It was midnight, and the crickets were playing a night symphony that filled the secluded inn's backyard, where Mikael and Talon decided to chat privately. A lantern nearby helped to give them some light, to ward off the enveloping darkness.
Mikael strolled over to Talon, and his footsteps were muffled by the grass against his shoe soles.
Talon's voice was a murmur when he asked, carrying a note of concern, "Did you manage to eat your fill at dinner earlier?"
Mikael understood where he was coming from, realizing that he and Talon had struggled to eat the boar meat after the harrowing scene they had been through.
He had never encountered such an incident before, which had shaken him to his core. "A little," he admitted.
Mikael couldn't help but think how Beth was holding up. She was reticent when they arrived at the inn, and a bit out of her senses when helping him with his bath.
The rest of the crew, though, acted unfazed, like nothing had happened, and it was just another day.
Talon seemed fidgety, scratching his neck and finally coming out with the big question that had been bothering him. "So, uh, do you think the Marques will ever know?"
Mikael took a pause, his gaze locked onto Talon's. He had yet to disclose this particular detail to his friend, and he figured it was time to spill the surface. "Er, actually, he already knows."
With an immediate reaction, Talon pressed, "Seriously? How?" His face spoke volumes of surprise as his eyebrows shot upward.
He had mentally prepped himself for this, and with a sigh, he courageously said, "I told him."
However, he did not want to tell him more as he felt embarrassed and humiliated, forming a bond with another alpha. He brought his brows into a furrow. Because of this bond, it spoiled the picture he had always held in his head as the heir to the Steele family.
Still taken aback, Talon dug deeper and asked, "But, was he fine with it?"
But before Mikael could reply, Talon waved the question away with a hand. He figured out the answer just by seeing they were both alive and kicking.
Instead, out of the blue, Talon posed a question that cut through the stillness of the night. "Do you want to run away?"
"Now?" Mikael leaned back a bit, his shoulders stiffening as his friend caught him off guard.
"I'm not suggesting we run away tonight," Talon clarified, shaking his head.
Mikael thought briefly about what he said, his expression turning gloomy. After much consideration, he nodded and said, "I will try to find a way, but it might take longer."
He stopped for a second, then confessed, "I got to make sure we won't get caught. Also, I have to find my sister and father first."
His words' weight mingled with the silence between them in the middle of the midnight hour. Mikael's gaze dropped to the ground, his thoughts swirling like a cataclysmic whirlpool.
In the back of his mind, there was a question of whether he should be grateful that Nicolaus had been considerate enough. He refrained from executing him on the spot, sparing not only Mikael but his entire family at the moment.
'No.' Mikael shook his head. But then again, the other option besides death was being tied with him for the rest of his life.
As the night air grew chillier around them, Talon shifted their conversation, drawing Mikael's thoughts away. "I can't believe Mikayla didn't tell us she has a lover," he muttered, almost to himself. "Do you think she told someone else, maybe a maid or someone else?"
Mikael considered the question carefully, his brow furrowing in contemplation. "I'm certain Father investigated among the servants and found no answers," he replied, his voice resigning. "That's likely why he ran off like a coward."
All of a sudden, something clicked in Mikael's brain. "What about a friend?" he suggested, his eyes widening with the realization. "Mikayla was close to her music teacher."
The two friends traded a look, knowing that the music teacher might hold the key to uncovering Mikayla's secret lover. She was their best lead, their little hope.
…
As Mikael softly pushed the door to their room, he expected to find Nicolaus asleep, much like the rest of the inn's occupants.
But, no.
When he entered, the dull flickering candlelight in the corner of the room revealed him reclined in a chair. He was also basking in the soft moonlight pouring in from the wide-open window.
The moment Mikael set foot in the room, those golden eyes locked right onto him, as if they were giving him a judgment.
"Uh, I thought you were sleeping," Mikael began cautiously, closing the door behind him. "Why are you still awake?"
There was a bit of a suspense moment, with Nicolaus not responding immediately, his stare lingering. His expression held a hidden rage, a stoic facade obscuring a whirlwind of thoughts below. Mikael could not quite make sense of what was brewing within him.
Finally, Nicolaus broke the silence, asking, "What were you doing outside?"
"Oh, ah, um, I just went to get some fresh a, air," Mikael stammered, his eyes darting nervously.
On the contrary, Nicolaus did not seem to buy that story, as evidenced by his raised eyebrow and a subtle curve on one side of his lips.
"Lying again, are we?" he remarked, his gaze steady on Mikael, as if seeing through his masquerades.
Under his inspecting eyes, Mikael's heart raced, prompting him to fidget uneasily. In a weak protest, he mumbled, "N, No, not really," with no intention of going into the specifics of meeting Talon.
Nicolaus' face seemed to stiffen; his lips pressed into a thin line, and his jaw clenched in his growing irritation. "You gotta watch yourself, Mikael," he cautioned. "We can't let them figure out you are not Mikayla."
Mikael's eyes flashed with frustration as he looked right back at Nicolaus. "Why not publicly declare the truth so we nullify this marriage? It would surely save us all this mess," he retorted.
But Nicolaus did not like that idea one bit.
The suggestion struck a nerve in him, and his expression turned grim. He abandoned his seat, walking towards Mikael, narrowing the distance between them.
He shot back sharply, "You think my reputation and business deals could survive that me, a merchant, have been fooled by a man dressing as a woman? It would permanently stain my reputation."
But Mikael was exhausted; his tiredness suggested concluding the discussion and retiring for the night.
"No one saw me, or us. I made sure," Mikael stated as he took a seat on the edge of the bed, seeking refuge.
Nicolaus, however, was not so easily appeased. He followed Mikael, his skepticism evident. "How can you say so?" he voiced, growling in the process.
Mikael muttered an answer behind his breath, "E, Everyone is asleep, alright?"
Nicolaus countered, "You didn't even realize I was up."
Getting increasingly aggravated, Nicolaus reached out, grabbing Mikael's cheeks between his hand and lifting his face. Unmoving, their eyes remained fixed on each other.
"You do not want to test me any further," Nicolaus warned.
He observed Mikael's eyes, which had a rebellious resolve. But, looking closely, there was also a flicker of fear mingling beneath it.
"W, What are you going to do? Harm me?"
"I will not raise a finger on you," Nicolaus said firmly, having a way of delivering his sardonic words, "but I may consider your twin sister or your dear knight friend."
With narrowed eyes and a subtle contorted face, Mikael said, leaving no room for debate, "You are not going to touch them."
Nicolaus leaned in closer, their faces almost touching, his breath warm against Mikael's skin. He breathed in and traced his nose on his cheeks.
"It's making me think you are doing this on purpose. You are leaving me with no choice," he whispered, his golden irises burning with assertiveness.
Nicolaus backed off a bit, putting a few inches between their faces. They kept on staring each other down, neither willing to give in. Being the stubborn fellow, Mikael held his ground.
Unyielding, it got Nicolaus all fired up. Not being able to stand the silence, he planted a delicate, short kiss on Mikael. Their lips tied for a split second, hinting more to be explored later.