Page 61 of Red and Her Dragons (Dirty Paranormal Fairytale Haremlan 4)

I fell into a deep sleep.

24

BRET

One week after the battle that nearly tore my brothers apart and destroyed Emily, I returned home from a patrol shift. I was sent out to search for any stragglers left in the woods and to do a little recon on the wolves to see if they were preparing to make another appearance or unexpected visit.

So far, everything checked out… for now.

There was no telling when the wolves would rear their ugly heads again. I was sure they would eventually, but for now, it was nice to enjoy the peace. As for the humans? No one could figure out where they came from or where they went. But I had a sinking suspicion it was only a matter of time before we saw Collin again too.

Once I stepped inside the castle, I searched for Marcus, though I had a feeling I knew where he would be. A few, short minutes later, I found him stewing on his balcony. Exactly where I thought he would be. He looked at the sky, watching as the sun poked through the thick clouds that typically hovered above us. I quietly joined his side and looked out over the valley.

I loved the view. I loved the land. I even loved the sky. The area was normally a quiet little spot of paradise. Despite the recent battle, the view still helped me feel calm and centered.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey,” Marcus said in return.

I searched his face. There was a hint of worry that pulled at the corners of his mouth. His eyes seemed heavy. I could almost hear the gears turning in his head.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“How did it go?” Marcus asked, ignoring my question.

His voice sounded as though he was lost in thought, which was what I figured he was doing. This was his thinking spot. It was also his favorite place in the castle, but if there was a problem to work out, he would always do it on the balcony. Most of the time alone. I had no idea what it was about this place, but it worked. Maybe it was the view. The calming effect it had on me and Marcus. I never thought to ask Jax about it. Though I had a feeling it would be the same for him too.

“All clear for now,” I said. “There are no signs of human camps. They’ve all cleared out.”

He nodded. “We’ll keep doing rotations. They’ll be back eventually. The only question is when.”

“Agreed,” I said. “So are you going to answer my question now?”

He glanced at me with a confused expression.

I shook my head. “What’s eating you?”

He huffed and his head drooped a little. “I can’t stop thinking about Emily.”

“What about her?” I asked, trying to ignore the spike of panic that set my heart racing. “Did something happen?”

“No. Nothing happened. I just…” He twisted to face me. “Well, you are already aware of how much I missed her when she left the last time.”

I nodded. “I didn’t think you would ever recover.”

“To be honest,” he said as he returned his gaze over the valley, “I wasn’t so sure myself.”

“So… is she leaving?” I asked, still trying not to sound too worried.

He shook his head. “I’m not sure. I can’t bring myself to let her go if she wanted to.”

“Why would she be going somewhere?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I don’t know. She said from the beginning her staying here was only temporary.”

I nodded, processing the information he had just given me. It was true what he said. Emily made it clear her staying in the castle was a temporary arrangement. But like him, I couldn’t stand the thought of her leaving. And the thought that she would, now that things were settling down, made my heart sink.

“I love her too,” I said through a heavy sigh.

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