They left the grocery store and crossed over the grass to Bella’s shop. Apparently, someone had decided to destroy her store windows, and she had a good idea of who that could be.
Damon Sears, owner of Bare Wood Furniture located across the square on the grocery store side, had taken it upon himself to put plywood up over the broken windows and sweep up some of the glass.
“Hey, Damon. I wanted to thank you for doing that.”
He turned to her, hammer in hand, and Jayden studied the tall, lean, and muscular man, placing him in his thirties.
As Damon gazed at Bella, Jayden instinctively knew that he liked Bella as more than just a friend. Perhaps they’d even dated for a while, and jealousy clawed at him.
“Hey, Bella. All this stuff is pretty strange, isn’t it?”
She nodded. “I know. Scary as hell, too. I’ve seen vampires, werewolves, angels … it’s crazy.”
“I agree. I even came across some witches—Anika Butler from the antique store had a crazy story about a relic … I think she called it the Star Anthame.”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“I know! I tried to film what I’ve seen, but none of these … paranormal beings show up on camera.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know … maybe that’s a good thing. If they did, it would only end up on the Internet and our town would not only be filled with all these strange supernatural beings, but a lot of crazy people.”
As Jayden stood to the side and listened to their conversation, a memory from his previous life with Bella came to mind; another time she’d been with other men, and he’d found the ugly green monster roaring within him, just as it did now.
The time had come for the King to host his annual great feast. The prince was excited about the event, as the wealthiest eligible men in the realm and beyond would attend, placing them in close proximity to his daughter.
“I detest this party, Jayden,” Arabella snarled as they strolled through town.
He walked a bit ahead of her to clear a path through the throngs of people. It appeared business was good for those selling their wares in the marketplace, for many people milled about as the smell of spices, baked bread, and fresh fish filled the air.
She’d insisted upon leaving the castle as the servants prepared the great hall for the feast and dance tonight.
He glanced at her over his shoulder. “I am sorry, Princess.”
“I will be on display like livestock that my father is looking to sell.”
Sighing, he didn’t know what to say, because she had been right. For more than two fortnights, the prince had been putting out feelers to other kingdoms to find someone of her social stature to marry, but no agreement had been made. This brought Jayden no end of relief. He also dreaded the feast this evening for the same reasons as Arabella. If a suitor could be found tonight, he would be one step closer to losing his love.
Finally, they reached the stall of one of the women who sold cloth. As they stepped inside, the shop keep smiled and bowed to Arabella.
The princess’ face lit up with the smile that came straight from her heart. She obviously felt more comfortable with those selling their wares than her royal family, as he'd never seen her so happy to lay her gaze on one of her cousins, or an aunt. “Constance! It is so nice to see you!”
“You as well, Your Grace. Please allow me to show you the new material that has just arrived.”
“How lovely!”
After Constance took out her new fabrics, he watched as Arabella’s slender fingers caressed the fine materials. She chatted amicably with the woman, asking her where the silk and velvet had come from, then inquired about the woman’s family as if they were old friends.
Glancing around the store, he hated that he’d fallen in love with her, that she needed him. This would be so much easier if she had the awful temperament of most nobles, instead of the kind nature of most of his stature. He wouldn’t be tortured by his dreams, his heart wouldn’t pound in his chest at her smile, and he wouldn’t want to kiss her again.
He sighed. The kiss had almost brought him to his knees, and he had thought of little else since.
“What do you think of this one?” she asked, turning to him.
As their gazes met, he could see she truly cared about his opinion. He knew nothing about fine fabrics like the one she held, but the fact that she bothered to ask him warmed his soul.
She held out the long swath of white, shimmering silk, and he imagined it against her skin, realizing nothing would ever look horrible on her. “It is lovely, Princess.”
Grinning at him, she paid the woman and said her goodbyes with promises of returning soon, and they began the walk back to the castle.
That night, he sat at the long table with the rest of the knights. When Arabella entered the room, he stood, but couldn’t hide his gasp.
She wore her long blue gown, the beautiful, unmarred skin of her shoulders and chest on display. The cloth she’d purchased earlier was wrapped around her shoulders, almost as if she wore a shawl. He’d been right—the stark white color of the silk only made her skin look more desirable.
She did not wear a kirtle, which he found surprising as most of the noble women did. It appeared she also hadn’t spent much time on her hair, as she didn’t carry any of the extravagant or intricate styles he’d seen on many of the women tonight. Instead, she opted to leave it hanging down her back.
Her simple dress and hair caused her to become the center of attention, and he wondered if that had been the intended effect, or if she’d attempted to make herself look less desirable.
As she moved down the center aisle to her place at the high table, he joined the other knights to bow at her presence. He glanced up just soon enough to catch her eye, and as her brow creased tightly, he saw that she fretted about this night.
“Sir Jayden,” she greeted, her lips curled up into a genuine smile, one that he knew was only for him.
“Good evening, Princess. You look lovely tonight.”
He thought he saw tears brim in her eyes before she spoke.
“Thank you.”
She stared at him a second longer, and then turned to the next knight, the grin gone. “And how do you fare this evening, Sir Whelan?”
Jayden glanced over at his fellow knight as jealousy railed within him, even though he knew she only talked to Whelan to mask that she had spoken to him.
“I am well, Princess. Thank you for your inquiry. You are a picture of beauty tonight.”
He watched as she moved down the aisle and greeted a few more people before taking her place at the high table next to her father. Once she was seated, they all took their chairs.
“You shouldn’t stare at the princess like that.”
He turned to Whelan, not realizing he’d been so obvious.
“If the prince sees you, he’ll have your head.”
Sighing, he reached for his ale and took a long drink. When he glanced up at her once more, their gazes locked across the hall. She seemed forlorn, her lips pressed together in a thin line, a look he recognized when she considered the prince finding her a husband. He longed to take her from this hall, ensconcing her from the eyes of any man but him. The prince leaned over and whispered in her ear. She stared at Jayden a bit longer, then lowered her eyes to the table, nodding at her father’s words.
A bowl of soup and a buttered roll was served, and as he ate, he decided he couldn’t stay around to watch her any longer. Yet, he couldn’t appear rude by leaving too early, so he had to time his departure just right.
No, he simply couldn’t sit among his fellow knights and observe the prince try to find a pairing for his daughter. The thought caused him great pain and only made him want to wield his sword and slaughter every other man in the great hall.
“This is Jayden,” Bella said, bringing him out of his reverie.
Damon extended his hand. “Nice to meet you. I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.”
He took the man’s hand and fought the urge to break his fingers. “Yes. I’m just visiting.”
The last thing he wanted was to extend this conversation any further by telling Damon he actually held the title of Angel of Death, although it could be fun to watch the man squirm at his revelation. However, he did see the same thing he felt in the man’s eyes—jealousy. He couldn’t help but grin at the realization that he would be going home with Bella, and Damon wouldn’t. Yes, it was petty, but it still brought him great satisfaction.
He glanced at Bella, and she gave him a strange look. Had his feelings been so obvious?
“Thanks, again, Damon. I really appreciate it.”
“Anytime, Bella. And thanks for filling me in on what’s going on around here. Only four more days to go, and hopefully, we can get back to our normal lives. It would be nice not having to look over my shoulder for vampires and witches. Nice to meet you, Jayden.”
As they walked out of the square, the sun began to set. “We better get back to the house.”
Bella nodded absentmindedly, and he longed to know what preoccupied her thoughts.
He just hoped it wasn’t Damon.