ROVIAN
Fuck.
Fuck fuck fuck.
I couldn't blow this. I had one chance to convince her and if I fucked it up, that was it.
Game over.
She'd walk away and I'd never get her back.
We were in one of my tents. The largest one I had. I'd cleared everyone out and posted guards at the entrance with strict orders not to let anyone disturb us.
I stirred her coffee the way I knew she liked it.
Two sugars. No cream.
I'd watched her make it that way a thousand times during our marriage. The muscle memory was still there even after three years.
I discarded the spoon, took a conspicuous deep breath. Then I turned around.
Outwardly, I was the absolute epitome of calm.
My expression was neutral. My movements were controlled. Everything about my body language said I was completely at ease.
On the inside, I was in full panic mode.
I met her gaze across the tent. She was sitting in one of the folding chairs with her arms crossed over her chest. Glaring absolute daggers at me.
If looks could kill, I'd be a corpse on the ground right now.
Her friend Mira was being held in another tent under watch. So was their leader Garrick. Along with the other rogues my soldiers were still bringing in from the forest.
Their fate rested entirely in the palm of Daphne's little hand.
They knew it. She knew it. And I was about to use it to my advantage in the most manipulative way possible.
I didn't want to take Daphne back home and have her bitter at every turn. I didn't want her hating me more than she already did. I didn't want her trying to escape at the first opportunity or plotting my death in her spare time.
But I needed her in the North. I needed her close.
I needed time to prove myself to her.
And this was the only way I could think of to make that happen.
So here we were.
Me, about to lay out my master plan.
Her, trying to control herself from snatching the mug out of my hands and dumping the hot contents directly on top of my head.
I set the cup down on the small table in front of her.
Daphne's gaze didn't stray from me once. Not even to glance at the coffee. Her eyes stayed locked on mine with an intensity that made me fucking nervous.
But it also kind of turned me on.
I let out a breath and started what other people would probably call deception. What I was choosing to call a plan to win my wife back.
"The bleeding sickness has been spreading through my territory for months now." I kept my voice steady. "Wolves are dying by the dozen every single day. My doctors aren't making any headway with treatment. Nothing they try is working."
Daphne's expression didn't change. She just kept staring at me.
I continued. "I needed to do something about it. So I did research, i asked questions, I followed leads. And eventually I heard about a healer named Elara who was working miracles with plague victims in rogue territories."
I looked directly at her when I said the next part.
"I've been searching for that healer for months."
Daphne's jaw tightened but she still didn't speak.
I leaned forward slightly and tried to keep my voice even. "You're a doctor, Daphne. You practice medicine because you want to save lives. That's who you are. That's who you've always been."
I held her gaze.
"I'm asking you to save my people. Because if someone doesn't do something soon, they're all going to be wiped out by a disease that only you seem to know how to treat."
Daphne looked away from me for the first time since I'd turned around. She stared at the wall of the tent instead. Her expression was torn and conflicted.
"I don't know how to cure it," she said softly.
I latched onto that immediately. "But you can buy my people some time. You can slow the progression. Keep them alive long enough for us to find a real cure."
Daphne shrugged one shoulder. The gesture was small.
"Word will spread that I came here. You know what the stories are like about me."
Daphne's head snapped back toward me. Her eyes widened slightly.
I held her gaze and said the next part very carefully. "I won't hurt a single soul in this camp. You have my word on that."
"If I come with you." Daphne said hotly. Her voice was sharp and angry.
I shook my head slowly. "Your people for mine. Come with me and try to do something for my people. And I won't touch yours."
Daphne actually barked out a laugh. It was bitter and harsh and completely humorless. "You came here and attacked my pack. And now you're saying you'll kill my people if I don't do exactly what you ask?"
I leaned back in my chair, keeping my expression neutral even though my heart was pounding. "Attacked is a bit of a stretch."
Daphne's face went blank with disbelief. "You tore through my pack with dozens of soldiers."
"Yet none of you are dead."
Daphne glared at me.
I'd thought about this when I was planning the scouting mission.
If I did manage to find the healer, she probably wouldn't be too eager to help my people if I'd slaughtered any of hers first. So I'd given very clear instructions to my soldiers. Capture. Don't kill.
It was paying off now.
"Even if I wanted to help," Daphne said slowly, "I don't know if I actually can. I told you. I can't cure it."
"All I'm asking is for you to try."
Daphne watched me for a long moment. Her eyes were searching my face for something. "This feels like a trap," she finally said.
I looked at the wall instead of at her. Hoped to the goddess she couldn't see the fact that it definitely was written all over my face.
Daphne leaned forward in her chair. "How do I know you won't lock me up the moment I step foot in the North? How do I know you won't keep me from leaving once I'm there?"
"I would never do that to you."
Daphne actually rolled her eyes.
Something about that gesture pricked at my heart in a way I wasn't expecting.
Because she had every right to believe I would do exactly that to her. I'd done worse. Much worse.
I softened my voice. "I made a mistake, Daphne."
She immediately shook her head and held up one hand. "Talking about us isn't an option. That's not what this conversation is about."
I waved a hand dismissively. "Fine."
I was maintaining a careful mask of calm and ease even though I was feeling everything but that on the inside.
I loved this woman. I'd loved her for five years. And she wanted absolutely nothing to do with me.
I kept my voice calm. "Come to the North to save lives. I'm asking the healer to save my people. I will give you whatever you want in return."
Daphne watched me with a guarded look. Like she was trying to figure out what game I was playing.
I held my breath. Counted the seconds ticking by in my head. Prayed to the goddess that Daphne didn't see right through me and this entire plan.
If she was in my territory, I could be near her.
I could prove to her that I loved her.
I could show her I was a fuckhead who'd made a terrible mistake but that I'd changed.
I just needed her close. I just needed time.
And I could only get that if she came back with me.
Her answer right now decided whether or not I would ever get the chance to win her back.
She would come back to save my people. And while she did that, I would save our marriage.
Daphne dropped her gaze to the table between us.
"I have conditions."
The moment I heard those words, dark satisfaction spread through me like wildfire.