Chapter 0102
The next morning, a knock came early on the bedroom door. Fortunately, Elva and I had risen with the dawn and were already dressed.
Expecting the nanny, I headed for the door, yet when I drew it open, the person on the other side
surprised me.
“Nicholas. What are you doing here?”
Behind him, Mark cleared his throat. Immediately, I realized my error.
“Prince Nicholas,” I corrected. After last night, I had become entirely too familiar with him. I had to be more careful, for both our reputations, not to address him so informally. Especially in front of others.
“I came to see Elva,” Nicholas said.
“Nick–lass!”
The rules of propriety, however, did not extend to my three year old.
Elva rushed toward the door. Nicholas bent down and scooped her up into his arms. Elva giggled as he
lifted her.
I’d already told Elva that we would be staying around for a while longer, but she didn’t seem to quite
believe me. Now that she could actually see Nicholas, it was like those remaining worries had been
washed away.
“Come in and play! I want a tea party.”
“Okay, okay,” Nicholas said.
When Elva got too squirmy, he set her down. She snatched his hand and pulled him further into the room.
Nicholas looked at me as he passed. Unlike so many times before, when he gazed at me now, his eyes. held a certain measure of warmth. Ever since last night, when he learned I hadn’t betrayed him – at least not out of choice he had been softer toward me.
It wasn’t anything like when we had been dating, when his affection was obvious and carefree. But it was less harrowing than the looks of cold indifference I had grown used to the past few weeks
“Are you joining us for the tea party, Piper?” he asked.
71 well wanted to say yes but I had other plans. Plans that might show up at any moment.
Like right now, as Julian sauntered into the room like it belonged to him. When he spotted Nicholas, he didn’t even slow. Instead a smile quirked his lips.
“Oh, good morning, brother.”
All the good cheer vanished from Nicholas’s face. “What are you doing here, Julian?”
Julian picked at his nails, as if he hadn’t a care in the world. “Oh. I’m taking Piper on a date today.”
Nicholas glanced at me. Julian wasn’t wrong, though under Nicholas’s scrutiny now, I kind of wished I
could deny it.
“It’s true,” I said.
Nicholas’s gaze hardened as he sliced it back to Julian, “There was no official date announcement.”
Julian shrugged. “After what happened last time, can you blame us?”
“If you had followed the rules–**
“Rules are boring. Piper and I have plenty of fun on our own.”
“The tea party, Nick–lass! It’s starting!” Elva tugged on his arm.
Nicholas grit his teeth, looking for all the world like he wanted to physically tackle Julian, but the little
Legirl on his sleeve held him back.
“It’s fine,” I said, stepping between the two men. “I’m okay with this.”
With me in his line of sight, Nicholas’s anger dimmed somewhat, though his annoyance was clear in the downward turn of his lips and the chill in his eyes.
“How?” he asked.
“It’s just how Julian is,” I said.
How I wished I could tell him the truth! That these ‘dates‘ with Julian were just excuses to investigate the underground that had taken my wolf.
But Julian had rightfully pointed out the Nicholas was a stickler for the rules. This entire conversation only evidenced that.
Nicholas clenched his jaw but didn’t say more.
Julian waved me toward him. “Come on, Piper.
I broke for a minute, to whisper goodbye to Elva. “Be nice to Prince Nicholas.” She’d barely paid
attention to me, still trying to tug Nicholas to where she’d set up her plastic tea cups and stuffed animals.
When I went to Julian’s side, Nicholas finally gave in, joining Elva at her makeshift tea party. But I felt his eyes on me the whole way to the door.
