Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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The dining room felt too large with just the two of us seated across from each other. It always had, but now the silence between us made it even more noticable.
Or maybe it was because I was used to so much noise now. The boys were good babies, but even good babies cry a lot of the time. Not hearing their little voices cooing and crying was driving me mad. I felt like my heart was breaking and it had only been a day.
I pushed my fork through the last scraps of dinner without really tasting anything. My nerves were buzzing, every little movement put me on edge. Every time Nolan shifted his weight or moved his hand I had to fight the urge to snap my head up and stare at him.
He leaned back in his chair, the wooden legs scraping lightly across the hard floor. I lifted my eyes and looked atChapter 96
Ellie POV
him.
He’d been quiet most of the meal, which was typical, but now his eyes steady, unreadable-were fixed on me.
“There’s something I need to discuss with you,” he said finally, his tone careful, measured.
My shoulders tightened. “That sounds ominous.”
“It’s not,” he replied, though his expression didn’t soften. “It’s about the election. The kingdom elders have set the schedule. I’ll be officially placed on the ballot in six weeks, but there are events leading up to that. Meetings. Appearances.”
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“And you want me to I trailed off, my fork clattering onto my plate. “Oh. You want me to stand next to you.
“Not just stand,” Nolan said, his voice low but firm. “You’re my wife, Ellie. That carries weight. Your presence tells people I’m stable, that I’m supported at home. The council will be watching closely for cracks. The pack will too. Especially in light of everything.”
The word “wife” hit harder than it should have. I swallowed against the tightness in my throat. “You mean you want me to play Luna again. Smile pretty, shake hands, and keep quiet.”
His eyes flickered, though I couldn’t tell if it was irritation or amusement. “Not exactly. I want you to be yourself. You’re sharp. People listen when you speak. Besides, people are curious about you right now, they want to know where you’ve been.”
“And… what are we going to tell them about that? We can’t exactly tell the truth. That isn’t going to restore the public trust,” I pointed out.
Nolan shifted slightly, the tension in his shoulders increased, and a muscle in his jaw twitched.
This was a difficult topic to even broach with him. He wanted an explanation, and I couldn’t give him one, not a full one. I could see the wheels turning in his head, feel him reaching to fill in the blanks in my story.
I was afraid of what he was going to come up with to fill those spaces. What conclusions would he draw in my silence?
I could only guess and none of them were good.
“I’ve been thinking about that all day,” he said with a sigh, his voice dropping to something softer and less certain.
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Chapter 96
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“If it wasn’t for my behavior, I could say you were sent away in secret to recover from the attack but
“But everyone knows you were frantic to find me,” I finish for him. “No one would believe that was all an act.”
“Exactly. So, I’m not certain what the best option is. I was hoping that you might have some input on this.”
Our eyes met, and his stormy grey-blue gaze seemed to waver, something almost vulnerable there for just a moment before he looked away.
“You’re going to have to admit that you didn’t know where I was,” I say carefully.
I see the twinge in his jaw at my words but he doesn’t immediately argue. Our eyes meet again and I can see the conflict, but he’s still listening.
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