Chapter 38: A Real Gem 

Troy

Her hair was tumbling over the side of the bed as I rose onto my knees, climbing from the bed I had made myself on the floor for a second night. She was sideways on the mattress, her head closest to me, with one arm dangling over the side of the bed as she slept.

And, for the second night in a row, I had held her hand in mine as we fell asleep.

During the day, she barely gave me a passing glance, her demeanor somewhat cold and standoffish. But at night, when it was just the two of us well. I would take what I could get.

I walked slowly across the floorboards, wincing as I opened the door and it creaked loudly, the sound seeming to echo in the small room. She always slept like the dead, thankfully, and I closed the door behind me as I slipped into the darkened hallway.

Keaton was waiting for me at the helm as I walked out onto the main deck, looking up into the clear, star-laced sky as the sails hung heavy in the gentle breeze. I walked up the stairs, turning my head to the horizon where the sun was just rising into view, casting an ominous red glare across the still water.

“Red sun in morning, sailors take warning,” Keaton quipped, his hands resting on the helm.

I nodded shortly, a chill touching the back of my neck as I looked back over the water once more. Not a single cloud in the sky, not one white capped wave. Stillness. Calm.

“How long do we have before the storm hits?” I asked, reaching his side and pulling the map from the inner pocket of my jacket.

He shrugged, arching his brow, “If only someone would let us use the radar system-”

“Damian will spot us the second we power up the ship, Keaton. You’ve seen his cruisers. You know the kind of tech they have on board.”

* Aye, well, how useful are radars when tracking a ghost?”

The Persephone was truly a ghost lurking in open water. We were invisible. We needed to stay that way, at least until we reached the southern pass.

“We’re still on course. Don’t worry,” Keaton said, smiling as he tossed me my compass. I caught it, opening it, and checking to make sure he was correct.

“We’re not going anywhere in this weather,” I said, tucking the compass in my pocket and motioning up to the sails with the rolled map still in my hand. They were still deflated, and the boat was rocking back and forth in the sea instead of pushing forward towards our destination.

“We can turn the engines on-”

“Not for another day, at least. Not until we’ve traveled out of Damian’s range-”

“Sometimes, I wonder who the captain of this ship is.” Keaton gave me a sideways smile, taking his hands from the helm and crossing his arms over his chest.

“I just read the maps, Keat. Nothing more.”

He walked behind me, clapping me on the shoulder as he headed for the stairs. “Best be getting back before Myla wakes up.”

“How did that go?

“Our first night, you mean?” Keaton snorted, shaking his head.

need the gory

on the top step, “Put her straight to bed, in a gentlemanly way. No fun was had. Not

a twinkle in his eye that made my heart squeeze with jealousy. He caught it, leaning his back against the railing while giving me a

going well with

map and spreading

What should I call her then,

shook my head, smiling to myself. “She has a temper, Keaton. I wouldn’t

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A Real

one will be like when she comes into her powers?” Keaton laughed, shaking his head back and forth. “She’s

Keaton’s expression was suddenly totally serious, his eyes narrowing on mine for a moment before

you knew about Maeve’s

can’t help but wonder if there’s

Keaton’s wariness. Alpha Damian was not a man to be crossed. He had been Romero’s Beta at one point, taking over for the old fool before I was born. Keaton and I had been too young, too far removed from the pack of Poldesse and the rest of the pack lands to understand what happened, but we worked for the Alpha enough to

center of Damian’s grand plan. What that grand plan was, exactly…well, I didn’t know

caught Keaton’s eye and shrugged, feeling exposed. “I

you believe she’s your mate?

aided in this mess. I was bait, Keaton. Damian used me,

it now.” Keaton tapped his fingers

you want to say more,” I said with a touch of

plan to do

get word to

late for that, Troy,” he said, a dire warning in his tone. “Don’t pretend to be

teeth, shaking my head before breaking from his gaze and looking down at the map for no reason other than I couldn’t dwell on

the Alpha of Drogomor and the unchallenged ruler of the pack lands, at least by

Damian on our ass. The last

had heard the stories as children, of course. Rosalie’s powers were immense and undisputed. She was the force

Maeve’s life by turning this ship around and attempting to pass back through the

do that,” Keaton’s voice was harsh, serious, his eyes stone cold. “We need to leave her

“Leave her?”

of the skiffs and take leave through the

was serious.

Troy. Don’t think I don’t know why you’re dragging your feet in doing

don’t know what you’re talking

yet. She can’t feel the mate bond. You have no

a real chance.” I swallowed hard, looking

clicked his tongue, shaking

“I was doing what-”

was to get Romero out of his dungeon, or prison, or wherever the hell they were keeping

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