Chapter 19

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Geric pulled on a pair of pants after stepping out of the bath that the servants had drawn for him. As much as he hated to admit it, the bath really had helped soothe away the aches that riding had caused. He hadn't been on a horse since the war and he had forgotten how sore a day of riding could make him.

Stealing down the corridor as quietly as possible, he knocked on Amy's door. She opened it a crack, her face lighting up in a smile as she saw his face. She had clearly not been expecting anyone, she wore only her lacy nightgown, her hair falling in loose waves over her shoulders. His heart thumped hard as he watched the firelight playing over her skin. She had never looked more beautiful.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, closing the door behind him. A blush crept into her cheeks as she crossed the room and picked up the robe that had been draped carelessly over a nearby chair, shrugging it over her shoulders without looking at him.

"If I remember correctly, you said to meet you here," Geric grinned teasingly. "I see you didn't take Charles' advice to lock your door."

Amy smiled slyly, dropping the ties of her robe so that she could wrap her arms around his neck. "I'm not afraid of the big bad wolf," she murmured in his ear as he snaked an arm around her waist and drew her closer to him. His lips found hers and her fingers left trails of fire on his back wherever they touched his skin. He took the kiss deeper as her fingers flirted with the hem of his pants. The simple motion made him smile, the longing growing ever more insistent inside him. She was everything to him, he would do whatever it took to make her his. Even playing nice with her father.

The thought brought him back to earth with a crash and he pulled gently, reluctantly away from her.

"We can't," he whispered even though every part of him craved her touch. "If your father finds out, I'll be killed for sure."

Amy let out a frustrated sigh. "Soon. We can be together soon. My parents will come around in no time, you'll see."

Geric hoped she was right, he didn't like going behind the king's back. If their plan was ever going to work, he was going to have to start acting like the prince he really was.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Amy said, smiling slightly. "I found something in my father's bed chamber that I think belongs to you."

She handed him a handkerchief wrapped around something small and hard. Geric pulled back the fabric and saw his signet ring, winking softly in the flickering light of the fire.

"I think it's high time you wear it again," Amy whispered, gently taking it from his palm and sliding it onto the little finger of his right hand. "That way no one, especially my father, can forget who you are."

Geric grinned. "I don't think your father can forget, and that's exactly the problem," he joked. "I think he still views me as a threat. If after the seven days are up and he decides against me, it's still possible for me to declare war on him."

"Would you?" Amy asked nervously, touching his hand. "If this doesn't work, would you declare war?"

Brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear, Geric shook his head slowly. "No I wouldn't. Not just because your life would be in danger if I did. The kingdom needs peace. If this doesn't work, we'll find another way."

The truth was, Geric wasn't sure there was another way. The wolves would attack if their plan failed, even if he ordered them not to. They had spent too long in the shadows, too long feeling the same fear of humans as humans felt for them. They weren't just hungry for revenge, they were ready to wipe the humans out.

At that moment, Geric's ears picked up a slight scuffle just outside the door. It was a human noise for sure, he could always tell the difference. Who had been listening to their conversation and what had they heard?

"We should get some sleep," he said quietly to Amy, trying to mask the nervousness he felt so that she wouldn't worry. "I might have to challenge you on the archery range again tomorrow. What do you say?"

Amy smiled giving him a brief kiss as he backed toward the door. "I accept your challenge, sir. But be warned, I've been practicing since our last competition."

Chuckling, Geric said, "Sweet dreams, Princess," before closing the door softly between them. As soon as he was out in the darkened corridor, his senses heightened as he looked around, trying to discover who had been listening at the door. There was a slight scuff mark on the doorframe and Geric leaned closer to inspect it. His blood ran cold as he saw that the mark was a shallow cut in the wood, and upon closer inspection, there were tiny flakes of silver all around it.

So whoever had been here had a silver weapon out. Had they been planning to attack him? Would they have done so if Amy hadn't been there? He swallowed hard, not because he was afraid of a fight, but because he knew they were treading in dangerous, uncharted territory with this plan.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sensed movement partway down the corridor and turned, his gaze sharpening on the outline of a man. A man who seconds earlier Geric assumed had been watching him from behind the suit of armor he had pointed out to Amy earlier. A man who was staring at him now with unadulterated hatred in his eyes. Charles.

They stared at each other for several moments before Geric shrugged and rolled his eyes, turning back down the corridor.
"Remember what I said, Charles. If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead."

He listened to Charles' retreating footsteps before letting out a sigh of relief. He knew that if it came down to a fight between them, Charles would get the worst of it. He just hoped it wouldn't come to that.

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