I stared at the desk, looking at the blizzard of papers that needed my attention. The past week had been a blur of ''Your Majesty'' and ''My Queen'' and ''These require your attention.'' Demanding and exhausting.


    "Your Majesty." Damnit, herees another one. I look up from the evil papers to the messengering in. "These require your review and royal seal."


    "Thank you." Those were the t tones words that came out of my mouth, but my mind was saying, ''Fuck you."


    Lyle walked in just as the messenger left, carrying two cups of steaming goodness. Hot chocte!


    "I have our fuel. Let''s dive into the sea of paperwork before we drown in it." He smirked, setting my cup in front of me before he pulled up a chair.


    I scooted over, making room for him. "Where do we start?" I asked, motioning over the stack of papers.


    "We start at the top and work our way through to the bottom." He made a spot in front of us. "I''ll read and you stamp? Or do you want to read and I''ll stamp?"


    "You read. I''ll stamp." I listened to his chuckle.


    "Thought so." We got straight to work, side by side, going through all of the papers. I grabbed one from the stack and couldn''t contain the scoff.


    "This can''t be serious." I waved it as Lyle plucked it from my fingers.


    "Oh, no... it''s very serious. After all, we can''t have a proper festival if our pumpkins aren''t plump enough."


    "Their greatest concern is whether the pumpkin will make a good moon in the festival. We really have to sign papers like this?" I clicked my tongue, letting out an annoyed sigh.


    I wish something like that was my biggest worry. Instead, I was treading water daily. I tried to keep my mind busy, but when it wasn''t... I could only think about Darren. I missed him terribly. It wasforting having Lyle with me, but my heart ached for my mate. My pup was growing rapidly, and I''d had to switch to dresses or stretchy pants forfort already.


    I did fairly well as the dutiful queen during the day, but at night, Darren''s absence kept me awake. I hadn''t heard from him since the letter we''d received. I knew the war was keeping him busy, but this ache in my chest only continued to grow.


    I was reaching for another paper when my phone began to ring. I quickly grabbed


    it, though my heart was mming in my chest.


    ''s that I nced at Lyle with worried eyes. What if this was r something had happened to Darren? We were both anticipating. something would happen after the messengers from the gods all but confirmed it.


    спиртет от


    "Hello?" My voice was weaker than I anticipated and came across a bit airy.


    "Ally..." The word, spoken so softly, reverberated through me, a single note strung on the harp of my soul. Darren. His voice, a melodyced with cinnamon sweetness and shadows, wound its way around my senses. I felt myself get choked up, and I couldn''t me it all on my hormones. Hearing his voice... was everything.


    "Dare," I breathed out his name like a prayer, a plea, allowing the sybles to caress my lips.


    "Gods, Ally, I''ve missed you." The depth of emotion in his confession wrapped around me, and I could hear the vulnerability in his voice. What I wouldn''t give just to hold him andfort him right now.


    "I feel like the word missed isn''t strong enough. Each moment feels like an eternity," Lyle moved from the seat next to me. I watched his receding shoulders as he walked out the door. I guess he wanted to give me some privacy. "I''m so d you called. There''s so much I want to talk to you about. How much time do we have? Are you-"


    "Safe. For now," he interrupted, his words steeped in an urgency that mirrored my own. "We only have a few minutes..." The intensity in his tone sent tremors through my core, igniting a ze that threatened to consume me whole.


    "Then let me spill all of this quickly. I did the ceremony, Darren.


    I''m officially your queen, and I met another messenger of the gods. They said we will both have trials ahead, and nothing we do can change what''sing. There''s another thing. We''ve discovered evidence of mind maniption happening, and we''re fairly certain your mother, as well as the other Waiting people, have been brainwashed." I heard him mutter a harsh curse. "This obviously isn''t good for the kingdom, but this could mean ... a chance at something, for your family."


    "That''s... a lot more than I want you dealing with. I just want you worrying about yourself right now. I don''t want you in danger, and-"


    "I guess we''re both fighting right now, but in different ways. Both of us are trying to make things better for the future."


    "Ally... these trials no distance, no darkness can sever what''s between us." I smiled and nodded my head. I wanted to tell him about the twin me and soulmate thing, but I knew we didn''t have much time. It was something we could talk aboutter.


    "Whatever these trials are, we have to keep in mind that these are tests. Meaning, we can win and we shouldn''t give up hope. And also the messengers of the gods told me that they are interested in our pup."


    "I''m really starting to not like the gods and their messengers."


    "Same!" Iughed. "And I said as much."


    "My feisty queen. I can''t wait to im you again."


    Chupier O/


    of


    "Mmm, me too. How has your temper been?"


    "I''ve been able to manage it for the most part. A couple of battles got away from me, but it was the enemy that felt my wrath." I listened to his breath and paused. I knew this meant he had to go. "Wait for me, Ally... I wille back to you. No matter what... don''t give up on me, and-"


    The rawness in his voice took me by surprise. He sounded as if he were pleading with me. As if I''d told him I was going to leave him. "Darc-


    "I''m lonely, and I know you''re lonely, too. My entire focus is on you. I would never betray our bond, and-"


    "Dare, I am yours. Mind, body, and spirit? You are part of me, and I would never tarnish our bond. I miss you terribly, but there is only you. No one could evere close to taking your ce. Don''t you dare worry about things like that. I mean it! Get those thoughts from your mind." I listened as he chuckled, and I felt confused.


    "Oh, my dear Ally. I know. I trust you, I just wanted to make sure you trusted me because of what happened before with your ex. My beautiful mate, with the voice of an angel. I don''t know when I''ll see you again, but I wanted you to know that you upy my thoughts and dreams. It is only you." Hearing him tell me he didn''t know when he would see me again was like a punch in the gut. I was hoping he would get to visit soon. And now, I was wondering if he would miss the birth of our child.


    "Darren, is there still no way for me to get a hold of you? We


    never discussed names, and this pup isn''t going, to wait inside me forever." There was a small smile on my face as I ced my hand over my stomach.


    "Not yet, but the fairies are working on a solution. They might send you messenger fairies that are trusted soldiers. That way, you can get important messages to me. They won''t be for sending regr letters, just the important ones." And I knew what he meant there. He was talking about the birth of our child. I know he would be here for it if he could, but I could read between the lines. "And as far as names go... I''ll be happy with any name you choose. Hopefully I''ll get toe and visit before, but as it is right now..."


    me


    "I understand." He was telling me it would be months before he saw me again. And that painful loneliness seized my chest, making it hurt. "Just make it back to me in one piece. Stay safe."


    "I love you so much. I''ll try to call you again soon." I could hear amotion in the background. "I have to go." His voice was thick with emotions. "I''lle back to you soon."


    "I love you, Darren." I felt panicked not knowing when I would see him again. And helpless that there was nothing I could do about it. "Take care of yourself out there."


    "I will return, Ally. I''ll be iming what''s mine."


    "I look forward to it." There was a strange static sound and then silence before the


    line went dead.


    I sank back into my chair, clutching the phone to my chest. I


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    could hear his voice in my mind as I closed my eyes.


    Darren, thank you for giving me your voice as a lifeline. I needed to hear it more than you''ll ever know. I''m going to do my best to have the brainwashing issue settled before youe home. I don''t want that burden to fall on your shoulders. When you return, I want you to be able topletely focus on us. Win the war... ande back home soon.


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