Chapter Seventy

KEYARA

Her overwhelming anger faded as quickly as it had appeared, and to her relief, neither Ash nor Mateo commented on her uncharacteristic outburst.

Over the next hour, they discussed and weighed the options of what Jenna had told them meant for their plan, and in the end, they all agreed it was worth speaking with Robb.

Their extra senses would be able to ascertain if an ambush was waiting for them instead of the promised meeting, while the potential of having the guards on their side was too good to pass up.

As soon as Jenna slipped back inside the cabin at midday, Keyara was at her side.

“We will meet with him,” Key told her sister.

Jenna smiled widely, taking Keyara’s arm. “I thought you would say yes. He’s waiting already.”

Ash and Mateo exchanged a look that conveyed their concern, to which Jenna rolled her eyes, her morning nervousness forgotten, much to Keyara’s delight.

“He doesn’t know about you yet. He thinks it’s just me who will be there,” Jenna explained, her cheeks suddenly reddening despite her seemingly innocent words.

Keyara let out a peal of laughter, causing Jenna’s face to flush even deeper red.

“Why, Jen, you tease, you!” she exclaimed, poking Jenna in the side. “Do you often meet him in the woods on your break?”

Jenna linked arms with her, giving Key only a sly smile by way of an answer as she pulled her toward the west. “Come on, we don’t have much time, and it’s at least a twenty-minute walk to get to the meeting spot.”

They walked in silence for a while, Ash and Mateo following several paces behind.

Before too long, Key picked up the faint sound of two sets of paws padding through the forest, just out of sight. Leave it to Ash, she thought.

She had insisted he and Mateo together would be more than enough protection, but Ash clearly ordered two of the warriors to shadow them in wolf form anyway.

She looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at her mate, who simply gave her a boyish grin and a slight shrug in return. She rolled her eyes before turning back around, fighting a grin.

His overprotectiveness was both annoying and endearing.

After another few minutes, she heard Jenna’s quiet voice beside her.

“He wants to marry me,” came the soft confession.

“Well, I should hope so if you’re meeting him in the woods alone,” Keyara teased, giving Jenna a light bump with her shoulder as they walked.

Keyara began to detect the smell of an unfamiliar human in the air and knew they must be getting close to the meeting point.

She could only smell the one and knew Ash had confirmed the same when he whistled out a soft three-note tune behind them.

The sound of the wolves following them became fainter as they retreated, as that must have been the signal for the all clear.

“Do you wish to marry him as well?” she finally asked Jenna, her tone turning serious as she pushed the lightheartedness aside.

“I do,” came the fervent reply. “I’ve just…put off giving him an answer.”

“Because of Ma?” Keyara questioned gently.

Jenna nodded, biting her lower lip.

“Jen, Anne just wants you to be happy,” Key assured her.

She knew how Jenna was feeling. How they both had lived their whole lives trying to please the woman who raised them. “If he makes you happy and treats you well, she will accept him.”

Jenna nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. Just then, Keyara could begin to detect a clearing up ahead, the light brighter between the trees, and Jenna pulled them to a stop.

“Stay here.” Jenna addressed Ash and Mateo as they closed the distance to stand beside them. “Give me a two-minute head start to explain before you join us.”

Jenna quickly strode ahead, and Keyara tilted her head in the direction of the clearing to catch Robb’s familiar greeting to her sister.

Jenna rushed through a quick explanation, saying her sister and her husband were here to meet him, adding that they may be able to help each other. Key was glad she kept it vague until they could explain themselves.

Keyara began to walk in their direction to join Jenna, but Ash let out a soft growl, pushing her behind him to take the lead, as Mateo stayed behind in the trees to serve as lookout.

“Ash, it’s fine,” she whispered in protest, but he ignored her, outpacing her steps to remain in front as they came into the clearing where Robb and Jenna waited.

Keyara could barely see them around her mate’s huge frame, but Robb’s eyes grew wide in surprise as he spotted Ash over Jenna’s shoulder.

For a moment, he didn’t move, as if he couldn’t trust what he was seeing, before he stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

“King Ash,” he managed, the shock still plastered on his face. Keyara tried to step forward to greet him, but Ash held her firmly in place behind him. She huffed in displeasure.

~“Wait,”~ he linked to her impatiently. “~Let me make sure he’s safe.”~

Key rolled her eyes but stayed put as Robb struggled to form a sentence.

“What can I do for you? I thought… Apologies, sire, but… You said it was your sister,” he finished, dropping to a whisper to address Jill.

“Yes, I’m here!” Keyara spoke up, trying to push Ash’s hand away to show herself.

He finally relented, relaxing his arm enough for her to step out from behind his large frame, though he kept his hand lightly on her arm.

“Hello, Robb, it’s nice to meet you,” Key told him warmly, ignoring Ash’s overbearing stance beside her. “I’m Keyara, Jenna’s sister.”

Robb frowned slightly in confusion, looking between her and Ash as if trying to figure out why they were together, before stepping forward and holding out a hand to her in greeting.

Key felt a low warning rumble in Ash’s chest at the gesture. “Stop it,” she hissed at him, before taking Robb’s hand with a pleasant smile.

“My…husband and I,” she said, looking up at Ash briefly, “have something to discuss with you.”