Wicked Ties (The Tether Trilogy Book 2)

I can’t bring myself to eat. And though Makoto, the new housemaid with soft black hair, almond eyes, tan skin, and a rather cute button nose, is a wonderful man with incredible culinary skill, my stomach doesn’t want any of the food he’s prepared.

My brother is awake again. He’s alive and breathing, and he remembers me. That’s great. However, he can’t remember the love he shares with his mate. That is a problem.

On the way back to the castle, all I could think about was Danica. The hurt was all over her. What would happen if I somehow forgot Caz, or if he’d forgotten me? I can’t imagine that pain, knowing the one person you’re bound to has no recollection of the intimacy you shared or your time together. I get the sense Warren doesn’t even know about Decius, or how he lost part of his memory with Danica in the first place.

“It’ll come back,” Caz murmured as he opened the back door for me. “Beatrix warned us about this. He just woke up. Give it some time.”

Now, Caz is eating toast (because he doesn’t quite trust Makoto yet, go figure) while Makoto talks about the restaurants he’s worked at and reminds us all how it’s a pleasure to serve us.

“I just can’t thank you enough,” Makoto goes on, sautéing meat in a pan. “I promise, I will never let you down, Monarch Harlow. It is my honor to serve you, and it will be my duty to keep you fed, hydrated, and to make sure all your home affairs are in order. I even gave the wolves some lamb. They loved it.”

“Easy on the excitement there, Makoto,” Rowan says. He’s seated at the table while I’m at the island counter on a stool. Caz is at the head of the table, Killian in the chair next to him, Rowan opposite of Killian. Maeve is next to Killian, doing a cross between sipping tea and smoking a bloom, and Juniper is perched on a stool beside me at the counter. She seems stressed.

“Sir?” Makoto calls, grinning.

“You’ll soon find out it’s not all gold blooms and rainbows around the castle,” Rowan goes on. “Shit gets crazy around here. You’ll probably want to quit.”

“I doubt that. I served for the Blackwater fleet during the 1926 battle against Ripple Hills.” Makoto dumps the sautéed meat onto a dish.

“The 1926 Fleet?” Caz asks, and that’s gotten his attention. He takes his eyes off the papers, looking to Maeve. “Maeve, you didn’t tell me he was a soldier.”

Maeve shrugs. “Didn’t think it mattered.”

“Of course, it matters. Any man who fought for Blackwater should be highly respected. Those battles weren’t easy, were they, Makoto?”

“Not at all. I actually still have nightmares about them, believe it or not.”

“Yet you continue to smile,” I say, and Makoto winks at me.

Caz winds up next to me, offering a hand to Makoto. “I’m sure you’re aware I hate being touched, but if you’re on board to work for me and you’re a veteran soldier, I must shake your hand as monarch of Blackwater.”

“Is that custom?” I ask Juniper.

“Yep,” she whispers.

Makoto places a dish down and wipes his hands on his apron before grabbing Caz’s and giving it a shake. “A pleasure, Monarch Harlow. I will not fail you.”

“You’d better not,” Caz says with a faint smirk.

Makoto chuckles, returning to his cooking. Caz starts to say something to me, but something behind me catches his eyes. I look with him, and across the room is Warren and Danica. They’re standing hand in hand, shifting about nervously. Danica’s eyes are puffy and red, but she looks somewhat better.

“Come,” Caz calls, gesturing to the table. “Sit. Grab a bite to eat.”

Warren and Danica trek across the room, taking seats at the end of the table.

Makoto gets straight to work, putting food on plates and carrying them to the table. “An honor,” Makoto says, bowing at them before returning to the kitchen.

I climb off the stool to get to Warren, giving his shoulders a squeeze. “Everything okay?”

“Think so,” he murmurs. He stares down at the food Makoto has served them with a slight frown before shifting his gaze to Danica. Danica is already staring at Warren, a mixture of concern and hopelessness stealing her features.

She immediately reaches for the knife next to Warren’s plate and places it next to her, out of his reach. I can’t help frowning at the action, but I don’t say anything as they begin eating.

Everything’s fine. Just takes time.

Heat brushes my side, and Caz collects my chin in his fingers, fixing his eyes on mine. “Let’s go to target practice.”