Page 153 of Ballad of Nightmares

It was the only word he could manage in that moment. After all that had happened in the last week… they could breathe and be themselves again. No secrets. No lies.

Sam swallowed as he stared in those bold green eyes and tucked one of her curls back. “Welcome home.”

A jagged breath left her, the word catching her off guard, but she didn’t let him go. The right corner of her lips lifted like she might smile, making Sam’s heart skip, and he squeezed her fingers tighter.

“When I saw him dragging you, your neck bleeding, I went so cold,” he said.

“It was the only way I knew to get your attention,” she replied. “To bring myself near the brink of death so near, hoping I could reach you in my pleas.”

Sam frowned. “I didn’t hear you,” he whispered, voice full of confusion. “I didn’t… you asked for me?”

“I called you,” she said. “I… I asked you to find me, and when I looked up, you were staring at me. I thought you heard me.”

“Ana… I didn’t,” and the pain in his voice made her throat tighten. His hand swept across her cheek, holding tight. “Why can’t I hear you?”

And she wasn’t sure if she was supposed to know the answer.

Her stomach growled then, and all thought of the slight went amiss.

“Does home have any food?” she asked.

Sam’s smile widened to his eyes and he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “I have a deathhound,” he replied. “The fridge is always stocked.”

Rolfe gladly put out another plate, and Millie poured Ana a glass of wine. Sam let his gaze wander between the three, seeing how easy Ana spoke with Millie, with Rolfe, like she’d been part of it all for a long while.

“How many rooms are in this castle?” Ana asked as everyone settled into eating.

Sam slowly sat back in his chair, brows furrowed in thought as he chewed his chicken. “You know, I’m not sure,” he admitted, and Ana started to chuckle.

“You don’t know how many rooms are in here?”

Sam frowned in Rolfe’s direction, who shrugged and merely took another bite of his food.

“Honestly, I’ve not used much more than the first two floors for a couple of centuries now. My office is at the top of the stairs here. I’ve no reason to go higher. We closed off some of the back ends, the chapel and the ballroom, a few years back.” He adjusted himself, staring at the table. “Could be a legion of homeless in the high towers, I’d have no idea.”

“Sam!” Ana laughed, her head throwing back. “How do you not know?”

Sam shrugged. “Always trusted Roll to sniff it out if there were any intruders.”

“Got it covered, boss,” Rolfe said with his mouth full of sandwich.

“Yes, you’re always patrolling between your seven meals a day,” Millie said.

“Eight,” Sam corrected. “You forgot the three AM snack,” he added.

Millie and Rolfe began to argue across the table, but Sam turned all of his attention to Ana. He watched her smile at Millie, at Rolfe, and saw the softness in her eyes that he’d not seen in over a week. More relaxed, almost at home at his table and in his castle.

He caught her eye, his heart swelling at that moment. She was his. Everything was open between them, and they were in this together.

Ana’s lip sucked behind her teeth, and Sam noted every rise and fall of her breasts, every swallow of her throat and sweep of her lashes as she watched him too. He wanted her alone, not just for… activities… but because he wanted to know how she was doing with all of this.

Sam’s gaze flickered to Millie, who gave him a reassuring smile over her cup.

“Come on, Rolfie,” Millie said, curling a hand on Rolfe’s shoulder as she stood from the table. “Let’s go play fetch in the gardens.”

Rolfe’s brows furrowed as he growled up at her. “I’m not done.”

“We’ll find a fresh rabbit for you to gnaw on,” Millie said, her fingers digging into his collar even more. “Mommy and Daddy need some time alone,” she drawled.