Chapter 10 - The Sovereign of the Mountain
Six months later, the cabin in the Cascades was no longer a place of exile.
It had been transformed into a sprawling, secure mountain estate—a sanctuary where wild pine forests met absolute protection, and where the fierce, loyal spirit of a nurse and a mastiff reigned supreme.
On a bright autumn afternoon, Ren stood on the expansive wrap-around wooden deck, watching Caesar bound happily through the golden leaves chasing a red ball.
Footsteps crunched softly behind her.
Strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind, pulling her back against a warm, familiar chest. A soft kiss brushed against the nape of her neck.
"You know," Orion murmured, resting his chin on her shoulder as he looked out over the endless sea of pine trees, "my father is asking when we're bringing him back up to the mountains for the weekend."
"Whenever he wants," Ren smiled, leaning back against Orion, her hands resting over his arms. "As long as he leaves his bodyguards and his enemies at the bottom of the driveway."
Orion chuckled, turning her around so she faced him. He looked down into her luminous hazel eyes, the love and devotion in his gaze matching the fierce loyalty of the giant mastiff playing in the yard.
"We leave for Seattle tomorrow," Orion reminded her gently. "The annual charity gala for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. As the new chairwoman of the board, you have a speech to give."
Ren smiled, reaching up to gently trace the faint scar along his jawline.
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"Let them stare," Ren whispered, her voice steady and proud. "The nurse from the mountains isn't hiding anymore."
And down in the valley, the Steel empire bowed its head to a new queen.
