Chapter 17

17

J en

I’ve gone back to being the plague again.

Actually, that isn’t true. Steel isn’t being rude or looking at me with disdain, but he is giving me the silent treatment.

I thought we…I don’t know…shared a moment. That we could possibly be friends after what happened.

Then again, he was just doing his job. He kissed me on the top of my head – at least I think he did; I’m starting to second-guess that – and he helped dress me. He held me – although I did beg him to.

He stood up for me, he saved me, he protected me. He…was just doing his job. I need to get over it already.

I smooth my shirt. My mouth feels dry.

“How much longer?” Steel asks. He doesn’t sound too happy. In other words, he’s being himself through and through. Maybe it isn’t just me.

The general’s personal assistant stops typing. She gives Steel a hard stare. “The general will let us know when he is ready to see you.”

“We were on time. Ten o’clock as ordered. It is now half past ten.” Steel looks at the clock on the wall.

“General Ice is a busy male. He is doing his best to make Mistveil a better place.”

Steel makes this breathy snorting noise that sounds like it could be the start of a laugh.

“What was that, Steel?” she asks, looking at him down her nose.

“Nothing. I was just agreeing with you. He is wonderful. So selfless.”

I hold back a similar snort because Ice is one of the biggest assholes who ever walked the planet. The more I get to know him, the more I dislike him and the less I trust him.

The PA quirks a brow, pulling in a breath to say something, but her desk phone rings. She sighs, answering. “Your Highness.” She makes a noise like she’s listening and even nods once. “Of course.” She murmurs another affirmation. “Right away, Your Highness.” She puts the phone down.

“You may go and see the general now, Miss Harris.”

Steel jumps to his feet.

“Just Miss Harris.” The PA smiles. “You must wait here, Steel. The general assured me that he won’t keep her for too long.”

“Why should I stay here? I need to be in there.” He points at the door. “I need to be a part of this meeting. Miss Harris is in my care.”

“Your directives have not changed. You, therefore, do not need to be in that room. Certain aspects of Miss Harris’s agreement with the general will be discussed and ironed out, but that is between the general and Miss Harris. Your involvement is not needed.”

Steel turns to me. “Are you okay going in there alone?”

I nod. The general might be an asshole in the first degree, but he isn’t going to hurt me in any way. “I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t let him walk all over you.” His eyes are narrowed. “Shout if you need me.”

Just like that, protective Steel is back. I know he’s doing his job. That he doesn’t really care about me, but it is a little hot and cold. It amazes me how he can go from barely looking at me or talking to me to this… He’s bristling. Completely on edge, and because…he’s worried about me…maybe…who knows?

I realize that he’s waiting for an answer and say, “I will, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“Lay it out for him. No more meeting the candidates without me present. No more—”

“I think Miss Harris can manage from here,” the PA says. Wow! She’s bitchy. She doesn’t like Steel one bit; that much is crystal clear.

“I’ll be okay.” I smooth my shirt again, square my shoulders, and head over to the closed door. Then I knock.

“Come in,” the general says.

I glance back at Steel, who is still standing. He’s wearing black jeans and a black shirt that pulls tight across his shoulders. He nods once, his jaw tensing.

I’m trying really hard not to notice how freaking gorgeous he is because this really isn’t the time. Instead, I turn and go inside.

“Close the door, Miss Harris.” I’m not sure why I’m surprised that the lieutenant is here.

I nod and do as he tells me.

“Please take a seat.” The general gestures to a chair. He has sofas set up like a living room in one corner. They’re tan leather with hard angles, fitting in with an office look. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting.”

Why are they being so nice? I don’t like it. On the other side of the room is a huge mahogany desk. It’s completely clear of clutter.

“Would you like tea, coffee, something else?” the lieutenant asks me.

“A juice or a water, perhaps?” the general offers.

I sit on one of the sofas. It’s actually softer than it looks. I shake my head. “No, thanks, I’m fine. I would prefer to launch into our meeting. There are a couple of things that—”

“We need to apologize right off the bat. I…” The general touches a hand to his chest. “I need to apologize, Miss Harris. What happened yesterday was completely out of order. It should never have happened.”

“I’m not a prostitute. I told you that from the start. All I wanted was to go home. That was it…simple, but you wouldn’t let me. You made me stay; you told me that I was safe, that I could choose who I wanted to marry.”

“And all of that is true, I assure you, Miss Harris. What happened yesterday was appalling, but there was ultimately no harm done,” the general says, smiling like everything is okay.

It isn’t!

“No harm done?” I snort. “I was almost raped. That asshole Huntington was trying to claw my clothes off. He wasn’t taking no for an answer. If Steel hadn’t arrived when he did, he would have succeeded. I’m no match for one of your shifter males.”

“You said it,” the general says. “Steel arrived just in time to save the day. It all worked out.”

“It all worked out? Are you serious?” I shake my head, sounding flabbergasted. “I felt violated. I was made to feel cheap. I was made to feel worthless and small. I’ve told you time and time again that I want to go home. I don’t want this…any of this.” My mind goes straight to Steel when I think of leaving. Why? Surely, I wouldn’t actually miss him? I mean…surely? He’s been nothing but surly and brooding. Yet, here I am, feeling sad about leaving. It doesn’t matter. The thought of going home to Caleb and my mom makes me smile inside. It lights me up. There’s a small part of me that wishes I could bring them here. Caleb would love it. My mom might feel better in a different environment. At least I would know for sure that they were taken care of. They could still get the money. It could work really well.

“Again, Miss Harris, I’m so sorry. I’m deeply ashamed about what happened. I never expected that to happen. From now on, Steel will be your shadow. He won’t leave your side. You will be protected at all times.” The general looks at me with concern in his eyes. Pity I don’t buy it for one second. What are these two up to?

“And Huntington is out of the running?” I lift my brows.

“Won’t you give him another chance?” the lieutenant asks. “He wants to apologize for the misunderstanding.”

“There was no misunderstanding. I was very clear about not wanting sex. I didn’t even want him to kiss me, for that matter. I was clear! He wouldn’t accept no for an answer.”

“He’s used to getting what he wants. He thought you would come around,” the general says. “But I can see how wrong that is. How that must have hurt you.”

“Yes, it’s wrong. If I never see him again, it will be too soon. I will not pick him. It’ll never happen. There is no point in leaving him in the running because he isn’t…not to me. I wouldn’t pick him if he was the last man on earth.”

“Okay…no problem, the duke is out,” the lieutenant says.

“I want at least a year after getting married before I become pregnant. I think it’s important that I get to know my husband and vice versa. Please let the candidates know. Count Augustine spoke of five or six children. That’s too many.” I shake my head.

“It is normal for shifter females to have that many—” the general starts saying.

“I’m not a shifter female. I’ll agree to two, maximum. That’s it! And I have one other request. If you grant this, I swear I won’t try to run. I won’t try anything. I will cooperate and work hard to be happy and make a life here. I swear!”

“You should be doing that already, Miss Harris.”

“You know what I mean,” I throw out.

“What is this request?” the lieutenant asks, lacing his fingers together.

“I’m all ears.” The general leans forward.

“I want my mother and Caleb to come and live here.”

“That’s out of the question,” the general says, falling back in his seat.

“Preposterous!” the lieutenant adds.

“Why not? They are my family. I can’t just abandon them. I can absolutely go through with this wedding if they are here.” I look from one man to the other. Surely, they must understand?

“I’m not sure that such a request would be granted.” The general looks deep in thought. “We don’t have the facilities. Your mother needs medical care.”

“I hear that you’re planning on bringing human women to the island to take as mates.”

Neither of them says anything.

“Oh, come on! You are! The rumor mill is active around the castle. It’s out. People are talking about it. Let me just say that if you’re planning on bringing humans to the island, you need to up your game. You need to be prepared. You will need medical facilities. Especially if you plan on marrying and having babies with us. We’ll need medical care. We’re far more fragile, far more susceptible to illnesses. We don’t have your healing capabilities or your lifespan. It’s something that will need to happen and quickly. If that’s the case, if what I am saying is true, then my mother and my little brother should be able to come and live here just fine.”

“It’s not that simple,” the lieutenant says. “Your mother is no longer of childbearing age, and with her medical problems, it wouldn’t be advisable for her to have more children, anyway. Your sibling is a male. We already have too many males on the island. Perhaps if he were a female, we could have—”

“Let’s not be too hasty; perhaps it can be arranged, Miss Harris,” the general says. “On that note, there is something I need to tell you.” He goes quiet, looking down at the thick-pile rug on the floor.

“What?” I ask. “What is it?”

“It’s something we spoke about before. You need to know that your mother is out of funds. She is using her credit card. She’s not going to make it into next month. Her medical bills have started to pile up again. There were some concerns surrounding her left leg.”

“What concerns?” I sound panicked because I am. My eyes are wide, and I’m breathing hard.

“It’s nothing to worry about. It was a false alarm, but there were tests carried out and extra doctor’s visits. She was cleared, but extra tests and visits mean extra bills.”

“But she’s okay? Everything is okay?” I’m still panicking. I can’t help it.

“She’s fine. Her leg is fine, but financially, she’s in real trouble.”

I nod, feeling my eyes prick and my throat clog.

“If you left now, you’d be going back to a disastrous situation. We’ve been talking…” the general looks over at the lieutenant, who nods once. “We’ve agreed that under the circumstances, we might need to give her a small advance just to tide her over. Your mating ceremony is still weeks away. That way, you can relax a little with the understanding that your family is taken care of.”

“That would be amazing,” I gush. “I would greatly appreciate it.”

“Ten thousand dollars should tide her over for the next few weeks,” the lieutenant says.

My shoulders slump a little. Crap! I had hoped for more. I force myself to perk up. It will be enough to tide her over, and it is a positive gesture from the general. “Okay, yes, thank you. I appreciate—”

“Not so fast, Miss Harris.” The lieutenant slides over a document. It doesn’t look to be more than a few pages long. “We want you to sign an agreement. It’s something we should have drawn up to begin with. It makes our arrangement a little more official.”

I take the document and glance over it. It covers all the basics, including my remuneration. It looks legit. Then I get to the names of the candidates. “Huntington is still on this list. This document will need to be changed. My new terms also need to be included.” I put the document down. “Huntington should be removed. I won’t agree to having children in the first year, and I only agree to having two of them, at the most.” I rack my brain, trying to come up with more terms. “I also want a clause stating that my mother and brother will be able to come and live on the island.”

“That last one would need to be a work in progress. It’s not something that’ll get approved any time soon. There will be a process, and the ultimate decision will not be mine to make.” says the general.

“You need to put something in the contract with a time limit. Maybe a year. Surely a year would be enough to get approval? I mean, you’re a prince, and you’re the general. You must have some sway.” I decide to try buttering him up a little.

He doesn’t look too impressed. “I am a powerful male with a reach that extends all the way to the Mainland.” He looks me in the eye and holds my gaze for a few long seconds. This feels like a veiled threat. In fact, I know it is. “All I can commit to is that I will do my best, but I can’t make any kind of promises further. I would be happy to include the changes as discussed. I would suggest that we leave out that particular clause, the one about moving your family, at least at this stage.”

“No, I need something in writing. If you insist on a contract, then it has to work for both of us.”

“Indeed,” the general says. “We can go back and forth on the final clause. It might take months to iron out. In the interim, I wouldn’t be able to send your mother any funds. Not until I had something in writing.” He leans forward and touches the document. “I’ll make the changes, and then I suggest you sign this. You need to meet with the rest of the candidates and then make your choice. Nothing more can go wrong. My brother, the king, is ready to pull the plug on this whole thing and then I can’t help you. I can’t help your mother or your brother. My hands will be tied.”

“I’d be able to go back home. The king would send me home.”

“Don’t get too excited about that prospect, Miss Harris. You would be returned to Draig Island, not to the Mainland.” My heart sinks. “It would be with nothing. Your family would have nothing. Your future and their future would be bleak indeed. Think carefully about how you proceed. All of your troubles could be over. Your family could be rich. Five million dollars is a lot of money. It’s life-changing money.”

The general leans forward and pats my hand. “I promise to do everything in my power to get your family here. That’s the best I have for you at this time.” He looks like he means it.

I want to believe him. I wish I could. What choice do I have? I have to take it. I have to trust them, even though I don’t. Not one damned bit.

“Make the changes, and I’ll sign this,” I say.

Both of them smile. The general positively beams.

“You’re making the right decision, Miss Harris,” the lieutenant says.

I’m not so sure. I’m not so sure at all.