STEPHEN
I was standing in the big private room with Lord Payne and some of the elders, talking about boring stuff like duties and responsibilities. Lord Payne was trying really hard to sound important, making jokes about how hard it would be to manage all the other high lords. I forced a smile, but honestly, my mind wasn’t even on the conversation. My thoughts kept drifting to Katherine.
Then, we got to talking about my mate, the Lady of my house, which obviously meant Katherine. Everyone started laughing, joking about how hard it would be to control their mates. Some elders whispered things under their breath, smirking. I didn’t laugh. I didn’t even smile. My chest felt tight, like someone was squeezing it.
And then, out of nowhere, one of my guards barged in. Not properly, just like,
