Page 47 of Those That Defy the Realm

I stare at my mother with admiration. She worked so hard to save our kind in the war, and now it seems she is going to start reversing some of the restrictions we were placed under.

“You’ll have to work whilst there. Agent Morris is expecting you to be my representative at several of the drafting sessions and expects you to consult on any aspects that she needs,” Mum tells me.

“Of course. I’ll happily do it.”

“I’m pretty sure Raff will agree, but we’ll go with him this time. If you can spare us?” Kai offers.

“Speak to Raff first, love. But if you want to go then I don’t see an issue. We’ll ask if Emmerson wants to take the fourth place, you need an enforcer in your party.”

We both agree before our mother leaves to head back to her office, and I return to cooking the food I’ve abandoned, feeling lighter and excited by the turn of events in the last hour.

I’m going to see them both again. And this time I don’t plan on making any stupid deals. I’m going to lay it on the line and force them both to be open. Henry I feel more confident about in terms of how he feels, about the both of us. Claire is going to be the harder one to crack. But with all the time I spent with her, I know the chemistry we shared was real.

Kai joins me at the countertop and begins assisting, which I’m grateful for as I’m running the risk of being late with the food after that conversation pulled me away completely from my job. “Don’t worry little bro, Raff and I will get you your mates back.”

That word punches me in the solar plexus again and my next breath is a little harder to draw in. However, I realise I never corrected Mum before she left, and I don’t find myself correcting Kai now.

Maybe because deep down I know that I’m already falling, that it’s a foregone conclusion that they will be mine.

I just need to get them to fall with me.

CHAPTER 17

CLAIRE

ASH: I’m heading back to Froan! Can’t wait to see you both ;)

Istare at my phone screen. He’s set up a group chat. I hadn’t heard from Ash since he messaged to say he was safely back in his hometown. I’d replied then, because of course I wanted to know he’d made the journey without any issues.

But that was supposed to be it. He was supposed to stay gone and we were supposed to move on.

My phone screen lights up again.

HENRY: When?

Hating myself a little that I’m hooked on that one word, I watch as the three little dots appear and the reply lands on the thread.

ASH: Next Week. Just finalising plans. Act surprised when Ty tells you, or Rory.

HENRY: How long for?

It doesn’t matter. He could be here a day or a month and it won’t matter. Our deal is done. It kept things clean, neat and tidy.

ASH: 6 weeks! I’ve got to be involved in the stuff going down with the you know who’s, but I will have plenty of free time too. And I’m going to need a tour guide. I want to see more this time.

No. Absolutely not. I know he’s aiming that message at me because Henry is as much of a foreigner to this island as he is. I go to reply but stop myself. Better for them to think that I haven’t seen the messages. I can claim to have never received them.

ASH: Come on, Claire. I know you’re reading these. I turned the receipts on for my number when I set it in your phone.

Fuck. The invasion of privacy sits sourly in my stomach but it’s such an Ash thing to do and I know he isn’t meaning anything malicious by it. It does get me to start typing.

CLAIRE: It’s great that you’ve been granted more time. Afraid I have a huge project on for the next few months, so not sure I’ll be free much.

It’s a slight lie which I feel mildly guilty about. The ranch reservation is a huge project, and my boss has me on a couple of other smaller things too. I’m just not working all hours like I’ve implied.

Chewing on my lower lip, I can’t help but envisage all the places I could take Ash. Henry as well. Ash is a huge foodie and there are some amazing restaurants and food stalls in the old quarter. My team went out to a wine bar the other week as a belated welcome drinks thing for me and another new starter at the company, and I spent the entire time wanting to message Henry about all the different wines they had on the menu.

I haven’t let myself break, though. With the exception of those short messages to check they were safe, I haven’t been texting either of them. Henry returned a few days ago, and we have spoken a couple of times but only in group situations. I haven’t let him hunt me down and get me alone. Thankfully, with my parents back home, and my brother also living here again for a few weeks, my house is never empty when I’m here. And when I’m working at the ranch, I always make sure Rory is in the room, or that Henry is off-site.