Levi and Eden had been spending stolen hours together every single day. At first, Eden had returned to her cold and snappy demeanor because she felt as though she had embarrassed herself by being so emotional in front of him. All too quickly for her liking, Levi had melted her. Her feelings were gaining meaning every day, and it was making her dread the wedding all the more. Her stomach was consistently tied into a tight knot.

Early that morning, Eden sought out to find her brother, Theo. It didn’t take a whole lot of guesswork to find him sparring in a special court a brief walk from the estate. He was always there. As much as Eden meditated, Theo trained for fighting. She gracefully hoisted herself up onto the stone wall that surrounded the court. All three of the men present were shirtless and sweaty, despite the crisp morning air. They had to have been at it for a while already. Eden watched idly for a few minutes before finally calling over to Theo.

“Oooh, brother!” It was the same inflection she had used as a child when she got her way with their father and he made her brothers do whatever it was she wanted. Eden had, admittedly, been a spoiled brat. She spotted his grimace at the familiar call, but he didn’t even glance in her direction.

“Can you not see that I’m busy?”

“I need to talk to you.”

“It can wait.”

There was no more room for debate, since Theo leaped into the air and shifted into his dragon form. He and the other two fought as fiercely as if they wanted one another’s blood, but none of them ever landed the final deadly blows. Nearly an hour passed before they all transitioned back into their human states. Eden had sat there with her head in her hands, watching indolently.

When Theo glanced over to see her still sitting there, he quickly got dressed before pacing over to her. “What is it, Denny?”

“You know I hate that nickname.” Eden glared at him. She hated all nicknames that could be derived from her name. They sounded manly and weird to her. “Can we talk in private?”

Sighing again, as though she was really putting him out, Theo turned his head toward his friends and called for them to head out without him. Once they jogged out of sight, his attention went back to Eden. “Now, what is it?”

“I’m having a hard time with this arranged marriage thing,” Eden admitted uncomfortably.

“Naturally. You’ve always been a little rebel when it suits you.”

Eden’s glare deepened. Theo had always been as blunt as she was, but not out of wanting to be honest—he just wanted to be a prick. He put it as him being “too busy for nonsense,” which meant that if you weren’t on his itinerary for the day, then he did not have time for you. He was a dedicated fighter, as well as a businessman, planning his days down to the minute.

“I’m serious!” Eden said. “I’m not sure I can go through with it.”

“Why not? It’s just a formality, Denny.”

“You know that’s not all it is,” she insisted. “Father won’t let me simply marry Darian and go back to my routine and studies. I’ll have to keep up appearances with him.”

“You could do worse, you know. He’s the only one who can even come close to beating me when sparring.”

“There’s something off about him,” Eden confessed. “It’s like there’s something sinister beneath the surface.”

Theo’s brows drew together. “Do you think he’s going to hurt you?”

“No, nothing like that…”

“Then there’s no reason for you not to marry him,” Theo stated plainly.

“You mean you don’t notice anything strange about him?” she questioned, wondering if she could be imagining it due to her rebellious nature. Theo opened his mouth to speak before snapping it shut and looking up to the sky to gather his thoughts. When he looked back to her, his eyes had warmed some.

“Even if I did, it wouldn’t be enough reason for Father to let you out of the arrangement,” he said. “From what I can tell, he’s a decent guy. He may be fake, but that’s to further his rank. It’s all a political game. However, he seems all right enough, and you know as well as I do that it would be good for the family.”

Eden looked away, defeated. She wasn’t entirely certain what she thought she would get out of the conversation, but she was hoping to have at least something new to think about—something to help her out of her dire situation.

Theo gave her a sad look before turning to walk away. Without thinking, she blurted out, “What about my soulmate?”

He quizzically peered over his shoulder at her. “What about it?”

“Well…” Eden stared away, twisting her hands together. “What if my soulmate is right around the corner? I don’t want to miss out on that for a loveless marriage…”

Theo folded then. No longer was he the icy, driven businessman; he was her brother. Going back over to her, he reached a hand up to help her down from the wall and locked eyes with her to convey seriousness and compassion.

“You and I both know that there is no telling when or if your mate will come along. I know it sucks, and I know I would never be in your shoes, but it’s just something you need to accept, okay? I don’t want you fighting this, Denny, and I mean that. Father’s been… unwell. I think that he is in such a state that you would not be out of reach of his wrath. He’s fragile,” Theo added in a mumble, “for lack of a better word.” Clearing his throat, he continued. “For your safety. Can you promise me?”

“I…”

“Eden.”

“I promise I won’t fight it blindly, how about that?” Eden suggested. “If I find a reason to fight it other than not liking Darian, I’m going to.”

Theo looked displeased but accepted the compromise. “If you can, let me know whatever it is you find or come up with. And if you can’t come up with anything, please try to make the most of it. I don’t want to see you so miserable.”

She nodded and gave him a hug. He was tense at first but then eased, patting her back. “I love you, Theo.”

“Love you too. I gotta go. Be in touch.”

With that, they parted ways. Theo ran into the direction his friends had gone, more than likely going on a hike, as they usually did. Eden headed back to the house to get ready to meet Levi. They were supposed to meet in the countryside for a day together out in nature so they could get away from the anxiety of constantly having to look over their shoulders.

Dressing down for the occasion, Eden adorned herself with jean shorts and a fitted olive-green t-shirt that came down just an inch above the waistband of her shorts, with black high-top sneakers to match her casual look. Her auburn waves were neatly weaved together in a loose French braid. Looking herself over once, Eden grabbed her purse before heading to the garage. Before she reached her car, Eden lost sight of it when a man stood just inches from her, blocking her view. Eden jumped back, hand clutched to her chest.

“Oh my god, Darian! Must you always sneak up on me?” she hissed, brushing a lock of hair from her face.

“I don’t mean to,” Darian smiled politely before he took in her appearance. Then he arched a thick, suspicious brow. “Where are you off to?”

“It’s none of your business,” she stated, moving around him.

“Well, I think the wellbeing of my fiancée is in the realm of business.”

“Don’t pull that card on me, Darian,” Eden replied. “We’re not married yet. Not that I would be your business then, but I certainly am not now.”

“I did not mean it as if I own you, darling. I am merely curious, as well as concerned,” he tried to assure her, pacing after her. He leaned against the driver side door as she moved to unlock it. “Look, I want you to like me. I checked with Ivy, and she said you guys didn’t have anything on the agenda today, so… I figured we could spend the day together. Go out and do something, away from the Kingdom.”

Eden eyed him curiously. “Just because nothing is going on with the wedding plans doesn’t mean I can’t have anything else going on. I do have a personal life.”

“Well, what is it you have going on? Are you meeting with someone? I could pick you up after,” Darian suggested with his presidential smile.

Eden froze. Darian could easily check with whoever she mentioned as part of her excuse, just to verify her story. It was also known that Eden was a homebody who did not go out into the city unless necessary. She looked at her car with longing, realizing, as the moments ticked by, that there was not going to be any ignoring Darian. Not that day.

“Okay, fine. Let’s go,” she mused, admitting defeat without bothering to answer any of his questions. Darian didn’t seem bothered. His smile stretched across his face again, and he tossed an arm about her waist.

“We should take my car.” His words didn’t even register to Eden, being encapsulated by her sorrow over standing up Levi.

What would he think?

After an hour-and-a-half car ride of Darian unsuccessfully attempting small talk with Eden, the car came to a stop outside of a marina. Letting herself out of the car, Eden peered over to Darian. He smiled at her. “What’s better than a relaxing day on a yacht?”

Eden wasn’t pleased. She thought that they would be doing an activity of some kind. They would be trapped on a boat together with nothing but conversation? This was the last thing she wanted. The only thing that gave her comfort was knowing that, if worse came to worst and she had to get away from him, she could easily outswim him.

“Certainly wasn’t what I was expecting,” she admitted under her breath, following him to his yacht.

It was absurd how large it was. Eden snidely thought that someone as fake as Darian wouldn’t have enough friends to fill such a vessel. Crude remarks about men compensating ran through her mind while he showed it off. Despite all of her negative feelings, it really was a remarkable yacht. It was well tended to, not a spot of algae or mold in sight. The wood furnishing was all glossy, freshly polished.

“The bar is fully stocked, and I brought provisions for a lovely picnic lunch,” Darian announced as they reached the bow of the ship. He sounded so proud of himself, which for some reason rubbed Eden the wrong way. It sounded as if there was a secret reason behind his pride.

You’re just paranoid, Eden, she scolded herself. Her brother’s words replayed in her head, knowing that everything he had said was right. “It’s very thoughtful of you to do this,” she complimented rather dryly.

“I’m glad you think so,” he purred, locking his arm around her waist again. She didn’t even like the way he held her. It felt possessive, like the reason his arm was around her wasn’t out of wanting her close but rather to keep her from getting away from him. Thankfully, the boat began to move, taking his attention off of her. Eden’s eyes scanned the horizon, trying to take in the beautiful day before her.

Darian led her into the cabin and presented her with clothing appropriate for a yacht. Swimsuit, a thin, long kimono, flip flops, and a sunhat. Eden stepped into the bathroom and changed into the attired, but she kept her denim shorts on to feel more conservative. When he rejoined him, Darian was also in swimwear and an unbuttoned shirt, holding out a pair of matching sunglasses for Eden.

They went to the deck, and Eden’s eyes gleamed at the sight of the pool. She yearned to dip into the water and meditate, desperately needing it. It had been nearly two weeks since she had successfully meditated, and it had Eden feeling all out of whack. However, she fought off the urge and sat down in the lounge chair next to Darian. Her skinny legs folded at the knee as they extended down to the footrest, her hands folding against her sternum. It had been a while since Eden had sunbathed, and it was far more relaxing than she remembered.

“Well done,” she called over to Darian. “I actually really like this.”

“I’m glad,” he called back. Eden didn’t have to open her eyes to know that false grin was dominating his face. It was as if it were a nervous tick of his. “You know, once we’re married, we could do this all the time. As often as you like.”

“Do…” Eden took a deep breath. “Do you mind if we don’t talk about getting married? I think we will get along better if we just act like it isn’t happening and we are just spending the day together.” Her eyes were on him for his reaction. Only, he was unreadable, since he wore such dark sunglasses.

Darian nodded. “Sure thing. Whatever you need.”

They relaxed there for more than an hour, making minimal conversation. Eden began to wonder if asking not to talk about the wedding had taken away most of his conversational points, or if he was being polite and letting her relax. It was only when she stood from the chair that Darian perked up.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m going to take a dip.”

“Are you going to meditate?”

“I am.”

“Could you try and teach me?”

Eden was hesitant, not sure why he would want to know how to meditate. He was a warrior, not a healer. However, she did not protest.

“Yeah, sure.” Walking over to the pool together, they disrobed before lowering themselves into the lukewarm water. “So, what you’ll want to do is fully submerge yourself in the water, head and all. Level your body with the water, and you’ll eventually bob to the surface. Focus on your five senses and nothing else. Any time thoughts come to you, redirect your focus to your body. Sometimes, I go back underneath the water to really focus.”

“That’s it?” Darian questioned.

“You’ll be surprised how much practice it takes.”

He looked at her skeptically but didn’t say anything. Simultaneously, they dipped back into the water. As soon as she was fully submerged, Eden felt her body relax, bubbles escaping her mouth as she let out a sigh of relief. She focused on the heat of the sun, the feeling of the water, and the gentle wave that was created by Darian being in the water as well.

Remarkably fast, Eden found her center. Her thoughts melted away under the sun, and she was so at peace that she could have dozed off. It surprised her that she could relax like that with Darian so close to her. Usually she couldn’t meditate with anyone else in her immediate area. Yet she floated there, one with the world. It was so immensely blissful after the weeks she had been having that tears could have beaded from her eyes if she wasn’t already covered by water. Time seemed to stop, her only knowledge of its passing coming from the intensity of the heat. For the first time in a long, long time, Eden completed a full meditation session.

When she came out of it and flipped up in the water with a sleepy smile on her face, she found Darian perched on the edge of the pool, watching her with kind eyes.

“Hungry?” he asked. His hair was almost completely dry. He had been out of the water for quite some time. Eden nodded and headed to the edge. Darian extended an arm to help her out of the water and then wrapped a large towel around her. “You were right. That was hard—too hard. I gave up out of frustration after about fifteen minutes.”

“How long was I in there?” Eden asked curiously.

“Two hours.”

“Wow,” she breathed. A genuine, beaming smile conquered her face. “That’s exactly what I needed.”

“Well…” Darian grinned. “I think that’s worth a celebratory drink.”

They headed for a dining table set up on the deck on top of the cabin. A glorious spread of fruit, vegetables, salads, crackers, and various snacks was before Eden. Darian plucked the champagne from the ice bucket and popped the cork in the direction opposite of Eden. Pouring them each a flute, he raised a glass.

“To achievements.”

When Eden found herself clinking glasses with him and giggling, she was taken aback. Darian had been very accommodating and respectful all day long. While she still found him incredibly two-faced, she began to think that he wasn’t as bad as she had originally thought. What if she had only needed a full meditation to set her right and accept her fate? The thought caused her stomach to return to its tight knot. She knew that, no matter what she felt about Levi, she would marry Darian if she felt comfortable with him… if for no other reason than to appease her father and avoid his ensuing wrath, in case she invoked it.

Every time Eden began to feel like she starting to make up her mind, something else changed it. It was utterly unsettling. Trying to save face, Eden drained the champagne flute of its contents and tilted her glass toward Darian for a refill.