JESSKA AWOKE TO warm, soft lips on her shoulder. “Channing, I told you my husband would be back soon and you were to disappear.”

Kaspar chuckled, pulling her against him. She had fallen asleep in one of Pepper’s many guest rooms because she didn’t want to return to the hotel without Kaspar, and Pepper had offered a place for the night.

Jesska rolled to face him, checking for injuries.

“I’m fine, elskan,” he said, leaning down to kiss her with a smile. “Do you want to know the details now, or can I sleep?”

“Neither.”

“Oh?”

She smiled, pushing him onto his back and straddling him. “I will wait for details, but you’re not going to sleep.”

“We’re in Connall’s home.”

“So?” she challenged.

Kaspar ran his hands along her thighs. “They will hear.”

She leaned down and kissed his chest. “We’ll be very quiet,” she whispered.

“When are you ever quiet?”

Jesska lifted her head and raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

He grinned. “I’m not complaining, baby. I’m simply pointing out that you’re very vocal about what you enjoy.”

“Well then you need to take care of me and figure out a way to keep me quiet.”

“Challenge accepted,” he quipped, and kissed her. “On your knees, face in the pillow,” he whispered and she obeyed.

As quietly as he could, he slid into her and he heard her whimper into the mattress. He smiled. He’d give her twenty seconds before she screamed. He just hoped, she did it into the bedding.

Goddamn, he wanted to slap her ass, but he knew it would be too loud, so he focused on giving her the best (and quietest) orgasm he could.

Once Kaspar succeeded in making love to his wife and keeping her from shouting the house down, he pulled her into his arms and ran his fingers along her naked hip.

“How did everything go?” she asked.

“Very tense, but I got several of the answers I wanted. Not so sure the brothers Gunnach did, however.”

“What does their father want?”

“He wants to take down his wife.”

“Why?”

“This whole mess started back in Iceland before Erik’s clan was exiled. Erik and Alice, although married in the traditional human sense, were not mates. Before he was sent to Scotland, Erik found his true mate, a human. He bound her, and she gave birth to Brodie. Instead of telling anyone about his mate, he hid her because she was human, but took Brodie to be raised by their clan.”

Jesska gasped. “How did he explain that?”

“He said Brodie was an orphan, but Alice knew the truth. Her response to his betrayal was to have an affair with a human man, and this produced Fiona.”

“Oh, my god, it’s like a soap opera.”

Kaspar chuckled. “Very much so.”

She settled her chin on his chest. “Is that why they were exiled?”

“Partly. Erik broke our laws by binding a human—”

“Which you have as well, may I point out—”

Kaspar grinned as he gave her bottom a gentle smack. “Let me finish.”

Jesska giggled. “Sorry. Carry on.”

“Erik had been planning a coup for a long time. He’d been watching and waiting and preparing, but what he didn’t realize was that our people were far more loyal to my father than Erik knew. Even folks who told Erik they were with him continued to report back to my father about Erik’s movements. In the end, my father had had enough, and Erik and anyone loyal to him were sent here. Erik arrived and claimed himself king, changed his name, and the Cauld Ane were born.”

She scooted further up his body, kissing his neck. “Didn’t Kade say something about his father being dead?”

Kaspar nodded. “Alice had him ‘killed,’ however, she didn’t realize how loyal the people were to him. The ones she hired to commit the murder concocted this plan to fake his death until he could put an alternative plan into action. It took a little longer than he expected.”

“How long?” she asked.

“Erik Gunnach’s death certificate was issued in 1847.”

Jesska sat up. “Shut up. Seriously?”

He pulled her back down. “Yes.”

“Why did she want him dead?”

“Payback. From what I understand, Alice is a nasty, bitter woman, driven by her desire for revenge against the man who cheated on her.”

“Well, I can kind of understand that,” Jesska countered, her irritation rising. “I mean, not the actual going through with murder part, but wanting to, for sure. Can’t you?”

“I’m not excusing him, baby. Personally, I’ve never understood someone marrying for any reason other than forever love, and joining with someone who isn’t your mate is idiotic, but from all accounts, he was forced to marry.”

“How could that happen with a race of people who know they’re expected to mate to someone specifically?”

“Different time, sweetheart,” he said. “I don’t understand it either, and I don’t think the order came from my father. Kade implied that his father may have been repaying a debt, but I’m not privy to exactly what happened.”

“So many lies,” she mused.

“Yes. He is not a good man.” He kissed her forehead.

“So, what does he want with Sophia?”

“Erik’s plan was to use the girls to take out Alice and her cohorts, believing Kade would have his back.”

“And Kade didn’t,” she deduced.

“No. He didn’t. Kade rules by honor, and he’s been king for a long time. He’s his own man and not someone to be manipulated.”

Jesska raised her head. “Don’t tell me you’re growing fond of Kade Gunnach, Kaz.”

He chuckled. “I have come to respect him, despite our beginning.”

She kissed his chest. “I won’t tell a soul.”

“Thank you.” He smiled.

“Was he the one who kidnapped Charlotte and Pepper?”

“No. But he knows who did.”

“Who?”

“He won’t tell us. His plan came together after he discovered their gifts. But he has a wide reach and managed to find enough people who were sympathetic to his cause, so someone within Erik’s sphere of influence knows something. We just aren’t sure what.”

Jesska wrinkled her nose. “That’s a little disconcerting.”

“Yes,” he agreed.

“How did you know to look for Megan and Sophia?” she asked.

“A woman came to warn me that they were in danger. I have since discovered she is Alice’s sister, but they are estranged.”

“Not so estranged that she didn’t know what Alice did, it would appear.”

Kaspar shook his head. “Edith only found out when Alice called for assistance after the Council had made the decision to incarcerate her. Apparently, Alice confessed part of the plan, which is why Edith felt the need to warn me. I am, after all, her king. She stayed in Iceland when Alice was exiled with Erik.”

“And where’s Edith now?”

“Safe.”

“Safe where?”

“I have no idea. Austri took care of it so that I would have plausible deniability.”

“It’s that serious?” Jesska pressed. “That you can’t know where she is?”

“It’s that serious,” he said. “But enough of this, baby. Home tomorrow.”

Jesska bit her lip. “So soon?”

“We need to get back and deal with those who partnered with Erik,” he said. “But we can return to Edinburgh as soon as these issues are taken care of.”

“You just said you didn’t know who partnered with Erik.”

“I don’t know.”

“But you suspect,” she said. “Kaz, what aren’t you telling me?”

Kaspar shook his head.

“You’re really not going to tell me?”

“I’m really not going to tell you,” he confirmed. “I’m done with this touching you. I want to take you home. Ari and Megan will join us and stay until this is sorted, and then we are free to do whatever we like.”

She sat up on her knees again and crossed her arms. “Are you getting all kingy on me?”

He sighed. “Jesska, this has nothing to do with my status as king. Outside of the fact you wouldn’t know these people even if I told you who they were, I want you protected, and that includes protecting you from knowing things that might concern you or cause you worry.”

“Kaz, I’m not a child. You don’t have to protect me from worrying. You don’t have too much control over that anyway.”

“I know you’re not a child, baby.”

“Code for: I’m still not going to tell you anything.”

He smiled.

“Will you tell me the story when it’s done?”

Kaspar tugged on her arms, pulling her forward and on top of him again. “I will tell you when it’s done.”

“This doesn’t get you off the hook.”

He rolled her onto her back, kissing her neck and running his hand over her hip. “It doesn’t?”

“No, it doesn’t.”

He cupped her breast and she sucked in a deep breath.

“But maybe that does,” she whispered.

Kaspar chuckled and distracted her from feeling slighted by keeping her extremely satisfied in other areas.