The next morning, I got a message from Jerry.
Trin, I need to see you. I'm flying back tomorrow.
It sounded urgent, so I decided to meet him.
Okay, Baker's Coffee 10AM. I'm getting ready.
I did have a lot to explain to Jerry, but perhaps none of them mattered anymore.
Just before I went out, Kaid found me.
"Going anywhere, my Lady?"
I decided to be straight-forward, "I have an appointment with Jeremiah. Baker's Coffee. He is flying back to Paris tomorrow."
Kaid cleared his throat. I could see his disapproval but he masked it quite well.
"Take Kendra with you. She can drive you."
I knew better than to argue, "Yes, my King."
I was about to step out when I heard Kaid called me again, "Trin, I cannot allow you to fly back to Paris. You've got to stay here for your safety. Things...are escalating. I shall announce our standing in an official briefing on Monday, so I suppose you should tell Jeremiah to at least go back to his pack for a while."
"I understand, my King. I will arrange to accommodate."
-----
By the time I arrived at Baker's Coffee, Jerry was already seated nicely with two cups of coffee. One was my usual flat white with a touch of cinnamon. He seemed so close, yet so far.
"Jerry, hi. How are you?" I greeted him.
"Trin! Well, I'm good as always. How are you? I wanted to make sure you're doing well before I go back to my pack house."
"Ah, so you're going back to your pack house. What about work?"
"Work can wait, mon amour. Safety first. I guess, you won't be coming back to Paris with me?"
I nodded, "I will arrange so that I can do some of my work from home..."
"Don't worry, my love. I will keep you updated with any information you need. I plan to find out more about curses and how to break them," Jerry seemed to have read my mind.
"Thank you...for putting up with me."
"I know I could never win against his shadow. I did go to your cottage that night, but I saw him got in and waited for you. So, I guess, I had to leave you two alone," he mused, "I hope from now on he will take a good care of you, or else I will."
What did I do to deserve such a good man.
How foolish I was to refuse him and choose that brooding hard-ass man.
Jerry again read my mind, "Trin, tell me, did you, in anyway, enter a binding contract with the King? I mean, I needed to know if it has any effect on breaking a curse..."
"No. I was simply indebted to the late Lycan King. He took me in and raised me as his own. My complicated relationship was merely a collateral damage on my part," I smiled.
"Good. That means, someday, when you are ready, you can let him go and come find me, Trinity. My feelings for you shall not waver," Jerry added firmly.
I sighed deeply and found myself in his embrace. He rested his chin on my head.
"I never want to pressure you into choosing anybody, my love. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, curse or no curse," he whispered.
"Good bye for now, my Lady," he smiled, and I let him kiss me good bye. So sweet and gentle. My lips parted in response; our breaths fell naturally into a rhythm. His heart bare and his soul poured out completely.
"I shall wait for you, Trinity." His fingers traced my lips. He held my hands one last time, stood up, and left.
-----
The car ride back to the estate had been silent, save for the soft music on the radio. I stared at the trees out the window.
"We have arrived at the estate, my Lady," Kendra said.
"Yes, thank you, Kendra."
"My Lady..." she called as she opened the passenger door, "Your privacy is safe with me."
I stared at her. Great, I forgot about Kendra witnessing my every move.
"I was tasked to protect you, Lady Trinity, not to spy on you. It's your choice whether to let the King know," Kendra helped me out of the car.
I stopped for a moment. "How long have you been serving the King, Kendra?"
"I have been specifically assigned to serving you, my Lady, not the King. Ever since the late Luna's passing."
"20 years, then. I was only a teenager," I smiled at her, "Thank you for your service, warrior."
"I have seen you grow, my Lady. You are everything a Luna should be. The late King was very fond of you."
"I wish the Lycan King could see that," I was referring to Kaid.
"He can be very clueless, my Lady, but he cares a lot about you. He is waiting for you in the reading room, with Madam Siona."
I nodded and entered the room.