“I already love you.”
For the second time that day, his heart stopped. Rhys searched her eyes and sighed when he saw the truth in them. “Doona leave me, Lily.”
“I can’t,” she said and sniffed again. “I tried. But I’m scared of all of this, Rhys. It terrifies me.”
He softly kissed her lips. “Let me protect you. Be mine, Lily. Be my mate and stay with me for eternity.”
“Eternity is a very long time.”
“It’s no’ nearly long enough, lass.” He caressed her cheek. “Say you’ll stay. Say you willna leave me.”
“I could never refuse you,” she murmured before wrapping her arms around his neck.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Ulrik didn’t knock as he walked into Mikkel’s house near St. Andrews. He strolled into his uncle’s office and poured himself some whisky even as the Dark Fae who had teleported him to Dreagan was arguing with Mikkel.
“Where the hell have you been?” Mikkel demanded of Ulrik.
Ulrik turned and raised his glass to his uncle. “I’m recently back from Dreagan.”
“Why didn’t you return to the designated place?”
“That would’ve been difficult seeing as how there were Kings everywhere. I choose no’ to be seen rather than return to you quicker.”
The Dark made a sound of contempt before he vanished. Ulrik cut his eyes to his uncle who sat behind his desk with his elbows resting on the arms of the chair and his fingers steepled.
“The Dark found Kyle wandering the village outside Dreagan and brought him here. Where is Dennis?”
Ulrik lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I was barely able to bring Kyle back. Dennis was in pieces. It would’ve taken me much, much longer.”
It was an outright lie, but since no one else could bring back the dead, they had no idea if what he said was true or not.
“Damn,” Mikkel said and slammed a hand on his desk. “Dennis was one of my best men here in Britain. Can’t you find his soul without touching him?”
Ulrik shook his head.
“Bloody hell.”
He finished his whisky and set the glass down before he started walking out.
“Where are you going?” Mikkel demanded.
“To Perth. I’ll be getting a visit soon,” Ulrik said over his shoulder.
He didn’t wait on Mikkel’s response. Ulrik was happy he’d driven his own car. He got behind the wheel and quickly drove off. Ulrik knew Rhys would come to Perth, and he was sure Rhys wouldn’t be alone.
It was a half-hour later as he drove down the road that Rhi appeared in his passenger seat. He did a double take and flattened his lips in irritation. “That would’ve been awkward had someone been there.”
“Perhaps,” she said flippantly. “I want to know why you really brought Lily back.”
Ulrik sighed heavily. “I’m fairly certain we’ve already been over this.”
“You glossed over it with your pretty words. I want the truth.”
“I told you the truth,” he said and glanced at her.
She snorted. “You gave me enough bullshit that I believed you.”
“What does it matter what I say? You willna believe it anyway.”
“I have a theory,” Rhi said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Ulrik smiled and motioned for her to talk. “By all means, tell me.”
Rhi shifted in the seat so she was half-facing him to better see his face. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Ulrik’s reasons since she’d agreed to help him. And she wanted her answers. “I think you felt bad for Lily dying. I think you know all too well what it feels like to lose the love of your life.”
His hands tightened briefly on the steering wheel. “You know how it feels to have love betray you.”
“We’re not talking about me, Ulrik. This is about you. Why would you send your men to Dreagan and kill Lily only to bring her back?”
That’s the part that kept confusing Rhi.
“Tell me you’re not working alone. Tell me someone else had Lily killed.”
“You think too much.”
“And you wiped every shred of emotion from your face,” she said with a smile.
He threw her a dark look. “And that means what?”
“That you’re trying to be careful about what you say or do. I know you want to kill Con. I know you want your vengeance. What I could never understand is why you would target Rhys or anyone other than Con. If you wanted one of the Kings to suffer the inability to shift, that would’ve been directed straight at Con.”
The tires squealed on the McLaren as Ulrik slammed on the brakes and jerked the wheel so the car pulled to the side of the road. He looked at Rhi with fury in his gold eyes. “Enough!”
“Because I’m right?”
“No’ even close. What do you want, Rhi?”
She refused to look away from him. “I want to know if someone can do bad things and still be decent.”
His anger faded, replaced with unease. “You broke free of the Chains of Mordare. You held out against Balladyn turning you Dark.”