part of me was nervous he might be angry or jealous I left him out by only spending the night with Caelan and Reule.
I lean against him, fully enjoying the affection he’s showing me. I nearly forget about his drawing until he taps the page, bringing my attention to it again.
It’s a detailed drawing of a ballroom with several couples dancing. It looks like something out of a historical romance movie, and I raise my eyebrows curiously. Audun flips back a page in the sketchbook and shows me another drawing. This one depicts a large dais with four people sitting on thrones. I jerk back when I recognize it as the first place I was taken after Amias bought me and Sadie. Standing off to the side of the thrones, Audun has drawn four men and one woman, all dressed elegantly.
“Is that us?” I ask, pointing at the five standing figures.
He points at Reule in the seat next to us and gestures toward Caelan in the kitchen as he mumbles, “Ano.”
Reule scoots closer, giving me a soft smile. He taps his finger against the drawing while he rambles on in his language. Caelan walks over and interrupts him, grinning at me as he gestures at his body and pretends to twirl and curtsy with a skirt.
It’s not that hard to guess what they’re saying, even if I don’t understand all the specifics. That throne room is a real place I’ve already seen, and they’re making it seem like we have to attend some sort of ball or event there. Since they’re famous here, and people were so excited to meet and celebrate their new mate, it makes sense there needs to be some sort of official ceremony for the whole thing.
That could be fun. Usually I wouldn’t be one for parties or being the center of attention, but I had a blast with Audun and Caelan in the village yesterday. I think part of it is the security and safety I feel with them. Like, I can do anything, and they’ll be there to protect me if something goes wrong. The language barrier also helps, as much as it sucks not being able to talk to my guys. I don’t have to worry about saying something embarrassing. No one will know the difference.
At the same time, it makes me anxious to think of going back there. I’ll most likely have to see Amias again, and the military dude who ordered to have me thrown in a cage and sent here. I might even have to see all the other girls who were brought here. I should probably feel bad, but I haven’t spared those girls a thought since I last saw them.
“Isla?” Reule asks, leaning down to kiss the top of my head. He crouches to meet my eyes and tilts his head, his eyes full of concern. It’s obvious he’s asking me what’s wrong.
Grimacing, I point to myself and the thrones in Audun’s drawing. “I was there.”
Reule’s eyes darken, and he glances down at the drawing. He looks nearly as angry as he did when he tore the door off my cage and threatened the monk guy who drove the sled here. I’m positive Reule knows what I’m telling him, and he knows the people responsible for bringing me here.
I don’t blame him, and I don’t blame the other guys. But I absolutely blame Amias, that military guy, and every other person who let this happen to me. If I ever see that military guy again, I’m going to punch him in his smug face.
The guys talk around me, and I turn in Audun’s lap so I’m straddling him. I don’t give a shit that I’m not wearing panties. I just wanna be held and comforted. I throw my arms over his shoulders and bury my face in his neck. When he hugs me tightly and his chest reverberates from his soft purring, I sigh happily.
When Caelan sets two plates of breakfast in front of Audun, I move to turn around. Audun grabs my hips to keep me still, and I look at him curiously. He bites his lip, his curls falling slightly into his eyes, and god, he’s adorable.
He brings a piece of toast to my lips. I debate not taking a bite. I never thought I’d be the kind of girl to let a guy feed her, and part of me wants to cringe away from Audun. But I know he’s trying to be sweet. Reule tried