Page 83 of The Dragon's Gambit
“He said he would have to try us each out in order to make a decision.” The second girl spewed her poison with her sickening sweet smile on her face.
“And he still hasn’t, huh?” Reese’s voice was dripping in disbelief. He was not buying their story.
“Oh no, he has. Just not with both of us yet. Only with my sister. He had to make time for her during the day, because apparently, he’s had business overnight. He said he’s been busy this week, but promised he would get to me soon.”
The timing actually makes sense.Reiya couldn’t help the insecure thoughts that began to bubble in her mind. She felt nauseous. He wouldn’t play her, right? The timing was right, though. He had been busy at night because he’d been with her. He left so often during the day that it would have been his best time.
The girl who was claiming to have slept with Lee pulled out something from her handbag. “He left this by accident after we were together.” She pulled out an undershirt that she had kept folded up in her bag. “I’m sure you recognize his scent.” The girl smiled and looked at Reese.
Reiya noticed how Reese shifted his weight on his feet, looking a bit nervous. His finger was now twitching, a tiny involuntary movement that betrayed the nerves and anxiety bubbling just beneath the surface.
Reiya looked at the girl in front of her.No. I won’t believe it. I trust Lee.Reiya took in a gentle, relaxing breath.If you don’t have trust in your relationship, then you have nothing.She could feel the love Lee had for her. She didn’t think him capable of seeking fulfillment elsewhere. She had been all too willing. He was the one who wanted to wait. She would believe in him. She loved him. Besides, Lee and Xander were close. If something amiss was going on, Xander would know about it.
Yeah, he probably does know about it. Why would he tell you? You’re pissing me off. Wait, I’m pissing me off? Anyway, we’re not going to doubt him. But she has his undershirt. So what? She’s a creeper. Good point. She probably stole it out of his room. Hmmm, but how would she get down that hall? It’s off limits. So we’re back to doubting again? No. Ugh. I’m getting nowhere talking to myself, which is probably something I really need to knock off.
Reiya pulled herself away from her self-dialogue. This was not Brody telling her he saw Lee with someone. No, it was someone she didn’t trust at all. Did the girl have a convincing story? Yes. That was all she had, though. A story. So, she would push the Lee thing aside. Sure, she would bring it up with him, for the simple reason that he needed to know what was being said about him.
However, there was another problem right now. She was beginning to fume over someone speaking that way about Lee.How dare they insinuate such things? And who knows how many people they’ve told this lie to?Her blood was beginning to boil. She wasn’t sure how she should proceed.How about with a left hook?It was sound advice, if she wasn’t trying to be diplomatic. And how would she explain why she was so angry? Why should them talking about Lee make her upset? She wasn‘t going to say that she was his mate, even though she would love to. She would love to watch their jaws drop.
“Awful quiet now, aren’t you?” the girl who claimed to have slept with Lee hissed.
Reiya met the girl in the eyes confidently. “I was just wondering how much trouble you would get in for lying about sleeping with Lee-viathan.” She had to correct herself before she called him just Lee.
“How dare you accuse us of lying!” the girl scoffed in agitation.
Reiya shrugged. “And then there’s the part where you went down the king’s private hall in order to steal one of his shirts to make your story more convincing. Tsk tsk tsk … I can’t imagine that will go over well. I wonder what your deity would think?”
“Why don’t you go ahead and ask him?” the girl smirked.
Reiya grinned at the girl and nodded. “That’s exactly what I plan to do.” She was going to call this girl’s bluff. She watched for any signs of nervousness from them, but they were not showing any. Either they were really confident in their story, or ...
“Good, and when you talk to him, remind him that I’m available whenever it’s convenient for him,” the other girl chimed in as she batted her eyes at Reiya.
“It’s not like she can actually talk to him anyway.” The girl rolled her eyes and the two snickered together.
“She’s the future queen of this kingdom. She has spoken to Leviathan before, and there is no reason why she can’t speak to him.” Reese stuck up for Reiya, and the moment the words came out of his mouth, the girls’ snickers quieted down. Therewas now a small glint of anger in their eyes. “If you’ll excuse us, ladies, we have other matters to attend to.” Reese motioned for Reiya to continue down the hall, and she slowly obliged. She honestly wasn’t ready to leave. She wanted to see where the conversation was going next. She looked at Reese, waiting for an explanation.
When they were further away, Reese rolled his eyes a bit and looked over at Reiya. “Those two have always been trouble. Spoiled brats who always get their way. There is no talking to them.”
“I was curious as to how much deeper they were going to dig their graves.” Reiya raised her shoulders slightly.
“What makes you think they’re lying? I mean … the offer isn’t unheard of.”
“Oh, Reese. Seriously? Do you really think that your deity has such bad taste in women?”He better say no!Reiya raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.
Reese nodded his head and chuckled. “You’re right. I never really thought about it like that. If I know better than to get involved with them, then he definitely knows better.”
She could see the instant relief in his eyes. Reiya giggled. “Were you nervous about it?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, if one of them ended up with the deity, that would be hell for all of us. I mean, they would basically be in charge of everything. Who would dare go against the deity’s mate?” Reese chuckled as Reiya quietly understood the true meaning of being Lee’s mate. It would put her in a position even above Xander. She would have to be careful about who she trusted. People would try to use her to get to him. Lee had been around and was smart, and she was a young girl just learning about the world. She would need to be cautious so she could protect him.
“I think that’s why he’s never taken a mate. He never wanted that to become a problem.” Reese smiled sadly. “It must be lonely, don’t you think? Forced to live in this world for eternity, with no one by your side.”
Reiya felt her chest tighten as she thought about it. Her poor Lee. Had he been lonely? She’d been thinking about herself so much lately, about her needs and wants. It must have been so much harder for him to deny himself of what he wanted. Even now, he continued to be smart and practical, even with his mate pull. Emotionally, he was so much stronger than her. She took in a gentle breath and smiled. He wasn’t alone now. She would be with him and would do whatever she could to be an asset to him. One thing she could promise … she would always be there for him. Whatever he faced, she would be there to face it with him.
How was she lucky enough to end up being his mate? No matter what happened in the future, she didn’t want Lee to ever be lonely again. He was immortal. She didn’t want to have to take his immortality away from him. In her head, the Ocean’s Tear was the last resort. So, knowing that one day she would die, she wanted him to be happy. Which got her thinking … if they had children, would they be immortal children, or would they also have a mortal life?
She blushed slightly, thinking about having Lee’s children. Now, how would she ask him about the topic without seeming overeager?
