26. Chapter 26
Chapter twenty-six
S hit, Nik thought. Delroy was going to kick his ass. Turning from where he still was facing the wall, he tried not to let his mind, or body, reel over what just happened. He tried to will his erection away as he turned but no luck. Apparently whatever gods left out there were determined to make Niks life a living hell, something that started long before today.
After doing the best he could and turning, Nik found himself face to face with a very angry Delroy. As he met his friends' eyes, his arousal instantly went away. Nik quickly decided that he would have been better off still facing the wall.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Delroy yelled .
Quickly raising a hand to cast a silencing spell, Nik tried to come up with a reason that might satisfy his best friend. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind.
Still only in a towel, Nik ran a hand through his hair, her touch still on his skin like a flare of heat on the coldest of nights. Nik could tell he needed to try to explain before his friend blew a gasket.
Grabbing some clothes out of the nearest open drawers, Nik tossed them on and did his best to tell his friend what happened without implicating Haven too much. He might want to hate her but that did not mean he wanted an angry Delroy anywhere near her. Nik knew Delroy wouldn't physically hurt her but he could say some seriously mean and awful things once he got going.
"I don't know, okay! I stole something from her at dinner and somehow she figured out it was me and came looking for it. What you saw, it started out as a way to distract her and just sort of spiraled from there"
Nik could tell Delroy was barely containing his anger. Watching his best friend pace back and forth in front of the fireplace, Nik could see the anxiety hounding him.
Delroy had been Niks best friend since they were three. He was two inches taller than Niks six foot two and could probably kick Niks ass if it ever truly came down to that. Years in the royal guard would do that to someone. He was still wearing his uniform, likely just coming off shift. The silver metal of the hooks on his breastplate complemented his dark hair that was shorter on the sides and only slightly longer on the top. Pointed dark brown eyes and light brown skin popped against the crimson red tunic under his armor .
"Well I had come to see how dinner went but I think I just got my answer" Delroy snarked, pulling Nik out of his thoughts.
"Hey, back off. I didn't mean for that to happen, dinner went exactly as planned. Nothing's going to change, she and everyone else will think I hate her. My father will never know anything. It won't happen again" Niks stern words and serious tone seemed to help calm Delroy as he went from pacing to settling into the couch.
"What did you steal from her?" Delroy asked
"A necklace she was wearing," Nik answered. Delroy gave him a confused look prompting Nik to explain more,
"The necklace is very easily recognizable. If someone had realized what it was then dinner probably would have ended in screaming or bloodshed, or both."
Delroy nodded at Niks explanation. He knew as soon as Delroy saw the necklace for himself that he'd understand. Nik just had to hope Haven wouldn't take it out again until after tomorrow. Then the big secret would be out and something as simple as that necklace couldn't completely derail their plans.
"So everything went well?" Delroy asked
Nik nodded,
"I think it went okay. Celia liked her, but that's a given. The rest of the council seemed rather cold towards her but not immediately distrustful or hateful. I think their coldness will help ease my father for awhile" Nik slumped down on the couch next to his friend.
"Good," Delroy looked to Nik as he spoke, "So really, what was that I just walked in on?"
Nik turned away from his friend, feeling heat creeping up his neck and face.
"Honestly, I don't know. Being so close to her I just felt drawn in, I guess. I didn't even realize what I was doing until I was already doing it."
Delroy nodded and said in a stern voice, "I get that, but you can't let it get in the way"
"I won't" Nik promised, he was almost afraid to admit this part, "I almost bit her"
Delroy spun fully toward Nik, eyes wide, "Are you fucking serious?" He breathed, Nik could feel the intensity and concern radiating off of his friend in waves.
Nik nodded. He knew that fact alone could wreck everything they were and had been working towards. He needed to hate her. He needed her to hate him. Nik couldn't have it any other way. For his safety and hers. At least for now, their lives depended on it.