Caspian
I had my coat on when Stella offered the portal.
It was instinct for her—practical, efficient, protective. With one phone call, Levi and Xander could open a rift and have me back in my kingdom in minutes. No airport. No waiting. No distance.
"No," I said gently, before she could finish.
She frowned, one hand resting absently over her stomach. She did that often. "Why not?"
I stepped closer, close enough to feel the warmth of her body, the quiet gravity she carried without realizing it. I lifted my hand to her face, thumb brushing along her cheekbone, committing her face to memory. Not that I would ever forget.
"Because I need the time," I said.
Her eyes searched mine. "Time for what?"
"To think," I admitted. "To decide what I'm going to say when I walk back into that house
