Norman's POV
The ride back to the mansion felt like an eternity. My hand, still clenched from the confrontation, throbbed dully. I could still hear the venom in Elder Thomas’s voice, the way he spat out the word “slave” like a curse.
Slave.
The very thought made my stomach churn. Riley, my own wife, the woman I've come to love, subjected to such blatant disrespect. A wave of fury, cold and sharp, washed over me.
I snuck a glance at her. She sat beside me, her gaze fixed on the passing buildings, pale and bearing no expression. She seemed composed, but I knew her well enough to see the tight set of her jaw, the slight tremor in her hands. I wanted to reach for her, to pull her close, to offer some comfort, but I hesitated. My outburst at the court… had it been the right thing to do? I
