Who Is My Husband
Scene 37

Trey stormed out of the room in anger. He wasn’t listening to anymore of it. Reggie ran after him down the hall.

“Calm down Trey. This isn’t a big deal.”

“Like hell it isn’t! They won’t concede unless I agree to keep Jane here for a couple weeks? What the hell is that? I know she is pushing for this the most because she is the one not giving up. Like I am going to change my mind having her around here. What kind of person do they think I am?” Trey seethed with anger.

Reggie chuckled. “Naïve is what they are. And dumb.” He watched Trey turn to look at him as he smirked. “I mean we all know what kind of person I am… right?” His lips curled upwards and a wide grin played across his face. “Of course, I’m going to have to put her loyalty to the test. And I am betting she ends up bedding me within the week.”

Trey looked at him and then shook his head with a chuckle. “You are such an a*****e.”

“Aye, but an effective a*****e. There is only one little lady who hasn’t fallen for my charms. And that is how I knew she was the right one for you. There can’t be a better person out there for you than her. I am certain of it. So, I will do what I do best. I’ll put my moves on Jane and when she succumbs, we will ship her off.” Reggie met with Trey’s green eyes, and he reached his hand out, placing it on his shoulder. “If they want to play games then we will too. And I am betting we will be better at it.”

Trey nodded his head and glanced down the hall. “I hope Kailee understands this is not in my control.”

“She will.” Reggie patted his shoulder before letting his hand drop back to his side. “Now your biggest problem is that Jane knows what you look like. We need to go back in there and set up boundaries. And if she slips up once, that will give us another reason to send her packing.”

“I tried to tell them that those who know my identity shouldn’t be around me.” Trey frowned and rubbed his forehead. “They’ll agree to these terms. Any mistakes and she is gone. And they will accept Kailee no matter what. On this I won’t back down.”

“I think those terms are agreeable. Don’t worry. I’ll have her slipping me the tongue and maybe something else within the week. She will be gone soon.”

“You are awfully confident.” Trey quirked his eye up at Reggie.

Reggie chuckled and shrugged. “My confidence comes from experience. The pure hearted innocence that you got for a mate is a rarity.” He looked at Trey with a serious expression. “She is a treasure. Honestly, I haven’t encountered anyone quite like her. I’m happy for you. You deserve someone like her.”

Trey smiled. “Thank you. I’m sure there is someone out there for you too.”

Reggie’s face grew solemn, and he looked away from Trey. A small frown formed on his face. “I don’t deserve anyone like Kailee. I know this already. After…well you know… after everything that happened. After that, I lost my way for a while. Some nights I don’t even remember. I only remember waking up those mornings in random beds with random people. And sometimes with a bed full of people. People I can’t even remember the faces of now.” He looked down the hallway and sighed.

After suffering a deep loss, he ended up experiencing another blow only a couple years later. The person he had feelings for ended up finding their mate and getting married. He did not want to feel anymore. He just wanted to be numb. Reggie had kept his feelings hidden and buried. He wouldn’t come between their happiness. Instead, he turned into the licentious man that he is today. It didn’t matter to him anymore. He reasoned it was never meant to be anyway. The person was so oblivious to his feelings and never looked his way. It hurt like hell then. It was better now. He moved on in his own way. He focused on having fun, fighting, drinking too much and meaningless s*x.

Trey was the one who brought him out from his self-destruction. With a powerful wake up call. He beat him into submission and then dragged him along on his escapades. It kept him busy. It gave him a purpose. And now he was finally in a better place. Sure, he still held strangers tight at night, but it was now for fun. He did not do it to fill the void anymore, he just did it because he was a bit of an addict. If there was a mate out there for him it isn’t like they would want him anyways. Not after sleeping with everyone in the kingdom.

“You aren’t that guy anymore. You might keep your sheets hot, but you never promised any of them a future with yourself. They chose to follow you to your bed. How you live your life is your business. You are a good guy, and someone out there will see that too.” Trey looked down at the stone floor. “You went through some rough stuff. And you found a way to deal with it. It might not have been the healthiest way but… Hell Reggie if anyone blames you for how you were then than to hell with them.” He lifted his eyes up to his cousin and he watched as a smile spread across his face.

Reggie reached over and shoved Trey. “I think I can still feel the beating you gave me that day.”

Trey chuckled. “Just some good tough love. I care about you Reg. I let you flounder for a bit but once you started to sink, I went in after you.”

“Thank you.” Reggie gave him a small smile and then cleared his throat. Time to change the subject. “I can’t wait to close this next chapter and move on with our lives.”

“Me too.” Trey said and looked back down the hallway.

“Come on. Let’s go and lay the groundwork. Then you can go and let Kailee know about our new houseguest.” Reggie motioned his head down the hall. The two of them walked down the hallway back to the room Trey had stormed out of earlier. Who cares if Jane stayed with them? It wouldn’t change anything. And soon she would slip up and they could send her back without rocking the boat. It wasn’t like Trey had to date her. They only asked for her to stay in the manor.

__

“So, this is what starvation feels like.” Kailee said as she gave Grum a wry smile.

“Lance will be bringing you in something soon.” Grum chuckled.

“What was that? I can’t hear you Grum. I think I am fading.” Kailee leaned her head back dramatically. She peered through her eyelids to see Grum not even looking at her. “Gosh I am so bored! I can’t stand being stuck in this bed any longer.” Kailee growled at her failed attempt to get let out of the room.

“It hasn’t even been a full day.” Grum laughed and looked at her. “And you were not even in here the whole time because you escaped with those little critters.”

“I need them to jail break me again.” Kailee said as she moped. She then looked upwards to the top of the bed canopy. “Grum.”

“Mmmm?”

“Do you think it is a hard decision to make? Like if you have to decide between living and sacrificing yourself in order to save everyone.” Kailee bit her inner l*p as she thought about her grandmother. She chose to die leaving her daughter behind. That must have been a painful choice.

“I guess it depends.” Grum looked at Kailee thoughtfully. “On how much you care about those you are protecting.” He smiled at Kailee and shrugged. “I know Trey wouldn’t hesitate if it meant saving your life.”

Her eyes flipped over to meet with his green ones. She nodded her head. “It is still a scary and intense decision.”

“Well yeah. You are talking about sacrificing yourself. That should be a tough decision.” He then chuckled and looked at her with curious eyes. “What brought this up?”

She smiled and shrugged. “I guess I was thinking about the person who fought Bane before. They died protecting everyone. I’m sure there were those who that person left behind.”

Grum nodded his head slowly. “And that is probably what gave them the strength to do what they were doing.”

But what was Bane? Why did her grandmother seal him instead of destroying him? There had to be a reason for this. Maybe it was the only way she knew she could win? Maybe she didn’t think she was strong enough to kill him for sure. It was just another question that she needed the answer to.

Bane was terrifying to look at but she didn’t feel afraid of him. She felt determined to face him and also sad. His existence was sorrowful. It was weird that she could feel that she was connected to him. There was a destiny that the two had to meet. She already knew this in her heart. Bane would be revived, and she would have to face him. But she was not sure what decision she would make.

A warm breeze blew in from the open balcony. On the breeze a couple stray leaves swirling in on the wind. The air danced around her, and she could feel a strange tug in her body. As if she was being pulled with the wind. She looked out at through the open drapes. In the distance she could see the treetops that seemed to be beckoning her as they swayed. Some one was waiting for her in there. She reached her fingers out touching the invisible pull in the wind. It was such a warm feeling. Like she was behind held.

“Kailee?” Grum asked as he watched her curiously.

“Someone is calling me.” Kailee said as she closed her eyes. She breathed in the air into her lungs and tried to feel for the presence.

Grum stood up and stomped over to the balcony. He shut the door and closed the drapes, halting the wind from entering. “Nope, Nuh uh not doing this again. You aren’t going anywhere.”

Kailee opened her eyes and looked at Grum. A small frown fell on her lips. “I think someone needs me though.”

“Tough. We need you here.” Grum said in his gruff voice as he marched back over to his seat. “Damn forest mystiques trying to take someone’s mate for who knows what reason.”

“Grum.” Kailee watched as he looked up at her. “I’m going to have to see who is calling me soon.”

Grum laughed through his nose. “Tell that to Trey.” He smirked and folded his arms over his chest.

“If… if something happens and I end up taken… don’t worry. And tell Trey not to worry. I will come back.” Kailee could feel it in her being that the time was coming soon. She had to go to the forest. She was needed there.

“No no no. You won’t be taken.” Grum shook his head adamantly.

“Okay, Grum…” Kailee smiled and looked at the closed blinds. “Okay Grum.”