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“What should we do with him?” Sion asked, looking at Brandle with intense hatred.

Tumwalt spoke up. “We have chains in Almory’s workshop that prevent magic from being used. We can lock him up and interrogate him.”

“Make sure they work,” Sion said. “He’s an oily asshole.” He spit on Brandle’s body as Cyrus hoisted Brandle up with his magic.

“Let’s take him to the weapons room,” Almory said, and Tumwalt and Phillippe left, with Cyrus maneuvering Brandle across the snowy garden.

Selenia looked frightened, and Renya watched a conflicted look cross Sion’s face, almost as though he wanted to comfort her.

Yes, there was definitely something going on there.

“So, a dragon?” Selenia asked, watching Beauty snore at Renya’s feet. “Is she a baby?”

“I think she’s definitely more in the adolescent phase. She behaves like an irate teenager lately.”

“I guess I’ve missed a lot.” Selenia looked a bit hurt.

“Don’t worry, Selenia. I’ll fill you in on everything after I calm your brother down. I think you have some things to share with me too,” Renya said, pitching the last part of her sentence lower so only Selenia could hear.

Selenia shrunk down a bit, flustered, then nodded.

“Sion, could you put Beauty back in the stables? Tell the groomsman that they need to restrain her with iron only. She breaks through everything else.”

Sion sheepishly approached the slumbering dragon.

“Beauty.” Renya nudged her with her toe. The dragon opened a lazy eye and glanced at Renya. “This is Sion. He’s a friend. Go with him.”

Like a reluctant teenager, Beauty ambled along behind Sion, swishing her tail irritatedly and looking over her shoulder at Renya with what Renya thought was a scowl on her face.

Renya gave Selenia an apologetic smile and went back inside the lodge, heading straight for the staircase. She was sure Grayden would be sulking in their room.

Sure enough, she opened the door to their chambers and there he was, sitting on a chair by the fireplace with his head in his hands. She tried to enter quietly, but her dress rustled as she approached the back of the chair. He tensed, but she threw her arms around him from behind and rested her head against his neck, placing a light kiss there.

He put his hands on top of hers, which were hugging his chest. She could feel his rapid breathing under her palms, feel his chest rise and fall quickly.

“Honey, you can't tear apart every single person who's wronged me.”

A deep, soul crushing sigh escaped his lips.

“I can't think straight when it comes to you, Renya. I used to give Phillippe such a hard time about his impulsivity and inability to control his emotions. Now I'm ten times worse than he ever was.”

“Grayden, you can't blame yourself. This bond is a part of us, and I think we are meant to feel this way for each other. There is so much good that comes with being fated, but there are things that we will struggle with too. But we'll do it together.”

He closed his eyes before looking back at her.

“You're right, of course. I just—I couldn't even look at him, knowing he took you from me here in the forest and then all the grief I'm sure he caused you at the Shadow Realm.”

“He mostly left me alone after Cressida started to favor me.”

“I need to kill him.”

Renya suppressed the slight smile that threatened to appear on her face. Men. They were all the same sometimes. “I promise, when the time comes, you can make him pay. But not now. We can use him for information, perhaps use him as a bargaining chip. We don't even know why he's here. I'm sure he's following orders from Cressida to get me back—and we need to know what those are.”

“I know, all that makes sense. But it's like I'm possessed. I can't handle him being alive when he dared to touch what'smine.” He practically growled the wordmine, and Renya couldn't believe how primitive, yet sensual it was.

“I am yours,” she responded, turning his head and planting a searing kiss on his lips. He moaned, tugging at her until she was perched on his lap, her legs over the arm of the chair, her head cradled in his arms.

“My Renya,” he growled, licking the seam of her lips until she allowed his tongue access. “My everything.”