Page 38

LUKAS

I was going to murder whoever chose this room to be our suite for tonight. We’d been walking for what felt like hours. Through endless corridors, hallways, up – and down – an obscene number of stairs. I knew Lady Raena came from wealth, but her family’s estate was practically a castle. And a castle was the last thing I wanted standing between myself and my new wife tonight.

Wife. She was my wife . Mine.

That perfect blonde hair, long enough to kiss her upper back but not too long that it hid her soft curves. Mine. Those eyes, a deep swirling blue, and behind them, a mind wittier and more determined than I could ever know. Mine. That voice, smooth and lilting like a songbird, and damn it when she laughed, I just wanted to drown in it.

All of her. Mine .

But Forges, if I hadn’t been hers since the moment she waltzed up onto that table all those months ago and hit me with that damned sassy mouth. That same mouth I couldn’t wait a single moment longer to press my lips against.

“Naria, please I—”

“We’re almost there.” She tossed me a dazzling smile, and I was done for. The moment we arrived at the top of a set of stairs, I pulled her towards me and crushed my lips against hers.

“So impatient,” she giggled, gasping when her back touched the wall.

“This is torture, forest princess,” I growled against her lips. She tasted so sweet. Like berries, honey, and those funny little herbs she mixes into her tea.

After allowing me one more kiss, she tipped her chin towards a nearby door. “We’re here.”

The door could’ve been on fire and I wouldn’t have cared. Swiping up her hand, I swung the door open and pulled us both inside.

The room was smaller than I expected, with just a double bed and a few pieces of furniture pressed against the wall. Moonlight spilled onto the white bedsheets from a small window while several candles sat flickering along the dressers, basking the room in a warm glow. At the foot of the bed lay a scattering of red rose petals beside a tray of little chocolates from the wedding.

“Raena told me she picked this room for us because it’s so far from everyone else,” Naria explained, stepping over to the tray and helping herself to a chocolate.

Ah . So it’d be Lady Raena’s name at the top of my murder list.

But when those two ocean eyes glinted, all thoughts of murder were long forgotten. “She said it’d give us more privacy for tonight.” Naria smiled.

“Did she now?” Shrugging off my coat, I hung it over a chair before joining her by the foot of the bed. “And what might we need that for?” I plucked a chocolate from her fingers and popped it into my mouth.

Her cheeks flushed my favourite shade of crimson. “Well… We…”

I smirked. “Let me help you out of this gown, Naria.” My voice was low as her lips clamped shut. “Would you turn around for me, darling?”

When her eyes darted around shyly before she turned away to show me her laces, it took everything in me not to rip the delicate gown apart.

Damn it, I needed her. More than I needed air to breathe.

My fingers worked quickly to untie the laces from her corset. When the gown fell to the floor, she turned back to face me in nothing more than a flimsy lace chemise and a pair of white stockings.

I scrubbed a hand over my jaw, holding back a choke.

“Is it too much?” She blushed again. “Should I have worn something else?”

“No.” The word shot out with a ragged breath. “You look…” My gaze caught on the creamy strip of her thigh between the short chemise and her high stockings, and I almost groaned. Damn it. “You look beautiful.”

Her smile returned. “Good,” she breathed.

I couldn’t last another second. Throwing off my tunic, I took her into my arms.

Lips crashing together, I nudged her backwards until her knees hit the bed. She let out a nervous giggle before collapsing back onto the white sheets, pulling me with her. Though any attempts she made to climb over my legs and straddle my hips were futile.

With a husky laugh, I rolled her over until my chest hovered over hers. Gripping her wrists with my hands, my knees pressed into the sheets either side of her thighs as I kissed her protests away.

“That’s not fair.” She grinned against my lips.

“Too strong for you, sweetheart?” I murmured. “You’ve never complained before.”

She sighed as I deepened the kiss, my tongue stroking hers and stealing any more protests from her throat. One of my hands slipped from her wrists, sinking lower, lower until she gasped into my mouth.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

I froze, my eyes snapping open.

Clack. Clack.

Beneath me, Naria pushed herself up to peer over my shoulder, just as a growl tore through my chest. There was about to be a new person at the top of my murder list. Whichever idiot dared to disturb our—

“It’s a crow,” she muttered, tilting her head.

“What?” I rolled over to follow her gaze. Sure enough, tapping away at the window with his big, stupid beak, was our dark-feathered intruder. He let out a rough squawk before tapping again.

Naria giggled. “Do you think he wants to watch?”

I grunted. “Over my dead body.” Shoving myself up from the bed, I marched over to the window. “Shoo, you nosy bastard.” I smacked my palm against the glass.

The crow flinched but otherwise remained exactly where he was, his black, beady eyes glinting as if challenging me.

“Get out of here.” I smacked the glass again. When he let out another scratchy squawk, I clenched my fists. “That’s it,” I muttered, and swung the window open.

Black feathers charged at my face.

“What in the—” Talons swiped my eyes, my nose, my neck. I tried to swat him away, but the foul beast was relentless.

“Hold on! I’ll get him!” Naria sprinted to my side. But then, without warning, the crow dove towards her and yanked her back by her hair.

I saw red. Seething, I leapt forward to snap the creature’s neck. But then the crow released her and flapped his wings a few times before settling on the floor.

His dark feathers rippled, shimmering as Naria let out a gasp.

Slowly, the animal grew bigger. My throat constricted as dark wings became pale arms. Talons became black boots. Feathers ruffled into an ornate tunic and breeches set, each detail finished with silver threads and now clinging to a tall, lean frame.

Prince Arenn crouched on the floor where the ‘crow’ had once been. His sharp lips pulled into a smirk as he rose to his full height. “Am I interrupting something?” His sparkling gaze danced between Naria and me.

“How dare you come back here,” I snarled.

“Quiet, you.” He shot me a glare before stretching his arms up and rolling out his shoulders. “I’ve been flying since this morning and had hoped to be back home by now, but someone,” his eyes flicked to Naria, “ my dear , was not in their usual bedchamber.”

“I’m married now, Arenn.” Naria found her voice as she stood taller. “Enough of this chasing.”

His smirk fell.

“Leave now and I might, for the sake of my wife, not kill you where you stand. You have no bond to protect you anymore.” My tone was deadly, but Arenn just chuckled.

“You’re wrong,” he purred. “But don’t fret. I’ll leave – though not without what I came for.” He tipped his chin towards Naria as my chest turned to ice.

“Touch her and you’re a dead man.” Roaring, I threw myself at him, but without my sword I was defenceless. Vines whipped around my limbs and forced me back against the wall.

My fingers crackled with power. Something inside me screamed to let it out, just let it kill him, smother him, tear his limbs from his chest. But on instinct I swallowed it down, just as I always had to.

I couldn’t use it. I’m not like them. I’d never let myself be.

“Don’t take her from me.” My voice cracked. “Please.” I snapped my head to the side, searching for a dagger, a rock, anything!

Naria thrashed around, but within seconds he had her pinned to the wall.

Rage swelled inside me.

“No more chasing,” Arenn purred, leaning closer to her ear. “Because now I’ve caught you, I’m never letting you go.”

“NO!” I yelled, but the bastard just tossed me one last grin before he snatched up her wrist and took her away. The two of them vanished into the night air, leaving nothing but flickering candles and a cold, furious ache in my chest.