The Brave Human Mate

43.

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Healer Rhea's POV

While Rhea was getting ready for bed, Romulus found both Clive and Ray in the kitchen nook that provided meals to his men. But here they looked much more somber than most would assume.

Were they not happy about Amory's return?
Or to find out their friends were alive?

"Rather a glum look for a celebration. Is something wrong?" Clive's eyes burned as he turned his head further down. While Ray was the one to turn up to the King.
"Boy finished two steins worth before I got here. Won't say a word." Romulus had come over to walk to the empty stool beside him, his arm gripping the young man's shoulder in hopes of getting some clarity to it all.

"What troubles you?"

"Stuff." He slurred, and that instantly caused the king to push aside the beer in question. "Oh goddess, it's wolf grade. Perhaps you are taking the trip solo tomorrow, Ray."

"No! I wanna go—M'be fine." It was never like him to shout, especially towards the king. But of course, Romulus had only smirked at the sight of this defiance. "Perhaps, will you tell me what's the matter?"

With the silence taking hold of the bar, Ray leaned in and placed another supportive hand on his shoulder. But it still had not given any leeway to what was holding Clive's thoughts and tongue hostage.

However, when a body passed by, hope sparked in Clive's face as he smiled brightly at the female before him.
Though unfortunately for him, it had all but failed considering it was Rhea preparing a bit of tea for herself before bed. "Ah, and here I thought you were Enforcers...Oh, Clive! Absolutely not, you're not old enough!" She shrieked, grabbing ahold of the stein and taking it far from him, though she stilled in the instance of taking a sniff. "Clive..."

"M'fine!" He shouted once more, his hand striking the table in damnation causing Rhea to flinch. Yet as she settled the stein back to the tabletop, she leaned over the bar and cupped his cheeks. "What's the matter?"
"Nothin'. Said I was good and fine."

"Are you sure, because even I can smell tears." It was hard to hide the fact that he had been crying as well, but as Rhea had taken a seat with her own stool, an encouraging smile brightened his view.
The boy sighed, though his eyes flickered unsurely towards both Romulus and Ray.

"Would you two give us a minute?" Ray found it odd, but Romulus truly believed that the trust between Rhea and these males needed to be treated as such, so the King had found his footing with ease.

Strolling out with Ray not far behind him, and within five minutes of it all. Rhea had come forward in helping Clive from his chair and leading him onward to his own room, or trying to, had Ray not jumped in to help.

"Everything is alright, he'll take the night to rest it off—And I've already given him a hangover tonic, the most he should feel is groggy." Ray thanked her endlessly and hauled an arm over his shoulder to walk the lad toward their shared room.

All while leaving Rhea and the King in the hallway.

"What were the boy's troubles?"

"Something I just faced myself in these last few months, he's in love—Though the she-wolf fancies another wolf." Temptation flared in Romulus' eyes, had the boy dared to make a move on—
"Relax, it was with the innkeeper's daughter or sister—Whoever helped me with the bath. I believe he's more than smitten with her." It did start to relax the King, but not entirely.

Not when he recalled the reports.

"And yourself?... I realized I foolishly offered a proposal when you have a lover." A laugh erupted in the hall before Rhea realized what had happened, but she truly couldn't help it.
A lover?!