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Good. That was good. I needed to breathe and to think, and he and his smolder brought nothing but breathlessness and confusion.
“—been here in so long,” Gavina was saying. “So much has changed.”
Had she been talking this entire time? I led her into my bedroom and drew up short. What the—what?The comforter was now pristine white. The clutter I’d caused asI’d ransacked Isobel’s belongings, cleaned. Zero sign of Thora and her feeding station.
A suspicion hit, and my feet walked me to the closet of their own accord. Yep. Exactly as feared. All the sweaters, T-shirts, cardigans, and tennis shoes were gone. Callen had already moved me into his bedroom. He’d probably made a single phone call to do it, turning my life upside down yet again.
“I guess this is indeed your room,” I muttered.
“You told him no,” Gavina said behind me. Awe laced her tone. “Him. Callen. The iron king. Commander of the world’s most powerful killers, though few know it. And he didn’t slay you on the spot.”
Was that the custom? Naysay a king and die? “We have a special arrangement.” In more ways than one.
“It’s true what they say.” She wrapped her arms around her middle. “A firebrand can get away with anything.”
Maybe, but I wasn’t his fated. Something I would prove if ever he erupted into a rage. Despite my little successes with keeping him calm here and there, I had no idea how to handle a full-on terror fest. “What happens if my mate powers fail, and I can’t appease him?” The frightful query escaped before I could weigh the pros and cons. Callen was confident he’d kill me. “Are there other ways to get the job done? Tried and true methods?”
“There are not,” she said, giving me a look of confusion.
Well. I pasted a sunny smile on my face. Or what I hoped was a sunny smile. “Of course there isn’t.” I’d be more careful. If ever he learned the truth—his wife had betrayed him, and I had misled him repeatedly—an eruption was all but guaranteed. A lose/lose situation.
I didn’t need to move into his room; I should ditch himaltogether. Not to mention finding out Tavish’s price so I could regain my identity.Eye on the prize.
“What do warriors who haven’t yet found their partner do?” I asked before I could catch the words.
She remained confused by said, “They consume the gelu root. Often. Helps keep them cold, but it’s far from a guarantee.”
Maybe I could slip this root in his morning coffee? Eager to tap her brain for more info, I shut the door, sealing us inside. But how to bring it up without admitting I wasn’t who I appeared to be? “You mentioned my hard life to Mirren.”
“Aye. I’m sorry.” A blush stained her cheeks. “I shouldna have mentioned anythin’ but I hoped to make things better for you.”
“And that was sweet, but now I’m curious. What is it you know of my life, exactly? I mean, maybe you heard wrong. At least give me a chance to correct any misinformation.” As good an excuse as any.
“Oh. Well. I know your mother died when you were a small child. Rumors suggest she wasn’t your father’s firebrand, and he killed her while in a rage.” Gavina pressed a hand over her heart. “I sympathize with your loss. I was young when my mother died as well.”
Well. Had Isobel feared a similar fate with Callen? “Being without a beloved parent is tough, isn’t it?” I rasped, barely stopping myself from reaching for my father’s coin.
“The toughest.” The dear offered a soft, comforting smile before wandering through the chamber, examining things. “Your father’s wolf went bad and took him over when you were sixteen, I think, and that’s when you went to live with your uncle. He died when you were twenty, and at his funeral you met Callen.”
A funeral meet-cute? Yikes. But how berserker appropriate.
“You two were engaged for a time,” she continued, “but then…”
“Roderick. Yes. I’m aware.”
She winced on my behalf. “Details after that are scarce. I know you took off for a while, but reentered Mr. Bruce’s life soon after Sorcha died. Six months ago, you agreed to wed him. Or he agreed to marry you. No one is sure.”
So Isobel lived with Callen as single enemies for a year and a half? What had prompted her return? I recalled Mackenzie saying the redhead had shown up begging for help. What led to the engagement?
“When he and I, um, broke up, that’s when he met your sister?” Or had they known each other before?
Gavina nodded, brightening as if I’d selected her favorite topic. “When we were children, our father arranged Sorcha’s marriage to his second-in-command. But she came to Callen and beseeched him to forbid the match. I don’t know what reason she gave, but Callen heeded her. It wasn’t long before they fell in love. Well, she fell in love. He fell as much as someone like him can for a woman other than his fated.” Her eyes widened, and she pressed her lips together. “My apologies. I shouldna be speaking of this to you.”
The words “as much as someone like him can” rang inside my head. How much love was she talking? A dollop? A gallon? Clearly, she didn’t think it was enough, and it couldn’t compare with whatever he felt for Isobel. Something he would never feel for another, even a soul switched bride.
Give me more knowledge! I craved it. “I’m glad yoursister found happiness. Especially if she was anything like you. I adore a good romance.”
Though hesitant, Gavina continued. “There’s not much more to tell, sadly. They moved in together and later welcomed Mirren. Two years ago, Sorcha disappeared without a trace, and Mr. Bruce tore the world apart searching for her before declaring her dead.” Her voice thickened, tears welling in her eyes. “How’d I do with your history?”
