Betrayed by My Ex, Marked by His Alpha Emperor Brother novel Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Chapter 40

Elara’s POV

“Mommy, look! That one’s bigger than a house!”

Valerius pressed both palms flat against the carriage window, his breath fogging the glass. Beyond the smudged circle of condensation, the masts of merchant ships rose like bare winter trees against the amber sky.

“Sit back, sweetheart. You’ll leave prints everywhere.”

He ignored me completely. His dark curls bounced as he craned his neck, trying to see higher. His bright eyes went wide as a large ship drifted past the harbor mouth, its sails catching the last of the evening light.

“Lord Kaelen, is that one yours?” my four-year-old son asked, practically vibrating with excitement.

Kaelen glanced over from the driver’s seat, one hand loose on the reins. He still wore his expensive court jacket, looking every inch the powerful emperor, yet he navigated the congested Friday evening traffic of the capital with an ease that surprised me.

“That one belongs to the merchant guild,” Kaelen said gently. “But there’s a frigate docked on the far side that might have a sea serpent carved into the bow. Want to go check?”

Valerius gasped. “A real sea serpent?”

“Carved. But very convincing.”

“Can we, Mommy? Can we?”

I smiled, smoothing my soft wool sweater over my comfortable jeans. “We’re already here, aren’t we?”

The royal harbor opened before us. Salt air rushed in through the windows, tangled with the smell of wet rope and sun-warmed wood. Kaelen pulled the carriage to a stop near the boardwalk and jumped down. Before I could reach for the door handle, he was already there, offering his hand to help me step out.

He then lifted Valerius out of the carriage with one arm, settling the boy on his hip as if he’d done it many times. Valerius laughed, a bright, uncomplicated sound that cracked something open in my chest.

We walked along the main pier. Kaelen naturally placed a possessive hand on the small of my back. The broad palm and heavy warmth sent a flutter through my stomach, but I didn’t pull away. He didn’t remove it as we strolled toward the weathered ice cream stand at the end of the dock.

“Two vanilla cones,” Kaelen ordered, then looked down at Valerius. “And what do you want?”

“Rocky road!”

“And one rocky road.”

Valerius accepted his cone with both hands. “Lord Kaelen, you can just call me Valerius. Mommy does.”

Kaelen crouched down to eye level. “Deal. And you can drop the ‘Lord’. Just Kaelen.”

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