“Oh, were you hoping for a fight?” he asked with a mischievous grin, stoking the flames in the fireplace in a simple gesture of his lethal power. “You said there’s nothing I can do to change your mind… so what’s the point of arguing?” His eyes narrowed as he gripped my wrists and pulled me towards him. “You better have a plan that involves me though, because even the wrath of all six gods wouldn’t be enough to tear us apart. You’re mine. Wherever you go, I go.”
My eyes were round and wet as he leaned in for another kiss. His lips met teeth because of my wide grin. “Will you go to Erador with me? Without your mother? Without the Elders?”
He swiped his thumb along my cheekbone, wiping away a tear. “I don’t want to leave my people, but I know your heart. You wouldn’t leave them here to die. So I assume you have a plan…”
I chewed the inside of my lip. I couldn’t risk him knowing the details—not when he worked so closely with Sylvia and I’d already been burned by him once. “I can’t tell you everything yet,” I said. He frowned,but didn’t protest as I continued, “Once I can shift, we’re leaving to Erador, then we’re going to break the curse. When faeries no longer depend on human blood, we can join the worlds, with guidance from my aunt. Ideally, I’d like to see you take your mother’s place as King of Nymera as soon as possible.”
“Planning a full rebellion, are we?” He gave a low laugh before pouncing on me and pinning me to the bed in one seamless motion. “I shouldn't be surprised. Personally, I’d like to seeyoutake my mother’s place,” he drawled. “By my side. As my Queen.”
I squealed as he licked at a sensitive spot beneath my ear and growled, “It’s no giggling matter… You’re to be the mother of my children. We shall rule twoworldstogether. I’d blood-bond with you right this moment—if you’d let me.” His fingers were making their way under my dress, but they stopped as he felt me tense.
“I… don’t feel ready for that,” I breathed. “But I do love you, Galen.”
“I love you more,” he whispered, palming my breasts, while scraping his teeth along my throat.
This was a new beginning. Since I’d arrived, we’d experienced trial by fire, but now… now we were on the same team. Anything was possible. Afuturewas possible.
He was staring at me like I was the most important thing in the world. No man had ever made me feel this way. I was strong enough to heal his broken parts… and maybe he could heal mine too.
“I want to bite you so badly,” he said, tracing a finger up my leg.
“Is there a place less visible?” The last bruise had finally faded on my neck, and it was annoying trying to hide it at training.
“There is.” He stood up and pulled my legs to the edge of the bed. His eyes lit up as he admired the many gauzy layers of my pink dress. He took his time unwrapping me, making me feel like an exquisite gift as he kissed up each leg. “There’s a spot… right here on your inner thigh,” he said in a low rumble, spreading me open and nibbling at the soft flesh. “The blood flow provides me with the magic I crave, gives you the pleasure you crave,andit’s conveniently located.” He smiled as he licked me down my middle, making me gasp.
“Does this sound like something you might be interested in?” he asked, rubbing slippery circles with his thumb, making me squirm.
“Yes,” I breathed, laying back in anticipation. Galen flicked his tongue in lavish swirls while he splayed me open with his fingers, until I was throbbing everywhere. Then he stopped. I pulled his hair in desperation. “Please,more. Please.”
“I want to hear you say it. What do you want?” He kissed my thigh and continued to tease me with his hands.
“Please…bite me.”
“I love when you ask for it,” he said with a low growl of approval. Velvet kisses contrasted with rough stubble, before I felt the prick of his fangs. My magic flowed out of me and into him, taking my mind with it. I trembled with release almost immediately, crying out as I reached for him, needing something,someone, to keep me tethered to this world.
He was moaning as he drank, still using those damned fingers to elicit more sensation than I could handle. I was writhing, rolling my head back and forth in exquisite agony, as the rest of the world faded away.
I woke up under him. Had I lost consciousness? I sat up on my elbows, feeling light-headed.
“Are you okay? Did you faint?” he asked. His forehead was wrinkled in worry as he gripped my face in his hands, like he’d been trying to rouse me.
“Perhaps? I think I forgot to breathe,” I laughed softly, still spinning. I wiped tears from my eyes as I slowly sat up.
“Are you okay?” He looked down at my thigh. “The bleeding’s stopped. I’m sorry if I got carried away.”
“I’m fine.” I shrugged, then pulled him on top of me. I felt a twinge of unease, but shook it off before it could take root. I was with someone who I loved. It felt good because it wassupposed tofeel good. We were two consenting adults, there was nothing wrong with this. My body was oddly well-suited to handle the occasional blood loss, after all. If he planned on defying his mother, he needed as much magic as I could give him. We’d made it to the other side of something that I hadn’t thought we could overcome. He was mine and I was his, and together anything was possible.
thirty-six
One week later, a silky voice murmured into my ear, “Good morning, beautiful.” Galen was already dressed in his royal grey uniform that made his green eyes glitter. He was slowly moving in, leaving clothes in my room, and the intimate step felt sweet… exhilarating. Overall, things felt almost… stable.
“I have a meeting with the Elders today. How would you like me to proceed… in regards to the prophecy? Personally, I’d like to inform them that we’ve been chosen to unite the realms, so the path is clear for us to be together—so I can stop courting Isla. They can’t deny the will of the six almighty gods. Eventheyare not that full of hubris.”
It boggled my mind that he still thought them capable of doing the right thing. They wanted to control the narrative and they wouldn’t let a little blasphemy stop them. Even if they chose to honor the prophecy, they wouldn’t simply hand over their precious power, they’d twist the Oracle’s words until it fit their agenda. I held back from lashing out and instead politely smiled. “Can we keep it between us for now? I’m afraid your mother will see it as a threat to her current reign.”
“As you wish. You’re the brains of this operation, after all.” He grinned. “Enjoy your dance lesson. Tell Rafael that if he touches you inappropriately, I’ll melt the flesh from his bones.” He gave me a soul shaking kiss before he departed, ensuring I’d be covered in his scent while I danced with his brother.
Louis was supposed to be my dance partner for the festival that was now only a few weeks away; however, his current mission had taken precedent and I'd been assigned to a new Prince—a broodier one. The Queen thought Louis was traveling north, crossing through the mountains to Lavinia, but he was actually heading west to Tarragona. And now Raf was being forced to escort me to the dance. I wasn’t sure who was more upset, him or Sylvia. They had a long-standing mutual understanding that he didn’t attend royal gatherings. He had no interest and she didn’t want him there. But this festival was different, because Sylvia felt obligated to announce me properly.
