House of Shadows (Royal Houses 2)

“Isn’t that why you’re part of Rights For All?”

“And look at what that got us,” she snapped unfairly.

He held up his hands. “I just think you should give yourself some credit. You are changing the world. At least mine.”

He pulled her close again, and this time, she didn’t resist. She didn’t want to resist him anyway. Men were so much more complicated than women. She never preferred one over the other. In fact, she’d always just been attracted to the person rather than their gender. None of that had ever mattered to her. But Hadrian was one of the few males she’d felt comfortable with for this long. And she wanted it to work… even as they hid it from everyone else.

“Hey,” he whispered, tipping her chin up to look at him. He was a full head taller than her, which was a feat. She was tall for a human.

His lips grazed hers. She groaned and leaned against him, forgetting the world. They still had hours to themselves. She needed to stop arguing with him and use the time to their best interests. Neither of them heard the soft tread of satin slippers against the wood or the sitting room door click open. Only the pained gasp from the now-open doorway.

Clover’s head jerked to the side to find Darby’s stunned expression. Tears came immediately to her big black eyes.

“Darbs,” Hadrian said, taking a step toward her.

But Clover could say nothing. Just stared at her as Darby witnessed what they had been trying so hard to hide from the world. They were together. And Clover’s heart still lay at least partially in Darby’s hands. No matter how much she tried… she truly wanted them both.

Darby shook her head and then ran from the room. Hadrian made to follow her, but Clover stopped him and went after her instead. She reached her just as she flung the front door wide.

Clover yelled, “Wait!”

Darby stalled at the front steps. She even looked beautiful as she cried. “What?”

“Why did you come here?”

“I hadn’t heard from you or Hadrian in weeks. I thought something was wrong. I didn’t think this.”

“Why not?” Clover asked, pushing her. She knew that she should back off, but she never could back down from Darby. “You said we couldn’t do this. You said you were going to marry a male and pop out a brood of Fae littlings. You’re in the Season, Darby. You have no right to be upset about this.”

“Then, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Would you have preferred I rub it in your face?”

“No,” she said, swiping at her tears. “Of course not. But… I just thought…”

“What? You just wanted me to wait while you moved on?”

Darby looked pained and her lip quivered. “It doesn’t stop how I feel about you.”

Clover’s anger cooled. She released a breath. “Me either.”

Darby’s eyes jumped to hers. “Then… why?”

“I’ve always wanted you, Darbs. You know that. But I want Hadrian too. I want you both.”

“It doesn’t work that way.”

“It can,” Clover said. “If you weren’t so set on being someone you’re not.”

Darby pulled back as if she had been slapped. “If that’s how you see it, then I guess I made the right choice. I hope you two are very happy.”

Then, she slammed the door on her way out. Hadrian appeared at her side a moment later.

“How much did you hear?”

“All of it,” he said, reaching for her hand.

“And you still want to touch me?”

“I already knew how you felt about her.”

Clover met his gaze. “And how do you feel now?”

“I will take you however I can get you, Clove,” he said in complete earnest. “If you want us both, you can have us both. I want whatever makes you happy.”

“I don’t think that will ever happen,” she said as she glanced toward the door.

“Then, I’ll keep you as all mine.”

He covered her mouth with his. He had a way of making her forget everything. And she dived into it, mind, body, and soul. Anything at all to forget that look on Darby’s face.

46

The Blackouts

Fordham was true to his word.

Kerrigan scrubbed her face dry and met him for the next three days for training. And in that time, he scrapped everything they’d been working on. What was the point of bond training if she had no bond? He made her memorize the flying test as he remembered it so that she could fake the testing for Alura.

They didn’t discuss what had happened between them or March. He never once changed from the military general she’d first met back to the caring man she’d fallen in love with. He was direct and unwavering. She hated every minute of it even though she knew it was necessary. Both giving up what they’d briefly had and focusing only on the training.

When they returned to Kinkadia, Alura ran her through her paces.