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And in the back of my mind, I knew there was still one man on my list. The man with the squid tattoo. Only Arkane put an end to every traitor and the Surmans, and we still couldn’t find him. It made us come to a conclusion that he was a different threat altogether, one that wasn’t a priority now.

Chiara bounced to Mikhail’s side with pink cheeks. “Mikhail, you said you’ll come pick me up.”

“I never said such a thing,” he muttered under his breath, barely sparing her a glance. “I’m not to leave Bellerose.”

Hurt flashed in her eyes, but she quickly brushed it off and went on to continue chattering with him about random things that I didn’t think he cared for much.

I sighed internally.

Chiara had a massive crush on Mikhail. It was so obvious that even Arkane noticed it. He told me it was their choice to do what they pleased and that he couldn’t find a better man for his sister. So I wondered what was holding Mikhail back.

Was it his age, or did he genuinely not like her?

“Dinner’s ready,” Georgie announced with her broad smile.

Soon, we all gathered around the table, enjoying Georgie’s infamous chicken pie and Ella’s key lime cake. Only it didn’t taste the same without him.

But it kept my mind busy, listening to Jon crack jokes, seeing Mikhail stifling a groan at Chiara’s antics, and seeing the joy in my sister’s eyes as they spoke with Ame.

“He’ll be back, honey,” Georgie said, as if she noticed my mood.

I nodded, smiling.

Love had made me a different person.

The art of detachment, which I spent years learning in the Valerian mountain, somehow didn’t seem to apply to my husband. Because I was terribly attached to him.

“You miss him too, don’t you?” I asked Buddy later that night, who simply wagged his tail at me and ran off.

I sighed, deciding to finish my book and hit the bed early.

Somewhere in the dark night, my dreams were halted when a pair of strong arms curled around me, tugging me to a satisfying warmth.

Arkane.

“Ark.” My eyes jumped open to see him grinning at me. His hair was dripping wet, and he smelled like soap and spice.

“Hey, baby.” His nose touched mine as our hearts pounded as one. “I’m back.”

“I missed you.” I buried my face in his face, my lips quivering. “I missed you so much. You aren’t to go anywhere without me, ever again,” I grumbled, and he simply laughed, pulling me into his arms.

“How did it go?” I asked a moment later, threading my fingers through his hair.

He shrugged. “The usual nonsense.”

“Have you ever thought about its meaning?” I asked, eyeing him through my lashes. “It seems appropriate.”

“Meaning? You mean Alacteon?” He frowned.

I nodded.

“No one knows what the word means. It’s assumed the bunch of older men came up with it because it sounded different. As far as I know, the word doesn’t exist elsewhere.”

“Hmm, is that so?” I muttered.

“Don’t tell me your brilliant little head knows something,” he said in a hoarse whisper while his lips grazed against the shell of my ear all the way down to the hollow of my neck.

“That tickles.” I laughed, squirming against his hold, but he only continued the torture. “If you don’t stop, I’m not going to tell you anything.”