334 What My Wife Wanted


    334 What My Wife Wanted


    Draven.


    Meredith bowed her head, and then she answered, “Maybest week. I… I can’t remember the exact date”


    Rage surged hot through me that instant. My hands curled into fists before I could stop them.


    The thought of Gary daring to dictate such a thing to her–my wife, my Queen–made me want to rip him apart piece by piece.


    In my rage, Meredith’s hand brushed against mine, light but steady. “Don’t be angry,” she whispered. “Please. Don’t.”


    I narrowed my eyes at her calm face. She wasn’t shaken or even unsettled, and that was what struck me.


    “Why aren’t you moved by this?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. “Why does it not trouble you?”


    She raised her gaze, steady and unflinching. “Because it isn’t the first time,” she said softly. “On the night of our wedding banquet, Gary


    ordered me to have a child for you.”


    “What?”


    As soon as I uttered that, my mind travelled down memoryne, and back to that night. I had caught Gary with his hand wrapped around


    my wife’s neck, like he was threatening her with something.


    Now reying that scene in my head, my fury knew no bounds. How dare that selfish bastardy his hand on my wife?


    <i>“</i><i>That </i><i>was </i><i>the </i><i>night he first </i><i>gave </i><i>the order</i>,” Rhovan’s voice growled inside me, as if confirming the moment.


    My fists clenched until my knuckles whitened. I wanted Gary dead for that. Dead for touching her. Dead for speaking those words


    because how dare he?


    Meredith’s hand applied firmly against my arm, breaking through the edge of my fury.


    “Don’t be angry about this because I’m not. And also, I don’t want a child now.”


    Her words pulled me back. I dragged in a breath, forcing the violence to settle, then I locked my gaze on hers. “Why?”


    She didn’t hesitate even for a moment. “Because I still have too much to learn inbat, strategy, the arts of war, and leadership. A child


    would only get in the way of that.” Her voice grew firmer as she spoke, her eyes glowing with conviction.


    “I want to be a good leader of our people first, before I can be a good mother to our child. That is what I want, Draven. And I hope you


    can understand.”


    I frowned,pletely unsettled, but it wasn’t by the decision itself. It was the way she had made it without me. This wasn’t hers to


    decide alone. She was supposed to tell me. We were supposed to discuss it together.


    The thought cut deeper. ‘<i>What </i><i>if </i><i>she </i><i>is </i><i>taking </i><i>something</i>? <i>Herbs</i>. Tonics<i>. </i><i>She </i>knows too <i>much </i><i>about </i><i>nts </i>and too much of medicine.


    Before I could voice it, she pped my arm lightly, catching my suspicion in her eyes. “I did no such thing. I’ve left it to fate. To the Moon goddess. That’s all.”


    38:12


    334 What My Wife Wanted


    Her honesty rang clear, and I believed her.


    But my pride shed with uncase and my desire, with restraint. She held her will, and I knew, in the end, I would have to yield to it


    Leaning back into the seat, I exhaled slowly, a bit reluctant to give in. “Very well. If this is what you want, I will ept it. But next time…


    I angled toward her, my voice dropping lower, edged withmand. “You will tell me first, then we will think about it together and make


    a decision.” 1


    Her lips curved faintly, her eyes softening with relief. Yet the weight inside me didn’t case fully.


    Then I felt her shift closer. Her hand slid over mine, her fingers warm, gentle, and steady. “Thank you,” she whispered.


    The anger I had carried simmered low, but her touch dulled the edge of it. I turned my hand, catching hers in my grip, steadfast enough


    that she couldn’t slip away.


    Then she tilted against me, her head finding my shoulder as naturally as though it belonged there.


    The sunlight’s glow touched her hair, softening her features, making her look less like the sharp, unyielding queen she would be


    and more like the woman fate had tethered to me.


    For a long moment, I simply sat there, listening to the quiet crackle of the fire, feeling the weight of her applied against me.


    A few secondster, a polite knock cut through the hush, and I gave my permission.


    Dennis and Jeffery stepped inside my Study together, and Meredith slid away from me, folding the small distance as if that was what


    propriety required; I watched the way she smoothed her skirt more than I watched her face.


    Jeffery wasted no time and went straight for the reason he was here.


    “Sir,” he said, voice low, “the gathering at Government House today has been cancelled.” He met my eyes briefly and continued.


    “I was told that Brackham called it off. When I phoned my informant, he uttered there was an incident where Brackham’s armoured


    vehicle was robbed in transit, so Brackham is furious. My informant mentions rumours that vampires could be responsible, and that


    Brackham is nning an operation on them tonight.”


    Something about the way Jeffery ryed it made the picture clear without him spelling it out.


    He had rung someone on the ck Market investigative team, the kind of man who would pass important bits of information to him.


    The sound that escaped me was a short, amused exhale rather than augh. If only that man knew that he was actually helping us.


    Dennis shrugged, lounging like he always did, the perfect picture of a man who preferred to let the world burn itself tidy.


    “Looks like we might not have to attack the vampires like we had nned,” he said with a grin. “Brackham will do that part for us.”


    Jeffery’s agreement was a whisper. “And he won’t be thinking strategy, only vengeance.”


    “Good.” I let the corner of my mouth lift. “I won’t be risking the lives of my men when the mayor will be covering for us.” <fn04eb> The source of th?s content is FindN()vel</fn04eb>


    Just then, Meredith asked, her tone careful. “What about the weapons that were stolen from Brackham?”


    334 What My Wife Wanted


    “We will still keep them,” I said without hesitation. “They will be of use one day” The thought settled neatly in me; it always did, the way a


    resource became leverage.


    Then a memory snagged at the edge of my mind. The old heat red in my chest like a coal shoved too near the skin.


    I touched the mind–link on instinct, brief and silent, and closed it down so our private words would not drift into the room.


    I didn’t n to spill the mechanics of violence where Meredith might overhear.


    Just then, Dennis’s voice slid into my skull, private and casy. “Yes?”


    “I want Gary beaten up so badly. How do I get it done?” I asked him.


    Dennis’s reply came without his usual grin, low and steady. <i>“</i><i>Leave </i>Gary to <i>me</i><i>, </i><i>Brother</i><i>. </i>I <i>will </i><i>handle </i><i>him</i><i>.” </i>


    I let the link fall silent and refocused my attention on Meredith.


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