Page 137 of Kingly Bitten

Our bodies talking instead of our minds.

It was a stunning moment of passion and promise, interrupted only by the rumbling sensation beneath the bed.

We’re on the plane, I realized, not having noticed much beyond Jace until now.

Yes. Bunker 37 is on a different island. He pushed the coordinates to my mind, telling me we’d only taken off thirty minutes ago. He’d waited until he’d felt my essence thriving in our bond because he hadn’t wanted to enter the bunker without me.

Two minds are better than one,he added, explaining his decision.

What he didn’t mention was the lingering reason in his mind, the one that finalized his choice—he understood the importance of my going with him. He didn’t want me to miss the opportunity to find the files regarding my creation.

Thank you, I whispered as our kiss slowed to a natural pause. I opened my eyes to meet his alluring gaze, his features ones that redefined the meaning of beauty. He truly was remarkable, all even lines and a perfectly symmetrical nose.

The title ofkingabsolutely suited him.

“Does that make you my queen?” he teased softly as the jet shifted around us to announce our descent.

I wasn’t given a chance to respond—not that I had a reply to give—because a deep voice began speaking.

“Did it ever occur to you to inform others of your intentions before acting?” a cultured voice asked. “Oh, who am I kidding? Of course it did. It’s you, the master chess player. So should I be insulted by not at least receiving a text as a warning?”

“Kylan.” Jace stilled above me, his gaze going to the speaker on the nightstand. “Did Darius patch you through?”

Kylan. Vampire Royal. Ally. My brain quickly tossed out those details upon hearing the familiar name.

“Don’t tell me the lack of an announcement or warning bothered you, Jace. It’s not like you didn’t just do that to me in the form of Ryder blasting the alliance with a photo of him grinning like a loon while holding up Lilith’s severed head.”

My brow furrowed.Why would Ryder send such a message?Jace had said they needed more allies on their side before announcing her death.

What did I miss while unconscious?

It hadn’t occurred to me to askhowJace had gained access to Lajos’s office. I’d been too distracted by the details and our next destination to dig deeper.

But now I understood because now I couldseethe details I’d missed before.

You killed Lajos,I breathed, watching the memory unfold. With it came a wave of despair and fury, Jace’s reaction to my death. He’d worried it was permanent.

He’d been worried aboutme.

My lips tried to form a response to that, but I couldn’t even think of one, let alone voice it.

Not that I had a chance to because Jace was already replying to Kylan.

“If given the opportunity, would you kill Robyn?” he asked, the question a departure from what Kylan had said, but my link to Jace’s mind told me why he’d chosen that inquiry. He saw the situation as somewhat related to his decision regarding Lajos.

Robyn had hurt Kylan’s property as some sort of sick and twisted game. She’d insulted his superiority in the process, similar to how Lajos had disrespected Jace by snapping my neck.

But it went deeper than that.

Jace didn’t consider me hispropertyso much as hismate, something I heard whispers of in the back of his thoughts. Despite being human and far less experienced, he saw me as his equal, at least mentally. All because of how similarly our minds worked.

I considered that as Kylan said, “I’m not sure how that’s related, but death would be suitable for her, yes. Are you offering me the opportunity?”

“That’s not for me to offer,” Jace replied. “And it’s related because Lajos killed myErosita. Thankfully, it was temporary. But it didn’t feel temporary at the time, and I reacted.”

More silence fell over the line while Jace recounted the incident and his instinctual reaction. He’d thrown away over a century of planning… for… forme.

I marveled at the revelation, hearing how he’d processed the decision and how he didn’t regret it. Not even now. Not even after having me alive beneath him.