After filling her own plate, she sat down across from him and filled him in with what her sister had said.
“Really?” Shaking his head, Ruben winced, then drained a large mug of coffee. “Did you see that coming?”
“Honestly, no. Though when the two princes first arrived in SouthWard, Tatiana did come to my room and declared she wanted Chad and would give me Eric. I chalked it up to her normal theatrics and let it go.”
“Ah, well.” He pushed his plate away. “Hopefully she’ll let it go. I haven’t seen Eric, so I don’t know how he’s reacting.”
He’d barely finished speaking when Eric and Tatiana strolled into the room. Neither of them spoke or even glanced at Ruben and Willow. Instead, they filled their plates quickly and took a table in a corner as far away as they could get while remaining in the room.
Willow sighed. “So that’s how it’s going to be.”
Ruben eyed them. “How much magic do the two of them have?”
Shocked, she forgot to chew. Swallowing hastily, she spoke. “Surely you don’t think—”
“That they’ll try to stage a rescue? Actually, that’s exactly what I do think.”
“Then ask King Drem to seal their powers.” She resumed her meal. “Easy enough of a solution.”
“You can do that?”
“Of course.” Satisfied, she pushed her own plate away. “It’s a simple spell for someone who’s as powerful as him. He can even put a time limit on it. The only stipulation is to cast such a spell, the Sidhe must be more powerful than the ones he puts the spell on. And, since you don’t get to be king unless you have a lot of power, I’m sure that’s well within his capabilities.”
“Thank you.” Ruben pushed back his chair. “I’ll find the king and ask him. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
The instant Ruben left, the other two got up and carried their plates over to her table. Without asking, they plunked down in the chairs next to and across from her.
“We need your help,” Tatiana said, her no-nonsense stare telling Willow she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Which was too bad, since of course Willow couldn’t help her with Chad.
“We’ve already been through this,” Willow said, trying not to clench her teeth. “Come on, Tatiana. Please be reasonable.”
Now Eric spoke. Leaning across the table, he took her hands in his and gave his best effort to hit her all at once with his masculine charm. Well aware of what he was doing, Willow hid her smile.
“Come on, Willow. Help us out. Chad is my baby brother,” he said, his voice pitched low enough to sound both desperate and sexy. Not an appealing combination. “I can’t let him suffer.”
Willow decided to hear him out, if only so she’d have a better idea of what they were planning. “What do you want me to do?” she asked.
Eric’s blinding smile would have been dazzling if she hadn’t known what a complete narcissistic ass he was. He appeared to take her capitulation at face value, unlike Tatiana, who narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
“On the ride back, we need to free him.”
“Really?” Crossing her arms, Willow leaned forward. “Exactly how do you propose to do that?”
Before Willow could answer, Ruben arrived back with King Drem. Immediately crossing the room to their table, the king regarded Eric and Tatiana with a thunderous frown.
“Both of you, stand,” he ordered. “I’ve already taken care of Prince Chad. His magic is now rendered useless. The time has come to do the same to you.”
“Why?” Tatiana asked, her tone wheedling. “Do you honestly think we would try to do something so foolish?”
Unsmiling, the king regarded her. “Yes,” he answered. “Stand.” Though he pitched his voice low, the power behind his words echoed off the walls.
Immediately Eric pushed to his feet, proving he at least, was no fool. Tatiana on the other hand, remained seated. She continued to pick at her breakfast as though she hadn’t heard a thing.
Smiling sadly, the king leaned down. “I’m talking to you also, Princess Tatiana.”
Reluctantly, she stood. Raising her head, she glared at Willow before facing the king. With defiance shining from her face, she deliberately reached down and picked up her cup. After taking a long drink of juice—blatantly disrespecting the king—she swallowed and placed her cup back on the table.
“I have armed myself against you,” she said softly. “So unless your magic is more powerful than mine, your spell of binding is worthless.”
Eric snorted, rolling his eyes at her words. Willow exchanged a quick glance with Ruben, impressed that Eric hadn’t completely swallowed Tatiana’s nonsense. Evidently he was a bit more intelligent than Willow had given him credit for.
“Nice try.” King Drem smiled, a hint of dark ruthlessness coming through. “I haven’t held my kingship all these years with weak magic, I promise you.”
She opened her mouth to respond then closed it. Staring at a spot beyond the king’s head, she waited.
King Drem spoke a single word. Immediately, the air sizzled with his power. Impressed, Willow waited to see if he would do more.
He did not. Instead, he clasped Ruben on the shoulder before turning to Willow. “I’ll miss you, daughter,” he said, before enveloping her in a quick hug.
Releasing her, he walked away without saying anything else, though Willow thought she saw tears in his eyes.
Subdued now, Tatiana sank back down into her chair. Eric, who hadn’t moved the entire time, pushed his chair back so hard it crashed to the floor. He stalked off without another word.
“This is going to be a long journey,” Ruben said, glancing toward the departing EastWard prince.
“I know,” Willow sighed. “You know they’re going to try to hatch some other plan that doesn’t involve magic.”
“True.” His smile felt as tender as a caress. “We’ll be all right. King Drem is sending an armed escort, remember?”
Flushing even more, she nodded. “True, but you know his guards will not be able to travel into our kingdom. Once we reach Bright lands, they’ll have to turn around.”
“I’m sure we can manage. Now,” he said, glancing at the huge clock near the unused fireplace. “Are you ready to ride?”
She nodded, taking his hand when he offered it. Again that feeling of warmth, of completeness, brought on by the simple act of skin touching skin. When he pulled her to him, she went willingly, burying her face in the hollow of his throat. He smelled of wood smoke and pine, a masculine scent that made her ache deep inside.
In silence they stood, holding on to each other as if neither ever wanted to let go. Refusing to allow herself to worry about the future and what would happen once they got back to SouthWard, Willow took pleasure in the moment. She drew strength from his quiet embrace and she fancied she lent him some of her own.
When he finally pulled away, his mouth curved into a warm smile which she felt all the way to her toes. “Let’s head down to the courtyard. Our horses should be saddled and ready.”
He held out his arm and she took it. Together, they left to begin the final part of their journey.
* * *
Though Ruben had known instinctively that King Drem had designed something to contain Chad, he wasn’t prepared for the rolling prison that waited for them in the courtyard: a brightly painted wagon, so colorful it might have belonged to gypsies. Six huge draft horses were hitched to it, which might have been overkill had not the inside been entirely encased in iron, forming a cage. Inside, Chad sat quietly, head in his hands. Ruben almost felt sorry for the other man. Almost.
Eric and Tatiana, already mounted, alternated between glaring at Ruben and Willow and staring at Chad.
Astride a magnificent black horse, King Drem waited to lead them from his castle.
First Ruben helped Willow on her horse. Though she smiled bravely at him, sadness darkened her caramel-brown eyes to the color of chocolate as she gazed at King Drem. He knew she was going to miss him.
Though he definitely understood how she felt—he hadn’t seen his parents in what seemed like forever—she’d be fine, he knew. Especially if she followed through on her promise to visit often.
King Drem blew Willow a kiss. Finally smiling, she blew one back. And then, at Ruben’s signal, they turned their mounts to go.
They rode out without pomp or circumstance, the clip clop of the horses’ hooves on the cobblestones the only sound. When they reached the path that led into the forest, King Drem reined in.
“I leave you here,” he announced, his dark gaze settling on Willow. When she acknowledged his look with a smile, he turned to eye Ruben. “Take care of her,” he ordered. “Or I’ll find you.”
Then, without giving Ruben a chance to answer, he signaled to his men and they rode away, leaving four behind plus the coachman who controlled the wagon. Throughout all of this, Chad never once looked up.
Riding alongside him, Eric and Tatiana exchanged a meaningful glance, as though they had something planned, but Ruben didn’t worry. Their magical ability had been contained. If they planned to try something else, something physical, they’d be easily overcome.
The guards, stern-faced men clad all in black, each with blank expressions, the magic pulsing off them palpable, even to Ruben. He was glad to feel it, well aware of how deadly it could be.
They rode hard that entire day, communication limited by the brutal pace they set. As dusk prepared to fall, Ruben began to scout a place where they could make camp.
Finally, he located a clearing large enough to accommodate them all. Signaling to the leader of the guard, they stopped. It didn’t take long for the tents to go up. Unusually quiet, Tatiana immediately disappeared into hers. Instead of joining her, Eric went to attempt to speak with his brother.
Ruben watched them and noticed Chad kept his head lowered, apparently in an attempt to appear nonresponsive. The two brothers conversed, no doubt trying to come up with some last-ditch scheme before they reached SouthWard.
Looking up, he noticed one of the guards regarding them, as well. Good. Though he seriously doubted they’d be able to accomplish much, the fact that they were up to no good was disruptive enough.
“Ruben.” Still standing next to her horse, Willow waved him over. “The animals are worried.”
“About Eric and Tatiana?”
She nodded.
“With their magic bound, I don’t think they’ll be too big of a threat,” he said.
She cast him a troubled glance. “They can still stir things up, even without magic.”
Unable to resist touching her, even if only for a moment, he squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll have a word with the guards.”
With a ghost of a smile, she nodded. Then, standing up on tiptoe, she kissed his cheek, whisper soft. “I’m going to bunk down with the horses. There’s no way I’m sharing a tent with my sister tonight.”
“I don’t blame you,” he said.
Moistening her lips, she looked down. “Anyway, if you’re not too tired, I wouldn’t mind your company later.”
The rush of heat her words brought made his pulse quicken, though he managed a casual nod. “I just might do that,” he told her, before walking away to have a word with the captain of the guard.
Of course, over the next several hours, he could scarcely think of anything else.
Dusk had fallen, with darkness not too far behind. Almost everyone had retired to their tents, with the exception of the two men who were on guard duty and, of course, Chad.
As Ruben walked up to the jail-wagon, he gazed at the other man and waited for him to look up and acknowledge him. But Chad still sat cross-legged, his head down, as though lost in a deep meditation.
Finally, Ruben shrugged and moved away. Casually, he strolled to where the hobbled horses clustered. He went to his mount, scratching behind the animal’s ears, smiling as the horse rubbed its massive head against him for more.
He stepped around the cluster of horses, and his heart stuttered when he saw her, fast asleep on a pallet she’d made of horse blankets and a saddle. A sense of completeness filled him as he gazed down at her. Shocked at the depth of his feelings, he realized he could no longer run from the truth. Willow was his mate. Whether or not she came from his world was immaterial.
Once he’d worked through the remainder of his problems, he wanted to claim her as his.
He turned away, his chest tight. While he had finally faced the truth, he had a long way to go before he’d be worthy of her. He couldn’t exactly blame her if she wanted to take another path.
Returning to his tent, he debated going inside, but turned around, deciding to sleep by the fire instead. Though Eric and Tatiana’s magic had been contained, he wouldn’t put it past the other man to try something physical. If Ruben were in his tent, he’d have no way to see an attack coming.
And his intuition told him, Eric would try something soon. He just didn’t know what.
In the morning as they broke camp, the leader of King Drem’s guards came to Ruben. “Our border lies not more than a few paces south of here. We dare not ride onto Bright land. To do so could start a war. So at that point, we will return back to our own land.”
“I understand.” Turning to eye Chad who still slept inside his iron cage, he shook his head. “What about the coachman?”
“He can stay,” the captain said. “He’s human, so he’ll be safe.”
Human? Eyeing the man perched up on the odd wagon, he wondered why the man hadn’t spoken to him. Still, he was glad for the coachman’s assistance.
“He can’t speak,” the captain grimaced. “We found him as an infant, abandoned in the woods. Oftentimes he does work for us, traveling between our lands and into the human realm.”
Interesting. Ruben inclined his head in a nod to acknowledge the coachman. A moment later the other man did the same.
Shaking the captain’s hand, he thanked him for all his help.
As the man walked back to join his men, Tatiana emerged from her tent. Barely clothed, her lush figure on display for all to see, she sauntered over to Ruben, ignoring the lustful looks from the other men.
“I understand we have a few minutes before we ride,” she purred, running her finger down his chest. “My back is stiff and sore from the long ride yesterday and I have need of a massage. Would you mind helping me out?”
Ruben couldn’t help but laugh. “Get your fiancé to assist you. But you’d better be ready to leave when we ride out. And by that I mean fully dressed. Do you understand?”
Though she pouted at his harsh tone, he saw from her calculating expression that she really hadn’t expected him to capitulate so easily. “Of course I do.” Fluttering her eyelashes, she moved away.
She was up to something. But what?
Ruben watched as she strolled slowly past the guards on her way back to her tent. Being men, they all stared wistfully and when she crooked her little finger, he knew if they hadn’t been on duty, they’d have trampled each other on the way to her tent.
Instead, they stood with their feet planted in place, as she disappeared.
A moment later Eric came out. When Ruben saw what the other man was wearing—or, to be more accurate, what he wasn’t wearing—Ruben laughed out loud. This time, Eric approached Willow, who had her back to him as she checked her horse’s cinch.
Ruben’s jaw tightened. The half-naked man tapped Willow on the shoulder. She turned and as she realized he had on almost nothing, she blanched. Sidestepping him neatly, she moved to the other side of her horse, her face flaming.
“Enough,” Ruben roared. “Eric, get dressed and then help take down the tent. We leave in ten minutes.”
Eric waved, smiling broadly. As he strolled past the soldiers, one man eyed him in exactly the same way as his buddies had eyed Tatiana.
Scratching his head, Ruben went back to taking down his tent. Had the two of them really thought he and Willow were so foolish to fall for that? And even if they had
, then what? Had Tatiana planned to knock him out in the middle of lovemaking, with Eric doing the same to Willow?
His stomach churned as he realized he hated the idea of Willow with anyone but him. He felt possessive, like a wolf would toward his mate.
Hellhounds. There it was again, that disturbing truth. Yet while he couldn’t deny the fact, what about her? Did she feel the same way? Did her people—the Sidhe—even believe in mating for life?
Her parents had sought a match with Chad. This brought another stomach-churning thought. Being royal, he knew how many intricacies were involved in a match. Of course, his own family was no obstacle. They’d be happy with any woman he chose.
Willow’s parents were another matter entirely. King Puck didn’t seem like a bad sort. He appeared relatively easygoing. Queen Millicent was not.
Ruben closed his eyes. Was he seriously considering asking for Willow’s hand in marriage? Of course he would, provided she was willing. The attraction between them was powerful and she’d demonstrated numerous times her uncanny ability to read his thoughts. He ached for her constantly, and being with her briefly only made him want her more.
He hoped—no, he prayed—she felt the same way.
Chapter 19
Pushing the thought from his mind for now, Ruben finished packing and mounted his horse. Already seated on hers, Willow waved, her dark hair looking almost blue in the morning sunlight.
Again, yearning swept through him. He supposed he should be glad she appeared to be trying to keep distance between them. He sighed. He couldn’t exactly blame her. She probably thought he’d stood her up last night. In fact, he’d simply been a coward, unable to deal with all the emotions she aroused in him.
He’d tell her later that he hadn’t stood her up, but he didn’t need the distraction right now. Not with both Eric and Tatiana proving they were completely loose cannons.
Finally, with the camp disassembled, they rode again. At the designated place, King Drem’s guards took their leave. As they rode off, their black-clad backs straight, Ruben didn’t miss the way Tatiana and Eric exchanged covert glances. He nearly groaned out loud. They rode their horses alongside each other, speaking in voices too low to carry.
The Wolf Prince Page 24