Page 93 of Night’s Fall (The Four Realms #1)

Set at his back, other members of his detail in place, Aleksei walked across the pavement, up the steps, and before he could engage the announcement unit, the door opened.

A male humanoid bot stood there.

“Your highness,” it said on a short bow.

“He’s expecting me.”

“Of course. Come in.”

The bot stepped back, allowing Aleksei entry. Set came with him.

“I’ll take you to him,” the bot replied and moved through the house.

Aleksei looked around as they walked through the space.

It was nice, yet it had no personality. Middle of the road when it came to expense, like the bot. Though , better than most. It was clean, and in good nick, but again, if he didn’t know who lived there, he’d have no idea of anything about them.

This, he didn’t find surprising.

The bot led them through the kitchen at the back and Set took point when they followed it out into the courtyard.

Now this was something else.

There were fall flowers here too, as well as some late vegetables in raised beds that hadn’t yet been harvested. Other beds had been turned over, readied for winter.

All of it was neat and tidy, including two seating areas, one for eating, one for lounging, both having far more personality than the living areas he’d just walked through. They were stylish and inviting.

Along the entire back of the courtyard was a greenhouse.

The bot led them there.

Set stepped in first, then stepped out and nodded to Aleksei .

Aleksei walked in, seeing a riot of green and color, more vegetables, as well as herbs. It was humid in there, warm, and standing in it, he saw Tern Makepeace wearing a battered button down, the sleeves rolled up, and jeans, both had dirt marks on them. He was tending to some pots.

He stopped what he was doing when Aleksei came in and did a small bow, greeting, “ Your highness.”

“I’m uncertain why I’m in your greenhouse,” Aleksei replied, not particularly liking seeing this man in what was clearly his element, relaxed, at ease.

Normal.

Makepeace had a trowel in hand, and he used it to indicate the brownstone. “ It’s far more pleasant out here than it is in there.”

He wasn’t wrong.

Nevertheless.

“This isn’t a social call,” Aleksei pointed out.

Makepeace nodded. “ I appreciate you granting me this audience. And coming to me.”

“It’s an audience of ten minutes, and I don’t want my mate to know I’m here,” he shared this not to be informative, but as a warning. “ And speaking to you here will be one of the few places she’d never guess I’ll be.”

Makepeace’s face turned melancholy. “ It’s not my place to say, but I learned the hard way you shouldn’t keep anything from your mate.”

“It is, indeed, not your place to say. And now you have nine minutes.”

Makepeace nodded. “ Cetra has filed official papers for the dissolution of our marriage with the magistrate.”

“I’m aware of this.”

“She’s living with Chevalforce .”

“I know this too.”

“He’s a male I hate. That’s why she chose him to sleep with.”

Aleksei was tiring of this because he had no interest in it.

“Now you have eight minutes,” he warned.

“He’s a male I hate because he’s not a good male.

She’ll learn this if she doesn’t already know it.

She might stay, as she did with me, so she can have the life she wishes to lead, something she can’t have unless she cohabitates.

But I doubt it, because he’s that detestable and she no longer has the reason she had to be with him, that reason being attempting to harm me.

And when she finds herself at loose ends for a partner to share expenses with, this might become a problem. ”

Aleksei understood what he was saying, and reminded him, “ She’s signed an agreement to remain out of Laura’s life.”

“This won’t stop her because she knows her daughter, or more to the point, she knows what buttons to push to get her way, and if those don’t work, she’s highly adept in creating a situation where she’ll get the attention she needs, even if it’s negative.”

“Meaning?”

The male tipped his head to side. “ Have you not noted Laura’s soft heart?”

Aleksei felt a muscle in his jaw tick, because he most assuredly had, in the numerous ways she displayed it.

Including her having even a hint of understanding of how this male treated her.

Makepeace gestured to the greenhouse with his trowel. “ When Laura left, I attended anger mitigation classes. One of the things they suggested was to find a hobby. Spend some time each day doing something you enjoyed.”

And the male chose gardening.

Aleksei didn’t want it to, but he found this choice interesting, and his dedication to it telling.

“I asked Cetra to attend with me, or to sit down with a relationship counselor to try to understand if we have anything to work on. She refused both.”

Aleksei was unsurprised at this, but he said nothing.

“There is no excuse—” Makepeace began.

“No, there isn’t,” Aleksei agreed before he could say it.

“And I know that, so I can assure you I will honor Laura’s no contact order.

If she wishes to keep me informed through her aide, I will gratefully accept.

If I never hear another word, I’ll accept that too.

I won’t like it, but I’ll accept it, and I’ll do it because that’s what my daughter needs.

But the matter of what I was to her and what I did to her is very different than what kind of mother Cetra was to her. ”

This , he was interested in.

“Explain,” Aleksei ordered.

Makepeace appeared uncomfortable. “ I do believe Cetra loved me, at first. This is part of my penance. That I was so lonely after my loss, I found the first female who would take me in my sorry state and marry me, not considering what it might do to her.”

“And?” Aleksei prompted.

“That love quickly turned to hate. Understandable , in one sense. If it was directed at me. However , she’s the kind of female who was unable to feel her feelings, find her way to something better, or find a way to work it out.

Instead , she put everything into making those around her just as miserable as she was.

Even her daughter. Recent case in point, Chevalforce .

Cetra is an attractive female. She could find any number of lovers. She chose him specifically.”

“This isn’t lost on me either.”

Makepeace inclined his head. “ What I’m saying is, there’s no excuse for what I did.

But I understand I did it. I take responsibility for the ramifications of it.

I know I harmed my own daughter to the point she wants nothing to do with me.

And this is what I must live with. Cetra does not take responsibility for her actions.

I’m no danger to Laura , not anymore, but I know I also am because of our history.

” A look of agony flashed through his expression before he could control it.

“ Now , I hurt her just by existing. Cetra doesn’t understand she does the same. ”

“You think she’ll eventually attempt a reconciliation,” Aleksei summed it up.

Makepeace nodded. “ For what she can get out of it, yes.”

“You must know, in order to protect my mate, I’m paying attention to you both.”

The male dipped his chin. “ Of course. But you must understand, I know how I hurt Cetra . I take responsibility for that too. I’m relieved about this dissolution, for myself, but also for her.

She needs to be free of me. So this isn’t me being bitter and trying to get one over on her.

I fear, if she’s given half a chance, she’ll connive her way back into Laura’s life.

And Laura may be taken in by her. There are two in each couple, your highness.

You are here and she doesn’t know. Laura can do things too that she doesn’t want you to know.

You were angry when you caught her speaking to me.

What might that bring if her mother reaches out to her? ”

That muscle jumped in his cheek again, and it cost him to say what he said next.

But it was the truth.

“I’m an adult, so is my fiancée. She can do as she pleases. But in the end, whatever comes of it, rest assured, I have her heart safe in my hands.”

With that, Aleksei turned to leave.

“Your highness,” Makepeace called.

Aleksei blew out a breath and turned back.

“I’m selling the bot, to pay back taxes,” he shared. “ And the brownstone. I don’t need this much space anymore.”

Not that he’d tell the male, but Aleksei was grateful he’d extended his warning about Laura’s mother.

But he wasn’t doing this.

“My coming here is about Laura speaking to you two weeks ago. It’s because I wanted to assess what that might have communicated and reiterate that you are not to seek her out for any reason. What this is not is your opening to me or your opportunity to try to win me over.”

“I would have made the same decision about my Laura ,” he murmured.

“So, we’re done,” Aleksei stated.

“Keep her safe,” Makepeace replied.

Aleksei felt a vein pulse in his forehead and growled, “ You do not have to say that shit to me.”

Makepeace dipped his chin again, but he did it watching Aleksei closely…and fighting a smile.

Aleksei moved out of the greenhouse, into the garden, and he and Set walked through the house and to the craft.

Once he was inside, had requested a course to Spikeback , and as he waited for approval, he pulled out his Palm because it was vibrating.

He had a pic comm.

He opened it and it was a selfie of Gayle , smiling at the cam, with Sirk in the background, throwing a grin over his shoulder while he was cooking.

It was from Laura .

And the only communication she attached to it was !!!!!!!!!!!!

He smiled, even if he didn’t want to get involved.

He really didn’t.

But Mac had broken Gayle’s heart, regardless that they barely knew each other.

And now Sirk was involved.

Aleksei had lived with the idea that Laura might not choose to be his mate for five hours, and every second of those five hours was wretched.