The Dragon Legion Collection(11)

“Of course, I can stay here.” He became indignant. “You’re my wife...”

“I was your wife, but you left.”

Alexander stared at Katina and she knew from the intensity of his gaze that he’d guessed the truth. He took a deep breath, one that made his nostrils flare. His eyes began to glitter with a strange light, one that made Katina take a step backward. “You married again?” he asked as if this were incomprehensible.

“You sent no word,” she replied with frustration. “Not a single message in eight years! What would I think except that you’d been killed?”

He ran a hand over his head. “But if it’s been eight years, then my service is done,” he said, almost to himself, then turned to her with his eyes alight.

Katina refused to be seduced by his hopeful expression. Even so, she knew that if he touched her, she’d lose the battle. She held up a hand between them. “Wait. You knew it might be eight years? You knew and you never mentioned as much?”

“I didn’t expect it would be...”

“You should have told me!”

He stood up, looking grim. “Would you have married again if I had told you?”

She knew the promise he wanted, but couldn’t give it. “Eight years is a long time,” she replied. “I had a son. I had no husband. I had to survive. We would have starved in eight years, easily.”

“But you had your pottery...”

“And no trade in it.”

“Why not?”

“Alexander, I’m not skilled at this craft.”

“You should have been able to sell enough.”

Katina had to avert her gaze. “And there were stories...”

“What kind of stories? What did people say about you?”

“It doesn’t matter! No one would come to me to buy, and Lysander had to eat.” She spun and paced the width of the room, knowing there was no short version of the story he would accept. “You were gone, and I had no word from you. I made a choice, because I had to.”

Alexander folded his arms across his chest. His body rigid and there was a curious flicker of blue light surrounding him, although Katina couldn’t guess what it was. “Who?” he demanded in a low voice.

Katina simply held his gaze and let him guess.

Alexander swore thoroughly as he turned away from her. He marched the width of the room twice and looked as if he’d put his fist through the wall.

Katina was shocked. She had never known she could provoke him to such a visible display of anger. She supposed it was the sign of his feelings that she’d always wanted, but in this moment, she didn’t like the sight.

Alexander returned to face her. He caught her shoulders in his hands so that she couldn’t evade his gaze. “Not Cetos?” he demanded, clearly guessing that it was. “You didn’t want to marry him before.” His voice rose. “I ensured you didn’t have to!”

That blue light surrounding his body became more vivid, like a lick of lightning. Katina felt the intensity of his anger, but she was unafraid of him.

Alexander would never hurt her.

Katina held his gaze. “I had no choice,” she said, biting off the words. “No other man would have me. I did what had to be done for Lysander. Our son needed a future and I was the only one here to give it to him.” She decided she might as well tell him all of it. “I asked him to marry me.”

Alexander flinched at that, but Katina had no satisfaction from his response.

In fact, she felt sad and empty. He was back but she had to send him away, because of choices she’d made. She knew Alexander’s opinion on pledges and promises.

She lifted his hand from her shoulder, kissed his fingertips, then dropped his hand and stepped back. “You must leave now.”

Alexander didn’t move. “Was he kind to Lysander?”

“He wasn’t unkind,” Katina acknowledged, sure that Alexander would hear the difference. “He wasn’t pleased to raise another man’s son, which is why he’ll be glad that Pelias came.”

“He’s not here?”

“He was gone, trading. He’ll return tonight.” Katina frowned at Alexander’s obvious dissatisfaction with her answer. “Cetos never treated Lysander badly. He just ignored him.”

That still wasn’t enough. Alexander’s voice dropped low. “Was he kind to you?”

“I made a vow,” Katina said softly. “You, of all people, should respect that.”

“No!” Alexander retorted. He was furious, as outraged at injustice as only a man of honor could be. “No, I’m back and I will stay. You don’t love him, Katina, and you never did.”

“You don’t know that...”

“I do know that. Your body told me the truth of it.” Alexander watched as she caught her breath. “If you loved him, I would never have been in your bed again. We both know that to be true.” He put out his hand in invitation and offered her heart’s desire to her, as easily as that. “Come away with me. Let’s be together. Let’s go now.”


Katina was tempted. But now she remembered all the moments in her marriage to Alexander when she’d had doubts, when she’d known that Alexander hadn’t been telling her all of the truth for whatever reason. When they made love, she felt a powerful connection, but otherwise, he’d often been impassive and beyond her reach. She remembered her own fear that he would discover her secret, and how he might react.