Page 68 of Cold Hearted
“Dawn,” Zander started, taking my hand, “this is my brother, Zane, lord of the Western Kingdom.”
Oh.Ohhh.
A bolt of apprehension shot through me, and I had to resist the urge to look for a weapon. The last brother of Zander’s that I’d met had tried to kill me—rightly so, since I was there to cut out his heart, but still.
In contrast to his brother Stryker’s darker hair, Zane’s hair was a shade lighter than Zander’s, with a tint of auburn. It was shorn close on the sides and longer on top, a few strands hanging roguishly over one brow. One of his eyes was the exact same color as Zander’s, but the other was half-blue, half-brown. He was taller than Zander by at least a couple of inches, which made him almost a giant, and Zander’s comment about him being recognized was spot on. Already guests were staring at us and whispering behind their hands,smiling and waving as if they’d seen a famous bard.
Zane smiled back at me with a look that so strongly reminded me of Zander that my unease melted away.
“Lady Dawn, it is absolutely a pleasure to meet the maiden who has captured the heart of my favorite brother.” He held his hand out to me, and I let him take it. He showed me the honor of bowing low, even though he himself was a ruler and didn’t need to address me as such, and then placed a kiss over my knuckles.
Zander released a low growl of warning when Zane didn’t immediately release my hand, which only made his brother’s grin widen.
“Let’s get off the dance floor,” Zander suggested, taking my hand and leading me to a semi-private corner of the room.
When we reached the spot, his hackles lowered, and Zander shook his head at his brother. “Just wait until it happens to you. Just the thought of another man looking at your mate will threaten to send you into a rage.” Zane glanced at his brother quizzically and Zander nodded. “It’s true. It’s just as our father described it to us.”
A wistful look blanketed Zane’s features as he glanced back and forth between the two of us. “I’m very happy for you.”
“Thank you, brother.” He clasped Zane’s shoulder, and then peered over the crowd. “Where is Adrien?” Zander asked.
Stryker had not even graced us with a response to our wedding invite, but Zane and Adrien were both supposed to come.
Zane pursed his lips into a tight line. “Something came up last minute. He couldn’t make it but sent this.”
Zane pulled a small silver box from within his coat and handed it to me.
I looked at Zander, who smiled and nodded that I open it.
I lifted the lid to the silver box with little fanfare, and then grinned when I saw the small round dessert balls of some kind covered in powdered sugar.
“They are cookies made with dates that grow on certain trees you can only find on the Southern Kingdom’s beaches. A delicacy in my brother’s land,” Zane told me.
I popped one in my mouth and released a moan. Sugary goodness splashed across my tongue, and Zander smiled before grabbing one, and then Zane was next.
“Thank him for us,” I said through a mouthful.
“What came up last minute that he would have to miss his brother’s wedding and send pity cookies instead?” Zander asked grumpily.
Zane licked some powdered sugar off his fingers and frowned. “Pirates again,” was all he said, but that got Zander sitting erect.
“Is he okay?”
Zane nodded. “All is well. Let’s enjoy this night.”
We spent the next while with me getting to know Zane, and he and Zander catching up. After that initial reaction, I fell into an easy comradery with Zane. He was jovial, personable, and kind, everything Stryker hadn’t been. Zane seemed like the kind of fae anyone would get along with, and I could see why he and Zander were so close. Apparently, there was some tension in his court right now, so he hadn’t initially thought he’d be able to travel to our kingdom for the wedding, but he’d figured it out,and seeing the happiness on Zander’s face that his brother was here made me glad he’d found a way—especially since Stryker and Aiden never showed.
Too soon, Zander and I were pulled away from Zane and spent the next couple of hours visiting with the various guests. I was delighted to find that Brienne and the boys made it to Noreum for the wedding. I danced with Kipp and Kegan, laughing as we all kicked up our heels, until their eyes started to droop and Brienne took them to retire early. I also made sure to carve out some time to spend with Nysa and Alexandria, who were all smiles, even the usually stoic Nysa. I saw her looking over at one of Captain Regis’ men at one point, and the soldier glanced back at her with a grin which made me wonder what might be going on there. I didn’t get the opportunity to ask before I was pulled away by Zander to meet some rich fae who’d traveled to the ceremony from the eastern part of our kingdom.
Hours slipped by, and my cheeks hurt from smiling, and my feet ached from standing and dancing, yet I’d never been happier.
“My love,” Zander whispered, as he came up behind me, causing goose bumps to break out all over my skin. He slipped his hands around my waist, tugging me against his chest. “It’s almost time.”
Midnight was supposed to be the official end of the reception, yet it was clear that the party was nowhere near winding down. But Zander had assured me that once the fireworks were set off at twelve we could slip away from the night to celebrate on our own.
Twisting in his embrace, I placed my hands against his hard chest and went up on my toes to kiss him. It was just supposed to be a swift kiss, but like most things with us, it heated quickly.
I pulled back just enough to speak. “Do we truly have to stay through the fireworks?” I asked, and then ran my tongue over my sensitive bottom lip.
