Page 97 of Rejected By the Shifter King

“That you’ll be my wife and mate?Non. But the concessions you desire me to consider because of our marriage?Oui. It is open to negotiation.”

“I don’t actually have any concessions I want to ask—”

“You do not wish to know if I would allow you to work?”

“I have a feeling the thought of stopping me from working didn’t even cross your mind.”

Comme c’est intéressant.

She seemed not to understand the kind of man he was on some level, but she also seemed strangely intuitive about other aspects of him.

What a mystery his future wife was shaping out to be, and unfortunately for him, this trait of hers threatened to compromise his judgment...because right now, he was wishing that he had her wear something else. Anything except one of his own shirts, which dwarfed her to the point that it revealed the creamy rise of her breasts while not being long enough to hide the shapely curves of her bare legs.

Not good, Mercier.

This was equivalent to giving his own opponent an unfair advantage, which he had never been guilty of in the past.

“Something else just occurred to me,” Samira suddenly declared in a rush. “It’s not about concessions or anything, but...what about the legalities of the two of us being married? I don’t follow preter news much, I’m afraid,” she admitted with a slight wince. “So I don’t know if there are any requirements—”

“We will have to register our marriage withL’Alliance,” he acknowledged.

Her brows furrowed. “Really? But I thought you aren’t a member—”

“Indeed. But by virtue of your race, it isyouwho’s underL’Allianceprotection, hence the need to register our marriage”

“Oh...”

“Do you have any other questions?”

She started to shake her head, but the look on her face however...

“You can also use this opportunity to address your concerns about the permanency of our marriage.”

Her eyes widened. “How did you—”

Patience was one of his stronger fronts, and so Hexius simply waited.

Samira shook her head again, this time looking rather overwhelmed. “It feels like you’ve thought of everything.”

He didn’t bother replying, didn’t see any point wasting words on the rhetorical. In truth, he’d spent the better part of the last hour making contingency plans while she’d showered and borrowed his clothes. Marriage to a human required careful coordination with various parties, not to mention the security protocols necessary to protect her from those who might see her as a weakness to exploit.

“But you’re right. Thereisone thing I want to...I guess...I mean...” She started wringing her hands, and Hexius had to fight against the urge to reach for her. Comfort her. Right now, he had to remember she was not his wife...yet.

“Don’t you think you should at least give it a chance first?”

Hexius frowned, his attention sharpening. “Give what a chance?”

“Your feelings for...her. Don’t you think you should give it another try—” Her gaze dropped away as she made the suggestion, fingers twisting together. “See if maybe you’ll fall in love with her again—”

Ah, so that’s what she was getting at...the idiot.

“That’s all in the past.”

Her expression turned dubious, and his mood turned exasperated. “I do not lie about such things.”

She actually seemed to want to argue this, lips parting as if to speak, but she changed her mind when she saw his glare.

Smart girl.