Stolen Dream

Chapter Thirteen

Zarina refused to let Keenan go alone, again, to confront Chari. "Look, last time you went by yourself, you nearly died. I'm going with you."

Keenan shook his head resolutely. "I won't risk you. I'll take a few guards with me and it'll be fine. Sanyo knows that she's the culprit now, so even if something does happen to me, justice will be served."

She just looked at him.

"What?"

"Face it, buddy, you have a mate now. No more solo missions for the Sovereign. Welcome to having a partner."

He looked back at her just as balefully. "I. Won't. Risk. You."

She smiled at him. "Same."

Keenan hissed at her, but let the matter drop. He signaled for the guards to accompany them and went out towards Sanyo's childhood home. With any luck, Chari wouldn't have heard that he was still alive and would be home, thinking she was in the clear.

He didn't confront Zarina when she fell into place behind him with the guards flanking her. There was no point. His woman wasn't going to give in or give up. He'd scared her with his near-death experience and she wasn't going to let him out of her sight.

He was secretly glad she wasn't willing to sit idly home waiting for him. It was a testament to how much she cared about him, perhaps even loved him, that she didn't want to let him out of her sight. It also wasn't in her to stay safely home. She was a fighter and she would never be happy to wait while he went off on missions like his mother had for his father. They weren't them. He wasn't his father and Zarina wasn't much at all like his mother.

He swam up to the hidden door of Chari's home and jerked his head at it, signaling the guards to enter and search the place. He followed right behind them, not the least surprised to find Chari relaxing in the main room.

Chari's eyes widened at the sight of the four of them. She quickly thought through her options, then decided on a course of action. She didn't get up, simply waited patiently while the guards apprehended her. "Alive, I see," she told Keenan with a regretful twist of her lips. "How?"

"My mate found me."

Chari shook her head. "I left you in the middle of nowhere. There's no way anyone could've found you in time."

"Zarina's not just anyone." Keenan turned his attention to the guards. "Lock her up. She'll face the Sovereign's judgement tomorrow." He followed them more slowly, keeping a distance so he could talk to Zarina without being overheard. "How did you find me?" he asked her curiously.

"Remember my affinity with the water?"

He nodded.

"It showed me the way."

"Handy."

"I'm hoping it won't need to be," she told him with a warning look.

"I didn't exactly plan to be poisoned and nearly killed," he replied defensively.

"No, but from now on, I'll be going wherever you go, so I shouldn't need to have to search very hard to find you. You won't be out of my sight."

Keenan chuckled, but didn't argue. He realized there was no arguing with her. Besides, he didn't want to. He'd decided that he wanted her with him. At least until they started a family. Perhaps at that point he'd resign his position. He didn't want to end up like his father. He didn't want to have kids, just to leave them—mentally or physically.

Once he became a father, that would be his only job, no matter how annoyed the Sovereign might be at him. His friend would understand.

Keenan and Zarina oversaw Chari being safely locked up before they returned to Sanyo to inform him of their successful mission.