Page 49 of Bite The Power That Feeds

“Whoa…hold up.” I watched them all turn to look at me. “First, I don’t need someone tokeep an eye on me, and secondly, why am I not coming with you?”

Kingsnake constrained his rage around his brothers, but he couldn’t keep it from me. “I wasn’t suggesting they supervise you. Just to be here if you need anything because I’ll be unavailable.”

“And the second question?” I asked.

He held my gaze for a long moment. “I need to speak to him in private.”

That didn’t explain why I couldn’t wait in the bedchambers until he was finished. He must expect this conversation to be an incendiary one.

“It’s another long journey in addition to the one we’ve already taken,” he said. “Rest.”

I wanted to press deeper, but I knew I had to respect his privacy in this. His relationship with his father was even more complicated than the one he’d had with Ellasara. “Alright.”

“Don’t worry.” Cobra clapped me on the back. “We’ll supervise you real good.” He walked off, joining Viper as they headed to their chambers in the palace.

Kingsnake hadn’t withdrawn his stare from my face. “Don’t take offense. This is something I need to do alone.”

I gave a nod in agreement. “I wish you the best.”

His eyes remained a moment longer before they dropped. “Thank you.”

* * *

Once we were showered and in the comfort of our bedchambers, he joined me under the covers, his arms immediately gripping my body and drawing it close. He tugged me to him, pressed a warm kiss to my forehead. Instead of ravishing my body, he wanted to hold me close, one hand in the back of my hair, his other big hand on my ass.

“How long will you be gone?” I smelled the scent of pine, the soap from the shower that cleansed his body of travel.

“A couple days. Maybe longer, depending on how it goes.”

I wanted to press for information, but I chose to stay quiet. “You should take Fang.”

“I will. And you should prepare for our wedding.”

“Wedding?” I asked.

“I asked you to marry me, didn’t I?”

“Well, technically, you told me, not asked. And I didn’t know it would happen so fast.”

“It would happen faster if I didn’t need to speak to him first.”

“Do you think he’ll come?”

He didn’t answer.

Now I understood why a conversation with his father was so paramount.

“The seamstress will help you with your dress. Make sure it shows lots of skin.”

I chuckled, assuming it was a joke.

But he was dead quiet—like it wasn’t.

“The ceremony will be private, just us and my family. And then we’ll have a public coronation.”

“Is that really necessary—”

“Yes. In the event of my death, you will lead our people.”