Page 15

Chapter fifteen

Astria Zielle

We sat next to the little fire the men made for Kylie and me while we were gone. They were kind enough to stick us in a corner, close to the exit, away from the hoopla of all the men shuffling around.

Every time I adjusted my weight, I felt countless eyes snap to me. Like they were ready to give them commands or something.

The only person close by was Kadeem Wallace on the other side, watching for any intruders. He was still like a statue, and Kylie stared at him, entranced by the sight.

She whispered to me. “I can’t even see him breathing.”

“If you keep staring like that, he’s gonna come alive and bite you,” I warned her.

“You’re silly, Mommy.” She waved me off. “You won’t let anyone bite me.”

Her faith in me was endless and undeserved. One day, my protection would run out. “It’s still rude, baby.”

Kadeem whipped his head around and snapped his teeth with a playful smile. He even winked at her.

Kylie smothered her squeal of delight beneath her hands. She jumped to her feet. I tried to grab her hand, but her four-year-old energy zipped her over to him, with the flower wreath she was making, before I could get a hold of her.

“Sorry for being rude,” she whispered behind her hand. “I thought you might have died.”

His deep booming laugh echoed in the cave, and every internal alarm shrieked that I needed to get Kylie out of there. Too much attention would be on her. “I’m still kicking, tiny witch.”

He was easily the biggest man I’d ever seen, both in height and pure muscle. I didn’t have the tiniest hope of keeping him off her. He was built like a brick wall. The only thing keeping me from shrieking like a madwoman was Dirus’s promise and the foreign kindness in Kadeem’s brown eyes.

“Good. You’re nice and I like you.” Kylie smiled. I’d never seen her go up and talk to a man. She didn’t even speak in her own father’s presence. “Can you teach me how to do that?”

“I will one day.”

“Really!” Her eyes sparkled in delight. “Thank you. Thank you.” She leaped around in barely contained excitement. “My name is Ilie.”

“Kadeem.”

“Okay, Eem. You gotta pinky swear.” She put up her pinky for him. His hand dwarfed hers as his giant finger threatened to chokehold hers.

“I swear.”

“Yay!” she cheered. “Now that we are friends. I want you to wear this friendship wreath. So you don’t forget me.”

“I doubt I would.” But he leaned down for her to put the flower crown on his head all the same.

My heart fluttered in my chest and I didn’t understand the feeling bouncing around in my tummy once again. It reminded me of Dirus and me at the shoreline. I shook my head to get my mind away from that weird train of thought.

Kylie hummed as she adjusted it until she was satisfied with how it sat on his head. “I’ll get more flowers tomorrow and make a better one.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Do you know the constellations?” She pointed to where his eyes flicked down the tunnel again. “I can show you.”

His smile was gentle as she pointed to the sky she could probably see and talked about her favorite ones. “Delphi is my favorite star in the whole wide world.”

Dirus came to sit beside me. “You have that look like you want to pick out his curtains.”

“I don’t understand your words.” I didn’t look away from the scene across the cave.

“I guess you wouldn’t.” Dirus chuckled to himself. “I meant that a lot of women love a man who is good with kids.”

“I’ve never seen one before.” I waited for him to be inappropriate, but it didn’t happen.

“And you’re already fawning over it.”

“Fawning?”

“Making goo-goo eyes.”

My mouth twisted as I tried to decipher what he was saying, but his explanations just confused me more. I didn’t want to risk making him mad.

“Oh.”

“You’re lost. Aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” I whispered.

“Let’s try that again. What are you thinking?”

“She’s never said a single word to her father. To any man ever. And she’s over there playing with him like it’s the most natural thing in the world.”

“Wallace has that energy about him,” Dirus told me. “He’s great at making kids feel safe and scaring the piss out of men.”

“I see that.”

“Is that all?”

“What would her life be like if she had a man like him as a father?”

“I’m biased, but I think any child in the world would benefit with him as their father.” He chuckled. “But maybe you are also wondering what if he was your husband?”

“She would be so much happier.”

“What about you?”

The question gave me pause as I realized what he was asking me. “I don’t know. I don’t even know what that would look like.”

Would he give me kisses on the forehead like Dirus did?

“I could tell you.” He paused, and I finally pried my eyes away from Kadeem and Kylie. “You would never live in fear or hunger again. You would be loved and protected.”

That sounded insane. “Are you offering me, Kadeem?”

He laughed at that. “Not exactly. But I’m sure Wallace wouldn’t mind.”

Kadeem didn’t answer, but he smirked at Dirus for a second before focusing back on Kylie’s expert star tour.

“You need to focus on you and Kylie. I respect that.” Dirus smiled at me. “But I want you to know what life with wolves would give you.”

“What price does all of that come with?”

“There would never be a price, Starshine.” His voice turned to gravel.

“Nothing in this world is free.”

“That’s true enough. But costs aren’t always what you think.” His eyes grew into the deadly serious expression I was used to him having. “Sometimes, the only thing you need to do is to be yourself and do what’s natural for you.”

“It looks like you’re still struggling to believe that concept yourself. How could you expect me to accept it?”

His piercing eyes jerked up to me, and it hit me how honest I was being. I waited for him to punish me for my disrespect, but all he did was stare at the ground. He nodded before getting up to walk away.

A bad feeling swirled in my stomach. I’d done it now. My baby was here with all these men that he commanded.

“Eh, Wallace. I’m here to relieve you,” the man I recalled Dirus calling Pierce said. As he approached, Kylie fled back over to me to sit in my lap.

Maybe Kadeem really did have magic energy over children. I wrapped my arms around her. When it was clear Pierce wasn’t going to follow her, she spoke, “I made something for you?”

“Oh?”

“I made it by accident while I was talking to, Eem.”

“Kadeem.” I pronounced it clearly.

She tried, fumbled on the K and D, and still settled on, “Eem.”

“You’ll get it.”

She waved it off and held up a gold chain link necklace. I frowned. A few moments ago, all she had was flowers. I leaned in to study it. It wasn’t metal. The links vibrated and glimmered like they were alive. “Are these... stars?”

She moved her hold to show me the constellation acting as a pendant.

“The chained maiden?”

“I was looking at her and wishing you would never be locked in chains again. And it formed in my hands.” She eyed my wrapped throat. “Maybe if you wear it, it will protect you.”

Tears pricked at my eyes as I grabbed it. “Thank you, baby. You are so thoughtful.”

I draped it over her neck.

She pouted at the necklace around her neck. “Mommy, it’s for you.”

“Do me a huge favor and hold on to it for me so I don’t lose it.” I twisted the pendant so it sat properly against her chest.

If it could protect someone from chains, maybe she’d never have to wear any at all.

Please. I’d bare all her chains. Just let her be free.

“Mommy.” She gasped.

I opened my eyes, not realizing I’d closed them. The pendant radiated brighter than before.

Protect her at all costs.