Page 135 of Savage Throne
“Nothing you haven’t earned.” His words sent a chill down my spine.
I stared at the box. “You’ve given me quite enough already, Leo. No thank you.”
“Still, you must. In fact. . .let me help,” he said, and before I could step back, he flicked the box open.
I widened my eyes.
O-kay. . .
Inside sat a ring, more beautiful than I could have imagined. A sapphire the size of a robin’s egg rested at its center, deep and flawless, like a piece of the night sky frozen in time. Smaller diamonds haloed the stone, catching the light in the space and scattering it into sparks of fire and ice.
He’s giving me a. . .ring?
I blinked, stunned by its beauty.
“This was my wife’s,” Leo said softly as he watched me. “The day I created the title of Mountain Mistress; I gave herthisring.”
My eyes shot up to his face.
Why does he want me to wear her ring?
I lowered my view back to it and studied this priceless jewelry. It was gleaming and sitting innocently inside its velvet prison. For a split second, the sheer beauty of it was enough to rob me of breath.
However, I was sure the sapphire burned with secrets that I couldn’t begin to unravel.
Why would Leo give me this? And why now?
Leo never made a move without purpose. He was a man who thought ten steps ahead while the rest of us were still taking one step forward.
Every gesture, every word, every smile came with a cost, and this ring—thisgift—would be no different.
I curled my fingers in the pocket of my gown and brushed the edges of the hidden gun. The cold metal steadied me even as my mind churned.
This is a chess move. But what move was it?
I lifted my gaze back to him.
He just stood there, waiting. The smallest tilt of his head betrayed his patience, as if daring me to figure out the real game before him.
I forced my voice to steady. “What does this ring mean toyou, Leo?”
A flicker of emotion crossed his face—pride, maybe.
Or satisfaction.
It was hard to tell with him. “This ring is a symbol. One that binds its wearer to the title and everything that comes with it.”
Everything that comes with it?
The words twisted like a knife.
What does he mean by that?
I tried to think clearly, but the space felt too small, the air too heavy and even the sapphire’s sparkle seemed like a trap, luring me closer even as my instincts screamed at me to step back.
Leo watched me. “Youmusttake it.”
“Why?”
