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“You may no’. You are dismissed for the evening.”
“Of course.” There was no argument, no questioning his decision. Gavina shut the door, and that was that.
Callen darted a gaze at me before kissing the tip of his daughter’s nose. “I must leave, darlin’. I keep the kingdom safe, soyouare kept safe.”
“Nay!” Adorable in a pretty blue dress fit for a princess, she locked her arms around his neck. “I won’t let you go.”
“You’re leaving?” I asked, a baffling mix of disappointment and relief flooding me. “Am I going with you?”
His gaze found me again, his mood dovetailing. “Tavish threatened your life. He will answer for his crime, and you will stay here, where you will be safest.”
“But your temper?—”
“When dealing with enemies, Irequiremy temper.” He flashed another genuine smile. “Miss me while I’m gone.”
Was he flirting with me?
“What if you die?” Mirren sobbed against him.
He gave one of her braids a gentle tug. “I willna die, I promise.”
My stomach flip-flopped. What ifTavishdied? Who else knew how to perform a soul switch? I needed a Plan B. Or was it C/D/E at this point? “How long will you be gone?” How could I stop him from succeeding without endangering him? Unless Tavishwantedhim to leave me alone. The wolf had surely known what would happen when he’d challenged two berserker kings. “When do you head out?”
“Nightfall, after I tuck Mirren into bed. I’ll be gone three days.”
Three whole days? Both an eternity and a too short blip. But also good for my cause. Maybe. Probably.IfI was right about Tavish. If the wolf came to visit me and offered to switch me back…
“You’ll be guarded at all times,” Callen assured me.
Ugh. And yay! Safety—good. Being constantly watched—not so much. But I would find a way to accomplish my goals. I must. “I’ll need money.” Might as well go for gold while I had the opportunity.
He drew in a deep breath. “I’ll leave you a card.”
A card was traceable, but okay. All right. This was an excellent start. “What’s my limit?”
“No limit.”
Whoa! Why would he do something so foolish? Did he not understand Isobel planned to drain him dry?
Mirren cried harder, breaking my heart. “Don’t go, da. Stay.”
“I do what I must, and this I must do,” he replied, a catch in his voice. It, too, threatened to break my heart. “You can use the time to get to know Elle.”
I didn’t understand. He now trusted me with the child? But why?Why?
I considered our past interactions. The time I’d accused him of buying and kidnapping a bride. Barged in on his solo breakfast—twice. Looked up details about him online. Broke into his bedroom. Cried in front of his men.
His words must have irritated Mirren. She stopped wailing and wiped her nose on his shirt. “But I donna want to get to know her,” she said between sniffles. I took no offense.
“Yet you will do so,” he informed her in an intractable tone. “Won’t you.” A statement from a king, not a question from a father.
Her bottom lip trembled, but she nodded, clearly recognizing the difference between her parent and her sovereign. “Aye.”
“And you,” he said, peering at me.Smolderingat me. “Though it goes against my instincts, I won’t give you the mark until you agree. But wewillcontinue its discussion upon my return.”
Anticipation overpowered my nerves. An unacceptable reaction. Not that it mattered anymore. I should be long gone before his arrival, forcing Isobel herself to take the mark. “Be safe,” I rasped.
He dipped his chin. “Nothing will keep me from you, lass.”
