We leave the king’s chambers after I pick out some simple clothing for him that should allow him to blend in. Luckily, his hair is done nicely, making him look refined.

Luke and I walk back to his home. We’re to return at sunset for dinner when he will tell Luke’s brothers and sister the plan. While apart, I will be writing down everything I can think of for the king. Instructions on where to go, how to use my phone, and a host of other things. I’m hoping that once he gets ahold of Rya, she will come to him. He won’t know how to use a car and there are no cabs in my small town. I won’t be there to assist him, but I can give him the most information possible. He will have to remain in my home and wait for her.

Once inside, Luke hands me paper and a pencil. I sit at the table and begin to quickly write. He strides to the couch and throws himself onto it. His arm bends to rest over his eyes. The sight of him makes my chest pinch. He’s been through so much this morning. I try to write faster, so I can spend some time with him before we have to go back for our meeting with his family.

When I finally think I have everything covered and my hand is completely cramped up, I fold the paper and leave it on the dining table. Standing, I walk to the couch where Luke hasn’t moved since he laid down. I sit on the edge facing him, and place my hand on the arm he has lying by his side. The one covering his face lifts and he peers up at me. In his eyes I see sorrow, hurt, and hope. Most of his life he thought his mother was dead, and not only is she alive, but he could have more siblings. There is also the possibility that she won’t come back, or his dad for that matter. My heart breaks for him.

He reaches up, gently grips my arms, and pulls me down until I’m resting my head in the crook of his neck. I nuzzle it with my nose and relax in his arms. He’s holding me tightly and I let him. He’s not the only one who could use comfort at the moment. At least we have each other.

His heart is beating a steady rhythm beneath my palm. His voice is rough with emotion when he says, “Thank you.”

I lift my head to look into his eyes. They are full of unshed tears. “For what?”

“For sacrificing the ability to go back to your home, so my father can go in search of my mother. I know what you’re giving up for us.”

I gently caress the rough stubble on his cheek. “If he can find her and bring her back, my sacrifice will be worth it. Really, I don’t have anything to go back to.”

He cocks his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

I shrug one shoulder. “My mom was the only family I had there, and once she passed away I was alone. I had no real friends. I was living each day with no excitement, no real purpose other than fulfilling her wishes. At least here I have a father, albeit one that I don’t know, nor am I sure if I want to. But if I’m here, then the opportunity is there for me to seek him out.”

He brushes a stray piece of hair away from my face. “And here I thought that maybe you were staying here for me.”

“You may have been a factor.”

“May?”

I roll eyes. “Okay, so you were a factor.”

“I knew it,” he gloats.

“No one likes a bragger.”

He laughs, takes my face in his hands, and lifts his lips to mine. It’s not the heated kiss of this morning. This one is more languid. Our tongues meet and sweep over one another. It’s sweet.

I pull away before it can become more. “So,” I say with my face tucked back into his neck, while my finger makes small circles on his chest. “Is there an unoccupied home nearby that I can move into? Seems I’m currently without one.”

“You’re joking.”

“No, not at all. I need somewhere to live.”

“You honestly believe that I’m going to let you sleep somewhere other than in my arms, after I’ve spent the night with you and know what pure bliss it is? That was the best sleep I’ve had in years. No, my princess, you’ll be staying with me.”

“Luke, we can’t live together. That’s really rushing it.”

“Are we going to discuss this again?”

“Apparently so. I don’t know what it’s like here, but where I’m from you don’t move in with someone after only knowing them a day. Okay, maybe a few people do, but it took me a year before I moved in with my ex-husband.”

He sits up quickly, taking me with him. “You’re married?”

I look at him and straddle his hips to get comfortable on his lap. “No, I’m not married. I said ex-husband. Emphasis on the ex part.”

“Did he die?”

“No, but I could have killed him for cheating on me.”

“What?” he barks. “How could he have done that? How could anyone do that to you?”

“I asked myself that very question when I caught him in bed with another woman, but in the end it was for the best.”

“We don’t part once we’re married here. When we say our vows, it’s for life,” he states firmly.

“We do, too, but sometimes it doesn’t work out as planned.”

His hands grip my hips and he pulls me flush against him. “Our worlds are different, but it matters not. I have you here with me. I’m never letting go. You can argue about how quick it is, and fight me along the way, but in the end I’ll have you to myself. I always get what I want. Now, is there anything else I should know about you, Princess Pine?”

“You call me that again and I’ll remove a very sensitive part of your body. That I can guarantee you.”

He chuckles as he kisses along my neck. My head tips to the side on instinct to grant him better access. The soft groan he makes causes a shiver to rush through me. His hands skim over my back, then to my sides, and up to the bottom of my breasts, where his thumbs gently caress the underside. I arch my back and start to grind against him. I can feel him harden beneath me. I’m not usually so brazen. There’s something about him. I let go of everything and simply enjoy this time. He nips along my shoulder, but eventually shifts back.

“Why did you stop?” I ask breathily.

“Because when I take you, and I will take you, it will be in my bed with no rush. I’ll take my time discovering every curve of your body. I’ll find out how you taste everywhere. I’ll make you scream my name in pleasure, and then you’ll be mine. You’ll confess you have feelings for me, eventually.”

I bite my lower lip and look away from him. Truth be told, I do feel something for him. Something so deep it scares me. It’s not normal to feel so much, so fast. I know this, but I can’t deny the way my body reacts to his nearness, or how being in his arms seems right. I’ve never felt anything close to this with my ex and that’s not lost on me.

We spend the rest of the day inside Luke’s home. He doesn’t want to go outside until his brothers and sister get the chance to meet me and find out everything from his father. Even though there are people in the kingdom who’ve seen me, and us hold hands, he said he’d rather not add fuel to gossip that’s already spreading.

A guard comes to Luke’s home to collect us for dinner. This time I know I don’t need to bring my backpack with me. I won’t be leaving. Not by force and not to go back home. I’m torn about how I feel, but know I made the right decision. I grab the instructions I’ve written, and hand-in-hand, Luke and I walk to see the king. There are a few prying eyes who look at us speculatively, but no one says anything to us.

When we enter the dining room, there’s a feast spread out before us. My eyes dance over all of the delicious looking food, while my stomach rumbles in anticipation. The king is standing in the corner with two men and a woman in front of him. When he takes notice of our entrance, the other three heads swivel in our direction.

My eyes are first drawn to a man who is the same height as the king, and only a few inches taller than Luke. That’s where the differences end between the three of them. This man has dark blond hair and a clean shaven face. His facial structure isn’t as angular as Luke’s. He takes after Rya. I can see it clear as day, down to his hazel eyes.

We approach them; all of their eyes are drawn to our joined hands.

“It must be true then, brother,” the blond man states.

“What are you speaking of, Ry?” Luke replies.

“You’ve finally found a woman.”

His lips quirk up. “It would appear so.”

King Azure interjects, “This is Princess Alison Pine.” I hear sharp intakes of breath. “Alison, I would like you to meet my other children, Ryland, Elliott, and Addison.” He gestures to each person as he speaks their name. The blond is Ryland. I remember that he’ll be the one who will take over the throne.

“Pine?” Ryland asks shocked.

“Yes, Pine,” Luke confirms with hardness in his voice and a steel grip on my hand.

“Well, if this isn’t an interesting turn of events,” Addison comments and starts a slow parade around Luke and me. Her long chestnut hair hangs in soft curls to her mid back. She’s wearing black cotton pants like the men, but her shirt is a deep maroon v-neck that accentuates her breasts. “Of all of my brothers I never thought it would be you,” she directs to Luke, “who would stray with the enemy. My ruthless, cut men down at their knees, brother, and he’s currently holding hands with Pine’s daughter. Whom, mind you, none of us ever knew existed.”

I glance at Luke and see his eyes have narrowed considerably. His jaw is set hard. I decide it’s my turn to speak, since King Azure doesn’t seem quick to jump in.

“I may be Pine’s daughter,” I confirm. “But I’m not one of his pawns. I have never met the man. My allegiance doesn’t lie with him. It lies with Luke and him alone. I know nothing of this kingdom, but I’m one of you now. An equal.”

Addison stops directly in front of me with wide eyes. “How dare you speak to us that way? You are not an equal. You are the enemy,” she seethes.

I step toe-to-toe with her. “Don’t mistake my ignorance about how things work here for weakness. I’m not afraid of you, and I will not be spoken to like I am a lesser a person.” I’m royalty. It’s time to act like it, even if it means being a bitch to people. I’m not going to allow anyone to walk all over me and condemn Luke for standing by my side. Screw that.

I quickly dart my eyes at Luke’s brothers. Ryland has a look of indifference, and I’m waiting for Elliott to burst out laughing. He appears to be seconds away from completely losing it. His lips are twitching and his eyes are crinkling at the corners. He’s almost the same height as Luke and has light brown hair. His eyes are the same hazel color as Ryland.

Elliott steps forward and offers his hand to me, breaking the tension between Addison and me. I take it in mine. He bows at the waist and kisses the back of my hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Alison.” He stands and his gaze flickers between Luke and me. “I apologize for the behavior of my sister. I would say she isn’t normally so rude, but that would be a lie. This is Addi’s normal behavior. Love her or hate her, she is who she is.”

Addison rolls her eyes behind him. “No surprise Elliott sides with our baby brother.” She backs a few steps away from me.

King Azure finally interrupts, “Enough. There is a reason I’ve summoned all of you here and before you even question it, Addison, Princess Alison has every right to be at our table, as you do.” Addison whips around and gives her father an incredulous stare. “Sit. Now. All of you.”

Ryland sits on one side of the king, Luke on the other with me beside him. Elliott sits beside me and Addison is directly across from me, throwing daggers my way. We all begin to eat and the king starts his talk, or confession, if you will.

I pretend my food is the most fascinating thing in the world as he starts his story with me arriving at the cottage. He goes into how I found out about their land. How I’m the daughter of King Pine, yet know nothing of him. That Oliver is supposed to be my future husband. Then he dives into the real heart of the discussion: Rya. How she’s very alive and when she left she was pregnant. I lift my head to watch their reaction to the news that their mother is alive. Elliott has almost the same reaction as Luke did. Addison is sitting still with tears streaming down her cheeks, and Ryland remains stoic, showing no emotion.

Then he gets to the pivotal part about the key and how he’s using it to go in search of her. How I gave him the key and sacrificed my ability to go home, so he can possibly bring her back. One by one their heads turn to me. I drop my eyes to my plate again, although I can still feel the heat of their stares on me.

All the while, Luke’s hand remains in mine. He doesn’t let go until Elliott reaches for me and pulls me into his arms. I hold him back as he whispers in my ear, his voice thick with emotion. “Thank you. Thank you for coming here and giving my father the opportunity to find my mother. And thank you for accepting my brother.” I pull back to take in his expression. He smiles softly. “I doubt Luke has told you, but he never lets women close to him. Not even as a child. Once mom died, or left rather, he only befriended boys and as he got older, men. Sure, he’s been in bed with many women–”

“Elliott!” Luke yells from behind me.

Elliott laughs, but continues, “All I mean is that no woman has been let inside his caged heart. He keeps himself closed off. To see him holding your hand and standing with you, it’s…well, it’s amazing. I, for one, am very happy to have you here with us.” He then pushes his chair back and kneels before me. I have no idea what’s going on and turn to Luke, whose eyes soften.

“I, Elliott Azure, as second-in-command of the Azure Elite, pledge myself to protect you. I also pledge my loyalty to you and will stand by your side, as my brother does.” He stands and peers down at me. “I can never repay all that you’ve given up for us, but I’ll try.”

My eyes mist over and I shake my head. “You don’t have to do that. It’s the least I could do. If it were the other way around, I’d want someone to help me get my mother back.” A tear escapes and glides down my cheek. “I’d give anything to have my mom with me, even for one day.”

I turn to look at the family in front of me. I settle on King Azure and reach into my pocket to get the instructions I wrote out. Standing, I walk over to hand him the paper. “Take this with you. Read it tonight before you leave in the morning. Ask me any questions you have, no matter the time. I want to be sure you’re as prepared as possible for crossing over to my world. It’s nothing like it is here. The town you will step into is very small and the people very friendly, but I advise you stay in my apartment until Rya can get to you. There is food and everything you could need except clothes.”

He takes the paper, then stands and embraces me. It’s the last thing I expect and remain frozen. Pulling back, his hands grip my upper arms and he says, “Thank you. This will never be forgotten.” I nod and return to my seat.

The scary king I met only yesterday, turned into the warm, kind man before me. What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, I was thrown into a dungeon. Today, I’m welcomed as part of the family, at least by some.

King Azure starts speaking again, but this time it’s business. He’s going over what they will tell their people and how Ryland will be in charge until, if and when, he returns. After all, we don’t know what the key will do once he’s on the other side. It’s old magic and could decide its work is done. There’s no way to tell.