CHAPTER 21

Adara

S omething was wrong with Artemis. Something had happened that was making her act out by not doing anything at all. Once again, she had shut herself down, and that included attempting to negate our friendship.

But I wasn’t about to let that happen. No ma’am.

She was about to learn the hard way that she couldn’t get rid of me. But first, I needed to figure out the source of the problem. I knew without even having to try that she wouldn’t open up to me if I outright asked, but from how well the last confrontation with her went, I would have to bring the issue to her already uncovered.

And I knew just where to start.

Artemis had gone to bed without taking anything more than a buttered bread roll that evening, so I was free to corner whomever without risking her discovering my intentions before I could follow through. It wouldn’t stop me, but it would be easier if she didn’t fight me the whole time.

While a little mystery was nice, this was getting tedious, and I wasn’t always a patient woman. I was looking forward to the time where we could simply exist in one another’s lives without all this hullaballoo, but I was aware I’d have to work for it.

When Reece got up to use the toilet, I waited for him in the main bedroom, ready to pounce as soon as he exited. And I did. Once that door slid open, I grabbed his arm and yanked him into the bedroom, locking the door behind me.

Arty had chosen a bunk from the other room to avoid sharing, so we had the room to ourselves.

‘What the fuck?’ he exclaimed as he fumbled to get his feet back under him. Then he eyed me appraisingly. ‘You’re stronger than you look for such a tiny little thing.’

I ignored the backhanded compliment and headed straight in for the kill. ‘What’s wrong with Arty? What happened?’

He relaxed when he realised I wasn’t going to attack him again, but his shoulders slumped defeatedly at my line of questioning. ‘I don’t know. He was fine yesterday. At least as fine as he usually is. I thought we were slowly getting him to open up, but every time we take a step forward it’s like we take ten more back right after.’

‘Well, did anything unusual happen? Anything that stood out to you? Anything at all?’

His mouth started to form the word no , but then he hesitated. ‘Actually, yeah. Bromm.’

‘Bromm?’

He nodded once. ‘Bromm.’

I waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. ‘You’re gonna have to elaborate.’

‘He invited Arty to share the bed in here last night. Things were different in the morning, and I caught Bromm sending Arty these weird looks all day. Beyond that, I don’t know.’

I hummed. ‘Okay, thanks.’

‘That’s it?’ he asked.

‘For you, yes.’

I started to walk back out to the living room when his voice stopped me. ‘Hey, wait. Can you let me know what you find out? I’m worried about him, too.’

I softened at the genuine concern I felt from him. ‘Sure.’

I followed him out, pretending to come from the bathroom myself and then laid in wait for Bromm to remove himself from the group as well.

He didn’t. It was lights out by the time I realised I was going to have to find some other way to corner him and demand answers. With the information Reece had provided, it was clear he was the only one who truly knew what had happened to cause Arty’s reversion.

I got lucky, however, when the princeling chose to join us for a turn in the spare room. Xander scrutinised my giddiness as I rubbed my hands together, eager to get them on some answers. I was about to drag Bromm into a quiet corner when the tables turned and Xander yanked me into the bedroom we were currently sharing.

‘What’s going on, Addy? You’re acting weird, and that never ends well for anyone.’

‘Oh, hush,’ I smacked him with the back of my hand around his middle. ‘I’m just worried about Arty. He’s the one acting weird, and I want to know why so I can fix it.’

‘Oh. I didn’t notice.’ His eye twitched as he said this, so I knew he meant the opposite.

‘Liar. Anyway, something happened last night that’s got Arty trying to push everyone away again, so I’ve got to ask Prince Brommyt why. Apparently they shared a bed last night and that must have been when something happened.’

He inhaled sharply at my explanation, and I wasn’t sure why. He let me know soon enough, though. ‘Addy, maybe you shouldn’t be digging into a cadet’s personal matters…?’

I frowned. ‘Why not? He’s my friend, I should know what’s wrong.’

He breathed out slowly through his nose. ‘Okay, let’s put it this way. Mercer and the princeling shared a bed last night, correct?’

‘Right.’

‘And things got weird in the morning, yes?’

‘Mhmm.’

‘So what could happen between two people, sharing a bed , which would make things awkward the next day?’ he asked, as if the answer was obvious. It wasn’t.

‘I don’t know. That’s why I need to talk to Prince Brommyt.’

He smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand and groaned. ‘Addy, they probably had sex. Your friend’s feelings must have gotten hurt from the prince rejecting taking things further, or something like that.’

I laughed. Then I stopped when I realised he was serious. Then I laughed again. There was no way Artemis would let Prince Brommyt – or anyone else here, for that matter – close enough to discover her secret, let alone by feeling her up. She wasn’t that stupid. It had to have been something else.

Or perhaps Xander was onto something. Artemis wouldn’t get sexual with Prince Brommyt, but that didn’t mean the prince hadn’t tried something…

Oh, fuck, no.

Any and all levity I felt over Xander’s assumptions fled my body so fast it almost knocked the breath out of me. If that boy did something to my friend...

I stormed from the bedroom to find both men still in the living room. Reece saw me coming and backed away, but his gaze darted to where Xander must have followed. I didn’t look back, but since Reece already knew of my intentions to speak with Brommyt and I’d just informed Xan, I didn’t see a reason to hide this conversation from either of them.

‘What. Did. You. Do? ’ I demanded, charging right up to him. Later, I’d probably freak out over how I spoke to a member of my people’s royal family, but I wasn’t thinking about that then.

His eyes widened to a comical degree, and he raised his hands in the universal gesture of surrender. ‘What? What do you mean?’

‘To Arty,’ I spat, poking him in the chest. ‘You did something to him. Last night. I won’t ask again, what did you do? ’

‘Nothing! I didn’t do anything.’

‘ Liar ,’ I accused. ‘He wouldn’t be shutting down if you hadn’t done anything. Tell me what you did!’

I was screaming in his face at that point, but I was so angry at the thought of him hurting my friend that I couldn’t stop myself. I wasn’t thinking about the ramifications.

‘Fine! Okay, something happened between us, but I didn’t do anything wrong,’ he insisted.

I backed off, forcing myself to cool down so I could hear what he had to say. I waved a hand for him to continue.

‘Things got hot and heavy this morning, but I didn’t do anything he wasn’t allowing me to,’ he informed me, but I was confused. If he and Arty were intimate last night, then did he know the secret?

‘Go on,’ I pushed, knowing there was more to the story.

He sighed, running a hand over the top of his head. ‘Look, one minute everything was great. We were making out on the bed and the next, he flipped me and pinned me by the throat.’

Xander and Reece both cleared their throats, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. Xan shot me a look that screamed I told you so , but I didn’t understand why. He clearly wasn’t comprehending the situation.

‘And you stopped?’

‘Of course. I wouldn’t force someone like that. He made it clear that things wouldn’t be going further, and that was that. He shut down, and I’ve been trying to act normal all day but it’s not working. I didn’t mean to make him uncomfortable, and he really did seem into it before he put a stop to it.’

Well, things made a lot more sense now. Artemis was spooked from almost getting caught, and if her feelings for Brommyt were real, then now wonder she was so upset over the whole ordeal. I couldn’t imagine finding out your feelings for someone were reciprocated only to have to turn them down because they were forbidden.

‘It wasn’t you,’ I told him. I was glad he hadn’t hurt Arty, at least not intentionally, and I could see he was genuinely confused and sad about the rejection. But was that the case? I would need to find out in order to properly proceed with damage control .

‘How do you feel about him?’ I asked.

‘What?’

‘Do you like him? Want to pursue a relationship with him? What is it that you want to happen?’ I elaborated.

‘I… I haven’t really thought that far ahead.’

I breathed in a deep breath and let it out, frustrated on Arty’s behalf. ‘Then don’t try anything like that again. Arty doesn’t need that sort of confusion and complication in his life, you hear me?’ I chastised.

‘I hear you,’ he placated, backing up a step.

‘Good. Now get to bed. You have combat training in the morning again, and you need your rest.’

Reece was already escaping to the spare bedroom, and Brommyt followed quickly behind. Xander and I returned to his room, and he rounded on me as soon as the door closed.

‘What the fuck, Addy? You can’t go around harassing the cadets like that, especially a damn prince .’

I just shrugged my shoulders, ducked under his arm, then crawled into bed. I got my answer and I knew what I needed to do. My friend needed me, and I would be there for her. I wasn’t sure how, but I would figure it out. Just like I would figure out the rest of the mystery surrounding Artemis.

He let out an exasperated sigh but joined me in the bed. ‘I guess I was wrong about some of it, huh?’

‘Yup.’

‘I didn’t expect Mercer to have that reaction, though.’

‘I did.’

He was quiet for a moment before he spoke up again. ‘You know a lot more that you’re not saying, aren’t you?’

‘Yup.’

‘You gonna clue me in?’

‘Nope.’

‘He really means something to you, doesn’t he?’ he asked, and I could hear the trepidation shaking his voice.

I turned to face him, so he could look me in the eye and see my truth. ‘I’m not leaving you for him, Xan. He’s my friend and I care about him, but that doesn’t mean I’m ditching one friend for another.’

He searched my expression for something, but I didn’t know what. ‘Is that what we are, Addy? Just friends?’

I rested my hands on his chest, wanting to feel the connection with him from his heart pumping away under my palms. ‘We’ve been more than friends for a long time now. I thought that was a given.’

‘But what?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘What are we?’

I frowned and pulled back to get a better view of him. ‘You want to label our relationship?’

His answer was a nod, his face pinched with determination. ‘Yes.’

A grin slowly spread across my face. ‘Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, captain?’

He huffed out a laugh. ‘Yeah, I guess I am.’

I hesitated, afraid to proceed but knowing I no longer had a choice. He had to know if he didn’t already. ‘I’m not into sex.’

Every part of him softened as he gazed at me in a way I could only describe as tender and patient. ‘Yes, I know.’

‘And you’re okay with that?’

‘I haven’t had sex with anyone since I met you, Addy,’ he admitted, dropping that bombshell like a shot fired.

‘You don’t have to be celibate for me, Xander. I know you’re not asexual, but I can’t give you that. I won’t begrudge you if you look for it elsewhere.’

He chuckled. ‘Good to know. But for right now, I’m good. You’re all I need. ’

‘Even though I’m… broken ?’ I asked, my voice small and ashamed. I couldn’t look him in the eye.

He pulled me against him, tucking my head into the crook under his chin. ‘You’re not broken , Adara. Different, sure, but not broken. You’re perfect just as you are.’

I snorted at that. I was definitely broken. So broken, in fact, that my entire family had excommunicated me while my people shunned me. I was the farthest thing from ‘perfect’, but I let him believe it. It felt nice.

‘Okay. I’ll be your girlfriend.’

‘Good. And I’ll help you with your friend,’ he offered, and I teared up at the pure acceptance this man was willing to give me.

‘Xan?’ I asked blearily, sleep starting to claim me.

‘Yes?’

‘Love you,’ I told him.

I felt him grin against my hair. ‘Love you, too.’