Chapter 27
Jaxon got to the room first and he pushed the door open. The first thing I noticed was that the room was a mess, There were books and toys strewn over the floor and then I saw Kiara, hunched over in a corner clutching a doll to her chest. I ran over to her and pulled her towards me then ran my eyes over her body for any obvious signs of injury.
“Are you okay?” I asked as I ran my hand down her hair. “I heard you scream, did you get hurt?”
She shook her head and I let out a sigh of relief. She actually looked confused to see us and if anything, I would have said that we were the ones who frightened her with the way we rushed into her room.
I looked around the room for what could have made the crash and I realized that her bookshelf had toppled down. That explained why there were so many books around but I didn’t understand how it could have fallen over just like that.
“What happened to the shelf?” I asked her and she looked down sheepishly. “Were you trying to get a book?”
She nodded without looking up at me. “I wanted to read a story for my doll like you do for me. But it fell and I fell and I hurt my hand.”
She held out her palm to me and it was red but other than that, she wasn’t hurt. I was just relieved that she wasn’t crushed by the shelf or anything. I hugged her impossibly closer and Jaxon crouched down next to us. He had lifted the bookshelf on his own and he ran his hands through Kiara’s hair softly.
“I’ll have someone nail the shelf to the wall,” he said more to me than anyone else and 1 nodded then he turned to Kiara. “Do you want to stay here or do you want to go to another room?”
She thought about it for a second before asking, “Can I take my dolls?”
“Yes, you can take your dolls.”
She smiled wide like she had just won the lottery and went to grab the dolls that she wanted to take. While she did that, I went to inspect the bookshelf. It was large, standing at Jaxon’s height so I knew that Kiara shouldn’t have been able to pull it down on her own. I could tell that Jaxon was thinking the–same thing judging by the way he was eyeing the shelf with rapt attention.
Kiara packed nough toys until both her hands were full. Jaxon carried her in his arms and she squealed with such unbridled–jay that I couldn’t help but smile. As we walked through the halls towards my room, I could see the guards watch them- us with concealed shock. I could only imagine how weird it was for them to continue to
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see Jaxon so soft with his daughter.
As soon as we got to the room, Jaxon gently lay her on the bed and he arranged her dolls so they were all leaning against the pillows. Once they were secure, he tucked her into bed and for the first time in a very long time, she went willingly. I could tell that she was completely enamored by him seeing as she never once looked away from him as he tucked her in.
Once he was done, he pressed a k*ss to her hair. “Are you okay staying alone or do you want us to stay with you?”
I loved how he never imposed his wishes but always asked what she wanted. She thought about it for a full minute before she shook her head. I was actually hoping she would say yes because I didn’t want to let her go after what had just happened but she seemed determined to stay alone.
“I’m a big girl, daddy,” she smiled widely and he ruffled her hair softly.
He flipped a switch that I wasn’t even aware existed in my room to reveal a night light. I could see that he also hesitated to let leave the room but finally, he was able to walk out and he made sure to hold my hand tightly in his as he left.
I think he knew that I wasn’t going to leave on my own because he didn’t let go of my hand until we got to his room. Even then, I still wanted to turn around and stay with my daughter but I needed to teach her that I respected her choices and I knew that if she was aware that I was worried then it would only worry her.
‘Kiara will be fine,” Jaxon said in an attempt to assure me but it did the opposite. “I have guards posted right outside that door and they know that if they leave her unguarded for five seconds their heads are on the line.”
I didn’t know if he meant it literally or figuratively and I didn’t care to find out. I was just relieved to know that my daughter was going to be watched over.
“What do you think happened to the bookshelf?” I asked finally.
He grimaced but didn’t say a word. We were both thinking it but neither of us was willing to mention it first. It would mean accepting that someone purposely sabotaged the shelf but there was no one who would do that.
Even Cressida would never stoop that low and she did not have access to Kiara’s room even if she wanted to.
“I’m sure there’s a plausible explanation,” Jaxon said after a beat of silence. “I will have it looked into, but for now you need to sleep, you’ve had a long day.”
I opened my glouth to protest but before I could say a word, he had ushered me towards the bed and tucked me in just like he did or Kiara. As I hit the pillows, I finally realized how tired I was and I couldn’t stop the yawn that
escaped from my l*ps.
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“Sleep, Freya,” Jaxon said and I tried to fight it but I could already feel my eyes drooping. “Kiara is as safe as she can be within these walls. You cannot be of any help to her when you are half exhausted from shifting. I’m honestly surprised you managed this long without passing out.”
I smiled weakly and just like he did with Kiara, he kis*ed my hair and walked into his massive walk in closet to change into something more decent for bed. He changed into a pair of shorts and without a word, he climbed into bed next to me. He pulled me into his arms and the warmth was all the support I needed to fall asleep.
I wasn’t sure what time I fell asleep, but by the time I woke up, it was a few hours after 1. I saw the clock on the nightstand beeping and I tried to fall asleep but it was like sleep was avoiding me.
Jaxon was snoring softly behind me with his arm wrapped around my waist. We were spooning and his warm breath fanned the back of my neck. His hold was comforting and I wanted to stay there but I also knew that I was not going to fall asleep anytime soon so I carefully extracted myself from his hold.
It was harder to do than it sounded because his arms were like metal bands around me and it was almost like he wasn’t willing to let me go. I was terrified that he would wake up while I was trying to move but thankfully, he stayed asleep. I put on a large robe over his shirt that I was wearing and I made my way out of the room.
The guards had changed shifts and I was staring at new faces. They looked shocked to see the but none of them tried to speak to me. I ignored them and made my way towards the kitchen for a drink of water. I was halfway through with the glass when I felt a presence behind me.
I turned to see Cressida standing there watching me carefully. For the first time since she arrived, she wasn’t wearing an inch of makeup. She was in a short lace gown that left nothing to the imagination and I raised a brow at her.
“What are you doing here?” I asked and she shrugged.
“The same as you, obviously,” she drawled. “I should actually be asking you this because last I remember; your never used to wake up at night.”
“That was because I barely had time to sleep during the day,” I deadpanned. “But that wasn’t what I meant; I meant what are you doing here in the palace?”
“I came to inform you about your father,” she lied.
“If that were true then you would have left by now. The fact that you haven’t means there’s more to it than that.”
“Don’t you thinkThis is a conversation for the morning,” she said in an attempt to wave me off but I wasn’t letting it slide.
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She turned to leave but I grabbed her arm. She stopped in her tracks and turned to me with a raised brow and amusement playing on her li*s. She was shocked that I had dared to hold her in the first place.
you must know,” she began but she stopped when we heard footsteps.
Jaxon walked into the kitchen looking sleepy and slightly confused. When he saw me, he let out a sigh of relief and made his way over to me.
“What are you doing here?” he noticed Cressida and his eyes narrowed at her in accusation.
“I was just leaving,” she said and then with one last look at me, she turned on her heels and walked away.
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