Page 11 of Rejected By the Shifter King

"I know that," Star acknowledged quietly, "but I'm also saying that if you truly look at it, you know they could've done so much more."

The words were difficult for Lysander to hear because a part of him remembered how he had used to say the same things to his own father. But because he had been the youngest son, no one had bothered to listen to him.

It's always folly to rely on an enemy not to attack...

He only realized he had murmured the words out loud when he saw Star turn towards him, startled.

"Sun Tzu," she exclaimed. "You read him, too?"

They talked endlessly after that, and it was only when he saw Star trying to hide her yawn that he realized he had kept her with him for hours.

He insisted on walking her back to her room in the main house and as soon as she closed the door, Lysander turned towards the end of the hallway, saying dryly, "You can come out now."

His friends emerged, identical-looking twins whose only difference was their eye color.

"Is that your newest conquest?" Aluin asked with a grin.

"She's just a kid," Lysander said firmly, "and I'd appreciate if both of you were to think along the same lines." He turned to Alain, asking quietly, "You've found it then?"

In answer, the other man unrolled the papyrus scroll he held in his hands, and Lysander sucked his breath.

"We had a Viver confirm its authenticity," Alain murmured, "and with your permission we'd like to proceed with the mission."

Lysander didn't answer right away. The mission the twins were about to embark was fraught with peril, and it would take them several months at the very least before they could return, with the beast's name in their possession.

But if they were to succeed—-

They had so much to defend themselves with, if they had only believed in themselves more.

****

PLAGUED WITH WORRIESfor the twins' safety, Lysander found himself seeking Star's company of his own accord. She was the only one who could make him forget, and he wanted her with him at all times, to the point that he had used his authority as a High Circle member to have the matchmakers overlook Star's lack of participation in any of the scheduled activities.

He knew this could one day bite him in the ass, but he didn't give a damn.

He needed her - Star - to keep him sane.

In the days they spent together, they spoke of nothing but tactics and strategies, and not once did Lysander find himself feeling bored. It almost made him wish Star was just a little older and more experienced because if she were...

Things would be much different,Lysander thought, and he would never have gone to bed alone in the past few nights.

On Star's last night at Willow Lane, Lysander surprised her with a gift: a hand-penned strategy book, owned by a Fae general who had fought in one of the first battles against vampires. It had Star crying out in delight and impulsively throwing her arms around him—-

Soft,Lysander thought instantly. Soft all over, and full and curvy where she had to be. A flower that was so damn close to blooming, but until then...she was forbidden.

A moment later, Star was quickly pulling away, her face once again on fire. "S-Sorry."

"It was just a hug," he said lightly, and he didn't take the words back even though he saw the way it had made her flinch.It was better this way, he told himself, and he sought to distract both of them right after by challenging Star to recreate one of the battle scenes from the general's strategy book.

After setting up a war board on the table, he asked Star to put herself in the general's shoes, saying, "If you were in his position, how would you have responded?"

He watched Star's brows furrow as she studied the board, and the sight almost had him smiling.

"I think I'm going to wait for the water to subside before making an attack."

He waited until she finished moving her markers before asking, "And what if neither waiting nor retreating is possible?"

Star pointed to the new location of her markers. "That's why I placed my camp here. If we were ever forced to engage, it would be easier for us and harder for the enemies since they'd have to fight upstream and go against the current at the same time."