reply with her ongoing worry, my father arrived at the entrance. “Good you’re almost ready.”
“Yes, father.”
“You’re only bringing three horses?”
Adele shared a look with me and stepped forward to speak. “We’re not going this time.”
“Not going? Is it the women thing I heard about over there?”
“Yeah. We’ve been there before and it wasn’t fun.”
“Kathryn said something along those lines too. She decided to stay behind. Someone has to be in charge anyway so it works out.”
“She’s smart to stay. I’d only go back there for one thing.”
My father smiled. “To kill?”
“Okay, two things.” Adele smiled back. “To kill or free their women. We got looks of envy when we walked around there without a man pulling us along on a leash. It was really sad.”
“I
t’s really that bad?” Troy asked.
“They live in their own little world up there.” Ruby said. “You’ll see.”
“I guess we will. Let’s get going.” My father said. “We’re meeting Aleks at the northern Kaluian docks to take a ship.”
I nodded and turned to Adele before I got on my horse.
“I know.” She smiled before I could say anything. “Just don’t be any longer than you need to be.”
“I won’t.” I leaned into her and we kissed. “I have a way to get to the docks quite quickly.”
“Maybe you but what about the others?”
I looked back at them as they were saying their own good-byes and thought considerably about testing it out. “I can try a full group travel. I think I’m ready for long distance.”
“Okay. Just be careful.”
“I will. You too. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
We kissed one last time before I got up on my horse and started riding it to my father and out of the stables.
“See you when we get back.”
The girls all waved and we started to ride off.
Troy was the longest to linger his eyes behind us and finally turned around with a heavy sigh.
“What?” I asked.
“She’s not going to sleep until we get back.”
Darius laughed. “I wonder why that is?”
“Shut up! She’s upset is all. She didn’t want me to go.”
“She’ll be fine.” My father assured him. “I hear Zayden’s got a faster way for us getting there that will help reduce your time away.”
“If you’re willing to let me try it that is. I haven’t gotten to before with so many, not to mention horses.”
“I trust you.” Darius said. “What could happen?”
“I don’t really have the answer to that. Maybe motion sickness. I’d recommend that you have your eyes closed, that’s how Adele would always do it.”
“Are you going to try now?” Troy asked.
I slowed my horse down to a stop and everyone else did after me but I was the only one to hop down. “Let’s see how this works. Line up your horses.”
Broken Road (Fate's Intent Book 7) Page 1