"It's been weeks now. There's been no sight of him anywhere in the kingdom."
Thorne sat at the high table, and all the council mbers had gathered for this eting. After everything that had happened in the kingdom, everyone and their fathers were on edge.
"Perhaps he couldn't bear the sha. A man like that, losing everything? He must have taken his own life."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Aren't we jumping off a cliff here? A man like Lord Carter—" the man paused, clearing his throat. "—A man like Carter surely has way too much pride to take his life. I don't believe that theory."
"Perhaps he fled the kingdom. That seems more reasonable. After all, with our warriors in every nook and cranny of the kingdom, there's no way he's still here."
Thorne watched as they debated endlessly, hearing their different opinions. Truly, it had been weeks since the death of the woman in the village, and that was the last sighting of Carter.
"How long are we going to argue over the disgraced councilman? He's had everything ripped from him already. Either way, he is no longer our concern—"
Thorne's head snapped up, jaw tight. "He is very much our concern."
They all fell silent at his words, heads facing the table.
Thorne continued, "Carter is a man full of pride. A man who cannot bear to have his na dragged through the filth. He has way too much ego to stay silent. Which is why, until proven otherwise," Thorne continued, "we assu he is alive."
There was not a single murmur in the room; no one wanted to anger the King even further.
"How long shall we have our soldiers spread across the realm then, my king?" a councilman asked.
"Until Carter's body is brought to . They will stay spread out across the realm, searching for him."
"The search will continue," he finished. "Across every border, every village, every road. I want reports brought to daily."
"Now let's move onto the next order of the day…" and the eting went on.
It was evening when he was finally done with his work. He leaned back in the chair, eyes shut for a second. At first, he only wanted to relax, but then he found himself reaching for Adina through the mind link.
He felt her presence instantly and smiled. Sohow, everything about her comforted him so much, he only wished she'd understand him, where he was coming from with this.
He stood up abruptly, his mind yearning for her now. He had been distant for two days, and quite frankly, it had been killing him. He only wanted her to see, to reason and understand things; hence the distance. But his wolf wasn't having it, and he too—it was taking every ounce of blood in him to keep it up.
He walked out of the office, heading towards her room where her presence was the strongest.
He pushed the door open without knocking, his eyes landing on her instantly. Sohow, she always took his breath away.
Adina stood by the window, her back to him, bathed in the pale wash of the evening sun. For a mont, he simply watched her.
She looked ethereal, like an image from his vision brought to life. She looked peaceful, but he knew she was anything but that.
The clench in her shoulders told him all there was to know. He took three long strides to her, slipping his arms around her from behind, pulling her gently against him.
Adina stilled for only a second before relaxing into his touch. "You're here," she murmured.
"I'm always here," he whispered, enjoying how her scent wafted into his nose. Now that she was pregnant, her scent had beco three tis more intense.
He nuzzled her neck lightly, feeling her shiver.
Adina's fingers curled gently over his, holding him there like she needed the reassurance. She wasn't going to bring up what had happened over the past two days if he didn't talk about it first. She'd move on, like he seed to be doing.
"Another eting today?" she asked softly.
"As usual," he replied, "The council never seems to run out of things to argue about."
She humd, her gaze still fixed outside. "About him?"
Thorne's jaw tightened slightly, but he didn't pull away. "Among other things."
Adina shifted in his hold just enough to turn her head slightly. "Do you think he's still here?"
Thorne didn't answer imdiately, rembering her breakdown when she'd supposedly seen him during the execution.
"Probably," he said finally, not saying anything other than that, except holding her a tad tighter.
Adina's eyes flickered, but she said nothing more. Instead, she let her head rest lightly against his shoulder.
"What do you think?" she asked after a while.
"About what?" he murmured.
"Our pup."
Sothing in him softened instantly.
He adjusted his hold, one hand slipping down to rest protectively over her stomach. "A girl," he said without hesitation.
Adina chuckled softly, she hadn't even thought of the gender. "So certain?"
"A daughter," he repeated, pressing a kiss just below her ear. "As beautiful… and as strong as you are."
Adina's smile grew. "And if she isn't?" she asked.
"And even then, she'll still be perfect because she ca from you. A mixture of the both of us, what more could I seek?"
That pulled a small smile from her lips.
He rested his chin lightly against her shoulder. "I've thought of a na."
"Oh?" she asked, turning slightly in his arms now. "Already?"
"Virelle."
Adina froze for a second, turning to face him fully. "Virelle? Like Virelya?" she asked.
He gave a curt nod. "Like Virelya."
Adina's eyes watered, perhaps she was feeling even more emotional. "I- I don't know what to say."
"Then say nothing…." He paused, and she could feel a but coming. "Does that an…" his voice was low and cautious now, "you've decided?"
Adina t his gaze, and for a mont, there was hesitation.
But, she smiled, about to speak only to be cut off by the door opening.
Thessara stepped in, although her eyes showed surprise to find Thorne, she wasn't at all surprised.
The both of them turned toward her, her gaze shifted from Adina's for a second then back to Thorne.
Thessara mustered up a smile, the words felt heavy on her tongue. "The core has been removed, Your Majesty."
Thorne stilled. "Removed?"
Thessara inclined her head. "Adina ca to earlier today. The ritual was completed successfully."
Relief washed over Thorne so suddenly. His shoulders dropped, the tension that had been sitting on him for days finally gone.
"You should have told ," he said, turning fully toward Adina now, his hands coming up to cradle her face.
He lifted her hands, pressing a slow kiss against her knuckles.
"You have no idea what this ans to ," he murmured.
He pulled her into him, holding her tightly like he could finally breathe again.
Adina wrapped her arms around him just as firmly. Her eyes lifted over his shoulder, eting Thessara's.
"Thank you," she mouthed.
Thessara didn't move, she could only watch with a heavy heart, her eyes filled with regret.
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