Page 93 of Dark Island: Rescue

On weekends, Navuh tried to spend more time with her, often surprising her with impromptu visits during the day. If he decided to come check on her while she was on the cliff, making the call...

The risk was too high.

He'd almost caught her one time, and she'd felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest from fright.

Better to wait until Wednesday, which was the pattern she'd established. It was the day Navuh expected her to want some private time outdoors. It was the day she'd conditioned him to see as her meditation and reflection time.

Wednesday was safer.

The wait was going to be torture.

The soft knock on the door announced her maid delivering breakfast, and Areana let her in and motioned to the bistro table on the balcony.

After Navuh had gotten dressed in a pair of black trousers and a fitted black shirt, she led him to the balcony where the maid had set the table for them.

He pulled out a chair for her.

"Thank you," she said.

"It is I who should thank you for arranging this lovely morning meal on the balcony for us."

"I only directed the maid."

"As you should." He reached for her hand and lifted it to his lips for a kiss. "You are a goddess, Areana. Preparing food for me is not your job."

She sighed. "Sometimes I wish it were. It would mean a simpler life." She waved her hand at the courtyard and the surrounding balconies. "This is all lovely, but it takes so much to maintain it. Imagine you could be a scholar, or an artist, someone who never needs to be cruel."

He pinned her with his dark stare. "When I was very young, I had such dreams, but I soon realized that scholars and artists and everyone else were at the mercy of their leaders. Strong, capable leaders protected their people. Weak leaders allowed them to get slaughtered. I decided a long time ago that I would never be at the mercy of another. I would be the strong leader protecting his people and slaughtering those who would harm them."

Areana wondered if he truly believed that. Perhaps once upon a time, this was what had motivated Navuh, but it had become something much bigger since. Either that or Navuh thought that to protect those dear to him, he needed to rule the entire globe.

"You're the center of my world, Areana." He kissed her hand again. "Everything I do, everything I build—is for you. To give you the life you deserve and to keep you safe."

It seemed that Navuh truly believed that he was keeping her safe by maintaining an iron grip on the island, by controlling everyone and everything within his domain. He believed his cruelty was necessary for her protection, his ruthlessness the answer to a dangerous world.

And in some ways, he wasn't entirely wrong. In a world full of predators, she was glad to have the most fearsome of them all as her mate.

"I know," Areana said softly. "And I'm grateful. Even when I don't say it enough, I'm grateful for everything you do for me."

Navuh stood and came around the table, pulling her up and into his arms. The embrace was warm and secure, and Areana let herself lean into it despite the guilt churning in her stomach.

"I have meetings this morning," Navuh murmured against her hair. "I'm slowly delegating more tasks to Losham, but I don't trust him to handle everything on his own yet."

Losham was Navuh's eldest adopted son and the one he relied on the most.

"I thought you trusted Losham implicitly."

Navuh laughed. "I don't trust anyone implicitly. You should know that about me by now." He leaned to kiss her cheek. "I should be done by early afternoon so we can have a late lunch together."

"That sounds lovely," she said. "I'm looking forward to it."

She watched him open the secret door to the tunnel, and a few moments later heard it closing.

If she were brave, she could head out to the cliff right now when she knew for sure that Navuh would be busy, but she wasn't brave.

Wednesday was only four days away. She could wait four more days.

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