Olivia was lying on his chest under the shade of a willow that grew next to the grove. Familiar rich scent of oranges surrounded her. A smaller rivulet wound in a small distance leading somewhere inside the trees on the other side. The sky was cerulean and cloudless. The soft chill in the wind was barely anything because of the spell cast by the crown prince over the groves. "This place is the most beautiful in your estate, Kaizan. Thank you spending time with me over here."

A frown came on his beautiful place, "Why are you thanking me, Olivia? This place belongs to you as much as it belongs to me. And I love doing things to you." It actually made him feel so good to be with her that he thought that his previous existence was useless. 

She kissed him on his chest as she placed her chin on her folded arms and gazed at him lovingly. "So, other than looking at you with adoration and you making me feel giddy with warmth all the time, what else do you have in store for me?" 

He cradled his head over one arm and brought his free hand to brush his knuckles over her soft cheeks. "What else can I provide you other than protect you and feed you well. Even if I am not the General of the army of Silver Vales, I have wealth to spoil you. And I want to spoil you." 

Her breath lodged in her throat. Gods, this man had once again stolen her breath away. "And I want to have a dozen babies with you," she confided, gazing intently in his hazel eyes. 

Somehow Kaizan loved the idea so much that he would touch her belly often to know if she was pregnant, but right now lying with her beneath the boughs of the willow tree, suddenly he became nervous at the idea of having babies. "I—" he looked away from her to hide his—

"Are you nervous?" she asked. 

He bobbed his throat and said, "I don't want to risk you getting pregnant so soon. You are too young and we can always wait for a year before having babes." 

"I thought you wanted children. In fact, you were pretty excited when I told you what my parents wanted from me." 

He exhaled softly and brushed her cheeks with his knuckles. His wife was forced to accept so many changes, and then her parents gave her the responsibility of having a babe as soon as possible. How much would a girl of her age handle? He wanted to show her the world before settling down with babes. He had seen how Anastasia was forced to settle because she was pregnant, and Ileus still sought for the lost time… for the lost honeymoons… "I would be humbled to have babes with you, love, but not in the near future. The peace treaty is not based on having babes, it is based on trust." 

She pursed her lips in a thin line and then pulled her gaze away from him. "You can't make choices for me." 

He stroked her hair as his lips curled up. He picked her hair in his hand and let them slip through his fingers. "My sunshine," he murmured. "Olivia, I have interest in your healthy life and not in some stupid closure deal between the pack and kingdom. Moreover, it is very early. We have been married only for eleven days honey. I sincerely wish to crush the ongoing rogue threat on the trade path between Whiteclaw pack and Silver Vales. I feel— I feel you aren't safe and that worries me a lot." 

"Ah!" 

"Ah? What do you mean by ah?" 

"I am wondering how to use my charms on you." 

He chuckled. "Don't you underestimate my control, woman!" 

"You are at my service darling, quite like a puppet, or should I say like a piano I can play whenever I like and—" 

"Are you done?" he asked, his body tense. He was a puppet to her wishes. He was surely going to get that contraceptive potion. She was really using her wiles already. 

"Not by a league!" she replied with a smug smile. 

He scowled at her. When she rested her head again on his chest, he resumed playing with her hair and wondered how he could get so lucky to find a mate in the Lore. "Why did you choose to go to the caves, when you clearly wanted to go to Vilinski?" 

"It's because Ileus was very keen. I could feel that he really needed to get out of Draoidh and spend some alone-time with Anastasia. Like, without anyone near them. His wolf wants to be free with his mate, and what better way than to run around in the forests?" 

"Are you sure?" he asked, lifting his head up. She was clearly the best mate in the world. "You might have regrets later."

"I have no regrets. I am happily looking forward to going to those caves." 

Tension lifted from his shoulders. "Great!" 

"General Kaizan," a voice penetrated their reverie. 

Olivia shot up and so did Kaizan. He narrowed his eyes on her. "Tasha," he said in a stern voice, hating that she had come to disturb them. 

Tasha understood the look, but she feigned ignorance. She bowed to him and said, "I have come to report about Murtagh." 

"This is not the time," he snapped. "And if it is urgent, you can report to Finn." 

She cringed. "And about the boy who was attacked in the market square." 

Kaizan's chest filled with fury. "What about him?" 

"Who would you like to know about, General?" she asked as she walked closer to them. She never once glanced at Olivia. 

"About both of them?" he said as Olivia placed her hands on his shoulders from behind. He could sense that her body had tensed. 

"Murtagh injured the guard because of the usual food squabble, and there is nothing much." Her eyes went to Olivia and she said, "He is very sorry for his behavior." 

Olivia knew what Tasha meant. Murtagh was sorry about what he did with her. She lowered her gaze as if accepting the apology. 

Kaizan waved his hand and asked about the boy they had met in the market. 

"He was seen roaming on the outskirts, swearing that he seeks revenge from you and Olivia for insulting him in the market square. He was released on a heavy bail by one of the Whiteclaw pack's members and taken back."

Kaizan's jaw clenched. 

"If you allow me, I will go to retrieve him and get him back," Tasha said. She had to go to meet the rebel leader and what better excuse than this? It would make her look like her visit was legal, and at the same time, she insulted Olivia by mentioning that her previous lover had been exposed in Silver Vales. But the thing was that she didn't know anything about his whereabouts. She had just thrown the bait cleverly and the fish caught it.

"Yes, you may go," the General said.

Tasha smiled and bowed to him and turned to leave. She was only a few steps away when Kaizan ordered, "Don't come back without him." 

Tasha froze. 

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