Chapter 216

Caleb releases his hold from around my waist. Instead he takes my hands in his, then brings them both to his lips to kiss the backs of them, one after the other.

Still holding my hands, he leads me toward the bed. There, releases my hand to grab one of the lamps from the nightstand. Carefully, he lifts the shade and then flips it over, revealing a tiny little piece of electronics inside. It’s a small black disc with a blinking red light, the entire thing no bigger than a dime.

Once he’s sure I’ve seen, he wordlessly returns the lampshade to the top of the lamp and then leads me away.

In my ear, he whispers, “We’ll give whoever is listening quite the show later.” There’s a suggestive growl in his voice that sends a delightful shiver up my spine.

My cheeks heat up in a fearsome blush.

“Caleb,” I whisper, lifting my gaze to his. His own eyes drop to my mouth.

“Perhaps we could give them a show right now instead,” he says deeply.

Yet, just as he leans in, his lips brushing mine, the door bursts open. I jump, and Caleb sighs. He lifts his head to look at our intruders, all while keeping an arm around my waist.

I look as well.

Bethany comes in, followed by a long line of Gladys’s military servants. Oddly, Bethany seems to be in deep conversation with one of them, a man at the front of the line, with wide shoulders and bushy brown eyebrows.

“Do you remember the milkshakes they used to serve at the 5 and 10? Gods, if I could go back in time, the first thing I would do would be to go have those milkshakes again,” Bethany says. She swings her arms animatedly, while smiling wide, clearly enjoying this conversation.

She was the one who had warned me to be careful the most on this trip. Now, however, it seems as if she is throwing caution to the wind, befriending one of these servants/guards.

“I remember,” the servant says. His smile mirrors Bethany.

With how rigid everyone seems around here, this is certainly odd behavior out of both of them. The more I listen to the conversation, the more I start to understand.

“You and your sisters used to argue over what flavors to get,” he says, laughing. “Like you couldn’t all get the same thing.”

“They were copying me,” Bethany says, as she attempts to put on a straight face. Her smile quickly breaks it. “It was a real problem.”

I didn’t even know Bethany has sisters, but this man does.

The must know each other. Former packmates? Classmates in elementary school perhaps?

My curiosity overwhelms me, as does my desire to know more about my dear friend.

Stepping forward, out of Caleb’s embrace, I approach the pair. Other servants move around them, bringing Caleb and my luggage into the bedroom. Caleb directs them to the closet.

“A friend of yours, Bethany?” I ask her.

Her smile stays as she turns to look at me. “Oh? Yes! Isn’t this a coincidence? I haven’t seen anyone from my pack in so long. Harper, this is Cameron. Cam, this is my mistress, Harper.”

Cameron, upon seeing me, sobers somewhat, his good mood souring. He still smiles, but instead of the wide smile of a friend, it shifts into the more formal one reserved for employers.

“Nice to meet you, consort Harper,” Cameron says with a slight, curt bow. “Bethany speaks highly of you.”

“Please,” I tell him. “Call me Harper. There’s no need for formalities between friends.”

Cameron gives me a strange look, which he then slides to Bethany.

“I told you, she’s not like the others,” Bethany says.

“You did.” Cameron’s smile starts to fade. As the other servants file out, he nods to me then looks at Bethany. “Back to work. Please excuse me.”

“Can we catch up later?” Bethany calls after him.

At the door, he looks back. “Sure, Bethany,” he says, then disappears down the hallway, closing the door behind him.

Bethany turns her smile to me. “Can you imagine? Cameron! I haven’t seen him since I was a teenager, before I came to the palace. Gods, it’s nice to talk to someone with a shared past…”

“You can’t trust him,” Caleb says. Walking from nearer the closet, he approaches us. “You can’t trust anyone here.”

I eye the lampshade, reminding him that we are being listened to, but that doesn’t seem to bother him now. Maybe he doesn’t care who is listening when he says this. Or perhaps he knows that Gladys and her lot would expect him to be suspicious.

Either way, I know he’s being genuine when he says the words. He’s too impassioned to lie.

“He’s an old friend,” Cameron says.

“Who now is in the employment of my political rival,” Caleb says. Political rival is a nice way of putting it. That particular bit of censorship tells me that Caleb is very aware of the listening device in the room.

Bethany straightens at the scolding. “I would never do anything to endanger Harper. I am catching up with an old friend, but that is all. My loyalties are where they have always been. I hope that I’ve done enough to remove any doubt of that.”

“You have,” I say, stepping in between Bethany and Caleb, not liking the way they glared at each other. They are both very dear to me, and I will not have this place put them at odds with one another. “You are allowed to have friends and a life outside of your service to me.”

“So long as she does not jeopardize your safety,” Caleb adds.

“I’ll be careful,” Bethany says, enough assurance for me, even if Caleb seems unsatisfied.

Bethany moves to the closet and begins sorting our luggage. I go with her, knowing we don’t have much time before dinner.

To my surprise, even Caleb joins us. “My evening suit is in this suitcase,” he says and grabs that one away from the bunch. I have no idea how he can keep track. I don’t remember where my gowns are.

“This one,” Bethany says and plucks another bit of luggage from the pile. She hands it to me. “That baby blue gown would turn heads tonight.”

I smile at her. Yes, I want to make an impression while I’m here, for sure.

An hour later, I’m wearing my baby blue gown. It’s sleeveless with a v-neck collar. Caleb wears one of his more formal black tunics – one with gold weaved through the fabric. Tassels on the sleeves indicate him as a person of great importance. Even if someone didn’t know he was Alpha King, they would know to treat him with respect.

Taking him in, Gods, he is handsome.

I half-wish that we could just stay tucked away here on a mini-vacation, never leaving this room. But, I suppose, with the listening devices, we’d never truly be alone.

This is no simple vacation. We are here for the distinct purpose of gathering information about the rebellion and possible Tristan’s location.

If we are very lucky, we might even be able to stage some kind of rescue.

I cannot let myself get distracted, no matter how delicious Caleb looks in that suit.

He offers me his arm. “Ready?”

I take it.

Let the show begin.