Page 27 of A Crown of Fates
And that’s enough. For now.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
ESTEE
I’m not sure I’ve ever been filthier. Bits of mashed potato and custard cling to my hair, streaks of pasta sauce splatter my arms, and breadcrumbs cling to my clothes. And yet, a joy pulses through me that I can’t shake, a bubbling thrill that has me not caring about the fact that I’ll probably be washing food out of my hair for days. A tiny part of me wants to hate this—the mess, this chaos, these ridiculous food-covered clothes. But the rest of me? I’m happier than I’ve been in years.
And that terrifies me.
When Theo scared the children, I’d let my fury loose without thinking twice and wanted nothing more than to see him gone. Then, when he stood up to me—refusing to cower like he had before—it shifted something inside me. Forced me to see him differently, to see strength I hadn’t expected. I’ve grown a little too comfortable watching him hurt over his choices, and I’m not sure I like what that says about me.
But it’s more than that. It’s the way he brushed past me, shoulders firm—every inch of him exuding a command I hadn’t sensed before. I wanted to hate him for that moment of defiance, but more than that, I wanted to grab those shoulders and slam him against the wall in the least hateful way.
Then, when he teamed up with the kids, allowing them to have fun with all of us… Watching him let go, laughing, and embracing the chaos—it melted something icy inside me. The man could let his guard down, could be playful and kind. Could make me forget—just for a moment—every dark thought I’ve had about him.
The more I try to compartmentalize the new information, the more tangled my thoughts and heart become. Theo is a knot in my mind, one I can’t unravel, and the more I pull, the tighter it gets. I still haven’t forgotten that he’s keeping things from me, but the more time we spend together, the easier that gets to overlook. Though, that’s only temporary. We have to trust each other if we’re going to make whatever this is work for any significant length of time.
After having filled a good portion of the day with the kids, I thought I would enjoy the quiet of my room after dinner, but I’m missing the distraction they gave me. Jerome offered them their own spaces as we got them settled into bed, but unsurprisingly, they’ve chosen to stay together for now.
Keera took charge helping Addie and Benji into their pajamas, then getting their teeth brushed, but that’s something I also hope to change. She doesn’t need to be a mother to these kids when she’s still a child herself. While I don’t intend to take that role from her, I plan to give her enough help that she no longer feels she has to parent them.
After showering, I put on underwear and a thick cotton robe then toss my hair into a bun. I should brush and dry it, but that’s future Estee’s problem. Tonight, I’m too damn tired. I want to enjoy my quiet time, maybe call Isla, and get a good night’s rest.
My wolf paces in the back of my mind, hungry for the freedom of the wild. She wants to run tonight, I can tell, to stretch her legs and lose herself in the silence of the woods. And I understand that urge; the pull of the forest is always there.
Tomorrow, I promise her, and the steady drum of her restless energy begins to settle.
I collapse onto the mattress, staring up at the ceiling as a whirlwind of thoughts race through my mind. And then, just as everything starts to slow, a knock sounds at my door.
Theo.
I can’t sense him like mates should be able to, but his scent is unmistakable. Over the past two days, the spicy, earthy aroma of sandalwood mixed with the perfect summer storm has become imprinted on my senses, enveloping me like a warm blanket with every interaction. And I’m not sure whether I love it or hate it. But I do know I’m beginning to crave it.
I walk lightly across the room, the cold wooden floorboards pressing into my bare feet. When I open the door, my smile is soft, gentle, but also cautious, as if I’m holding the slippery truce between my fingers and hoping it won’t shatter.
Theo stands on the other side, the moonlight filtering through the hallway window casting a silvery glow on his face. His hair, damp from a recent shower, hangs over his forehead. He wears a white t-shirt and loose grey pajama pants, looking less like a king and more like a man who’s just stepped out of a long day. His eyes are charcoal with a shimmer of something else, something that makes my breath hitch.
“Did I come at a bad time?” he asks, his voice a low rumble, and I catch the way his eyes dip to my chest for a split second before snapping back to my face.
I bring my hands up to cover myself, realizing belatedly that my robe is falling open. I tug the fabric tightly around me as heat rises to my cheeks. “I was just resting,” I say quickly. “Did you need something?” I stay in the doorway, unsure if I should invite him in or if he’d even want me to. An uncertainty I don’t like.
“I was wondering if we could talk.” He glances behind me, into the bedroom. “Privately.”
The deep timbre of his words curl around me like smoke, and I’m forced to grip the doorframe tighter to stay steady. The alpha power in his tone weaves through my mind, sending little shivers down my spine. Gods, it’s hard to breathe when he’s this close. Is this the bond? A fragment of what I’ve yet to understand? Until I do, I should say no—keep my distance, keep the questions locked away for another day. But I can’t. Though I should at least be careful.
Do I really?
Damn that hungry voice in my head. I blame my wolf. She might not be able to talk directly to me, but there’s no doubt she can manipulate my emotions to a certain extent. There’s only so much of her pining that I can ignore when it comes to Theo.
Between that and seeing the other sides of him, this is going to get more complicated before there’s a chance of anything making sense.
Even so, I step aside and welcome Theo into my room. “Come on in.”
His eyes openly roam my mostly covered body, and suddenly, the puffy robe doesn’t feel thick enough. “Thank you.”
As he passes by me, just his essence has be shoulders shuddering.
He has to be doing this intentionally.