Chapter 124
“We understand that my king, that isn’t what we are…” I cut Clyde off.
“I will not treat Bree as a suspect. She’s done nothing wrong.” Why are the kingdoms really this worried about her influence when she hasn’t done anything to warrant their worry?
“Your responsibility is to the kingdom and council first,” Damian chimes in, his voice calm but firm. “We need to know if any potential risks are associated with her. The council is right to be concerned.” I grit my teeth and glare at him; he is not helping matters, adding his two cents worth when he has been nothing but critical of Bree from the moment he met. her.
As the meeting drags on, I eventually agree to look into her past, but the decision feels like a betrayal. I end the meeting with pressure crushing my chest knowing I’ve agreed to command the answers from her, though I hope it doesn’t come to that. The council’s demands echo in my mind, and all because Damian was pressuring them about her information, which has made it look like she is guilty of something.
After the meeting, I step out of my office and head downstairs toward the gardens where I know Bree and Max are playing. The sunlight spills warmly over the flower beds, and I find Bree laughing, her eyes bright as she plays with Max.
The sight tugs at my heart. How can anyone accuse her of being a spy or having ill intentions? She has fixed her hair, the
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colors bright, and her regrowth once again covered. I sigh; it’s another thing I am dreading having that talk with her; my mother really wants her hair a more natural color, and the fact she is now the talk of the media isn’t helping. One magazine referred to her as a hippy. How they come to that conclusion over rainbow hair is beyond me, not that I would care if she
was.
“Bree,” I call, walking toward them. She peers in my direction, her smile fading slightly as she meets my gaze, and I smile slightly, hoping to reassure her.
“Hey,” she replies, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Max and I were just playing knights and dragons.” Max giggles, his small hands gripping a toy sword.
“We’re winning!” Max says. I glance around for the invisible. dragons he is fighting, finding the small tree chopped to pieces with its blunt blade.
I kneel beside him, my heart swelling at seeing her with my son, but I don’t want him to overhear this conversation. “Max, go play. I need to talk to Bree for a second.” I tell him, and he frowns but does as I ask. Looking at Bree, she is watching me. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course, what is it?” she asks. I sigh and prepare to tell her about the council, but seeing the worry on her face, I divert
the conversation.
“Ah… Mom wants to know about your family. You mentioned
before that you didn’t have anyone besides,
your
grandmother, but she believes it will be odd if you have no family in attendance for the wedding.”
Her expression shifts, a shadow crossing her face. “It’s just
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been me and Granny since I returned.” she chews her lip, glancing at Max before speaking again. “My parents… they shunned me over my ex–mate. They disapproved of him, they kicked me out.”
“They shunned you?” I ask her. “So, you were part of a pack?”
“I was until I found my mate. My father is the…”
“Bree!” my mother’s voice cuts through the air behind me.
Before I can press further, my mother appears, her voice bright. “There you are! The seamstress is here. Bree, it’s time to try on some of these wedding dresses!”
Bree sighs, her shoulders slumping slightly. “Can we talk later?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper as she stares up at me, and I nod.
I lean in and kiss her softly, feeling the warmth of her lips. linger on mine. “Of course. I’ll try to finish up early tonight.”
As she heads inside with my mother, I watch her go, the tension from the council meeting swirling in my mind.
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