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Wolfe?
My heart thuds against my ribs. Did the Prince send this? Found the number for my grandmother’s hospital room and everything?
I shake my head.
He has minions. One of his minions did it. Not him.
Still, he listened to my protests and heard me when I said I wanted to talk to Grandma. That counts for something, right? Is this the same man who demanded I get out of bed and do some work? The same man who resents the fact that he had to help me yesterday? The same man who isn’t even supposed to be here?
I bite my lip, doing my best to ignore the fluttering in my belly.
Fine, I’ll admit it. He’s gorgeous. He’s all broad and strong and manly. When he talked about undressing me, wetness leaked out of me like I was a hormonal teenager lusting after her first crush.
But he’s an asshole. I don’t care if he saved my life. I don’t care if he does something nice, because he’s infuriating and rude and arrogant and—
Ugh.
It would be so much easier if my body would cooperate. Stop seeing him as a big, powerful man with intoxicating eyes. Stop imagining what he’d look like naked. Stop getting wet and hot and twisted up inside over a man who will never be mine.
Never, ever, ever.
Shaking the thought of the Prince away, I dial the number on the card. My grandmother answers on the fourth ring, her soft voice immediately making my anger evaporate.
“Hey, Grandma,” I say, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Rowan, honey.” Grandma sighs. “They told me you had to walk from the station. I’m so sorry, baby. I had everything organized and then I had to go and slip on the ice and break my hip. I’m getting old.”
“I want to see you.”
“I’m fine, Rowan,” Grandma replies. I can hear the smile in her voice, but she sounds tired. “I’ll be up and walking in no time.”
“What did the doctor say? Was it a bad break?”
“Don’t you worry about me. The royal family made sure I have the best doctors here, and they said they don’t need to operate. I just need some rest. As a bonus, I get to avoid that big storm. I’m lucky.”
“I’d hardly call a broken hip luck.”
Grandma chuckles. “You just square away the design and get the pictures and details you needed from the palace. They told me the Prince arrived at the same time as you.”
“Yeah,” I answer, biting my lip. “He’s…Is he always such a…”
Grandma sighs, filling in the blanks when my voice trails off. “He was a very happy baby, but things changed when he got older. You know the King and Queen died when they were young, and the Prince felt like he had to take care of his siblings. His sister’s older, but he was always the protective one. Then there was everything with his fiancée…”
“What happened?” I frown, raking through my mind for memories. I remember reading something about his fiancée dying a few years ago, but I mostly go out of my way to avoid news of Nord. Reminds me too much of my mother and the ancestry I’ve never felt a part of.
Grandma makes a soft noise. “The Prince has a protective spirit. He’ll warm up to you.”
I scoff.
Grandma pretends not to notice. “The Summer Palace still tends to loosen him up. Don’t you worry about him. His bark is worse than his bite.”
“As soon as I’m done here, I’ll come straight to see you.”
“Okay, honey,” Grandma says. “I love you. Be good.”
When I hang up the call, I stare at the phone for a few moments. Grandma’s okay. She sounds strong. She might not be beside me, but maybe at her age, it’s better to spend the winter somewhere south of here. This could be for the best.
But my plan still stands. As soon as I’ve had this meeting with the Prince and I’ve gotten the pictures and details I need, I’m gone. When the storm lets up, I’ll be on the first train out of here.
