Chapter Fourteen
The next morning, Regan gifts me Gnash. Zeke, not to be outdone, gives me Hunter. As grateful as I am for their offerings, I would have taken them anyway, with or without their permission.
“If you need me to come get you, borrow a phone and call me. It doesn’t matter what time it is. I’ll come get you,” Regan whispers, tilting my head up. His lips brush mine gently as his fingers tangle in my hair. As he deepens the kiss, he steals my breath. When he releases me, his eyes seem darker, and the shadows cast on his face seem more sinister.
“If you hurt her, I will fucking kill you,” Regan warns Lyon.
“I’m not the one she has to fear,” Lyon sneers back, but my attention remains focused on Lyon. He opens the car door, motioning for me to climb in. Gnash, Hunter, and Shadow jump straight into the limousine and make themselves comfortable on the floor. Zeke stuffs my bag in the trunk and shuts it just as the driver climbs into the driver’s seat.
“Have fun,” Zeke smirks cockily, and I roll my eyes at him, ducking my head as I slide across the seat.
Once we’re in the car and on the road, Lyon’s cocky demeanor fades into a nervous energy. He toys with the hem of his suit jacket, throwing glances my way with an apprehensive glint in his eyes. I move closer to him, sliding across my seat, my curiosity piqued.
“What’s bothering you, Lyon?” I question, hoping to uncover the reason for his restlessness.
“I’m worried . . . that you won’t like my kingdom,” he confesses, the words falling out reluctantly.
My brows pinch in confusion. “Why wouldn’t I like it,” I ask, but he bites his bottom lip. I’ve never seen him this nervous before. It is unsettling for a man who usually seems so sure of himself. Instead, he drapes his arm across my shoulders, pulling me closer before he presses his lips to my temple. One part of me wants to push him away, another wants to comfort him. It is an odd mix, so I remain still.
“Sleep. It’s a long drive.”
“I thought your kingdom was the closest.”
“No, mine is the furthest. Regan’s is the closest,” Lyon answers, and I glance at him. “Guess he wants to go last,” Lyon whispers. “Which means you should be asking why. Now sleep,” he says.
His order to sleep makes my entire body rigid, and as I lean away and contemplate which element to kill him with, he sighs and drags me back under his arm.
“I know, you can scorch my ass into next week. I don’t mean anything by it. I’m not joking when I say it’s a long drive. You really should rest,” he tells me before he unclips his seatbelt and pulls me onto his lap. He maneuvers us so we are lying down across the seat.
“Wow, I can’t believe this seat is actually comfortable,” I say, stretching all the way out.
“Shadow!” Lyon calls, and as the wolf lifts his head, Lyon points to the seat across from us. Shadow wanders over, sticks his nose under the lip, opens a compartment, and pulls out a blanket. When he brings it to us, Lyon scratches his head. “Good boy,” he tells him, taking it and draping it over our prone bodies.
Upon our arrival at Lyon’s kingdom, I am shocked to see an oasis. Lyon’s nervous confessions on the way over didn’t lead me to expect a city so vibrant and teeming with life and prosperity.
I gaze out the window in awe as we slip past the kingdom walls. Vaingold is a magnificent city, bustling with stalls and vendors. The streets are alive with music and laughter, and the citizens wear broad smiles as they enjoy shopping and mingling with friends.
Everywhere we look, there is abundance and joy. “This place is amazing,” I mutter as we pass through the city toward the castle. My senses are overwhelmed by this wondrous world. It seems like something you’d see in a storybook, not real life. A vast array of exotic delights stretch before me in all directions.
Lyon rolls the window down, and a stiff breeze blows through my hair, filling the car with sweet-scented spices and the sound of cheery merchants peddling their wares. Bejeweled fabrics draped upon shimmering stalls glint in the sunlight, making the entire street look golden.
Vibrant music bounces around the place. Everywhere I look, citizens are smiling, chatting, and dancing to the music. “What’s not to like?” I say, genuinely puzzled. It’s clear that Lyon’s people are proud and content with their lives here.
As the car slows, people rush toward the limousine, waving and trying to touch him through his open window. The driver indicates for them to move, and Lyon rolls the window back up for our privacy. I sit back in my seat, waiting for Lyon to give me an answer for his strange mood.
Lyon sighs a deep and resonating sound. “I may not be able to give you the luxuries you’re used to in the High Kingdom,” he admits, his voice barely above a whisper.
I chuckle at his words, not mocking, but genuinely amused. “Lyon, I grew up in a cave. Your kingdom is a paradise in comparison,” I remind him.
“We’ll see if you still believe that once we reach my castle.” My brows pinch as he turns his gaze back to the window.
As we delve deeper into the city, I can’t help but think about how Lyon’s subjects greeted him with genuine affection, and their faces lit up as his car drove past. Some of them even banged on the windows and hollered loudly. He is obviously loved by his people.
When we finally arrive at his castle and pull through the gates, I stare up at all the fruit trees. The gardens are amazing, and the flowering vines climb the castle walls.
Everywhere I look, all I see is lush, green beauty. Olive trees. Bamboo stalks. Lime trees. Oak trees. There are many different varieties of fruit trees, as well as plants that are beyond my knowledge. I can even see an orange, and a mango tree, which makes my mouth water and my stomach rumble.
Chapter Fifteen
