Page 11 of Wolfsbane (Deadly Duet #2)
ELEVEN
HESPER
My mind raced as the sounds of my heart mixed with the overlapping voices in my head, my breathing increasing as I readied a horse. I had remained hidden from Morel and his men all afternoon, impatiently waiting for nightfall to gather what I needed.
“I belong to no one,” I whispered, tightening the reins of the solid black horse as its breath fogged the cold air, a soft snow drizzling overhead. My hands slipped into a pair of leather gloves as I pulled the dark hood over my face and stepped to mount the horse, sensing something behind me. My instincts took over as I spun, a small blade in hand, the tip pressing ever so lightly into the skin beneath his chin. His amber eyes stared down at me with an impressed grin.
“Always the surprise,” Morel whispered. My grip on the blade tightened as I stared up at him, the shadows of the moons hidden behind the clouds, leaving us in a veil of darkness.
“You cannot make me stay,” I growled. My own words ached as his smile faded.
Morel raised his hand, gently wrapping his fingers around my grip as he pulled the blade from his skin and lowered my hand. We stood there, gazing at one another for a moment in absolute silence, listening to the nightlife, the soft snow falling and wrapping us in its cold embrace.
“I will never force you to do anything, my queen.” I swallowed, my heart nearly skipping as his hand still held mine. “But please, don’t leave.” Morel stepped closer, a soft gasp breaking past my lips as he lowered my hood with his free hand. “Let me protect you.” I struggled to control my heartbeat while steadying my breathing.
“I can protect myself,” I whispered.
“I have no doubt. But Hesper, if you leave, I cannot help you. Your people are here, and they need you. I—” He stopped, almost choking his last word as it lingered.
“You what?” Morel’s eyes lowered. I wanted him to finish his sentence, to say the words out loud, but he wouldn’t.
“I told you,” I ripped my hand from his grasp, “I will never marry for political reasons. I’m not some pawn in a war of men. I am a queen, and I will do what I have to, but I will never marry to further a man’s claim.” I turned to face the horse, grabbing the reins as he forcefully spun me around, his mouth slamming into mine, completely taking my breath away. It felt as though the stars from the heavens had begun to crash upon the Earth, surrounding us in a galaxy of constellations.
My sanity returned as my hand slapped his face, stinging from the impact. His lips broke from mine as he stood there, his cheek red, smiling at my temper. I had to compose myself, tucking my hair behind my ears as the brief moment was replaced by a sad, hurtful anger.
“No,” I pointed up at him, “you don’t get to do that!” Morel only smiled. “Stop it. Stop it!” I pushed him away, shoving him back as he laughed lightly, angering me further.
“If you want me to never kiss you again, then I will do just that.” I raised a brow at him, annoyed with how calm he was behaving.
“No, you don’t get to toy with me! I know this—this thing you are doing isn’t real. It’s all just a ploy to get me to agree to that ridiculous proposal. You say you want to protect me, that you want me to stay, but I know the truth.”
“And what is that?” he asked, growling the question as if I had offended him. My jaw clenched and tightened as I stared back at him.
“You just want me to be your wife so you can claim your title as king and use it to destroy your brother.” The words burned in my throat as they regurgitated at our feet. Morel’s body stiffened as his fists clenched at his side. I knew I hit a nerve, and I hated that I felt terrible for doing it. “You will not use me like Boletus.” Tears began to form in my eyes as the moon peeked behind the clouds, its blue light casting down on us.
“I am nothing like Boletus,” Morel barked, seething.
“Then why else would you agree so easily to Dr. Altair’s proposal?” I tried to choke back my hurt, the pain I felt building in my chest. Morel seemed to notice, his own anger melting as he watched me. I felt as though something inside me was breaking, as if feelings I had buried so deep were finally breaking through the hard surface I had created and erupting from within me. It was overwhelming, causing my chest to pound and race, my breathing to become erratic as I stood there, trying to pretend I was okay, but I wasn’t.
“Hesper…” He stepped towards me, his demeanor now soft and gentle. I backed away, shaking my head.
“No, you don’t get to do that.”
“Hesper, please,” he continued until I had backed into the horse with nowhere to run. Morel gently lifted my chin to look up at him, the moon positioned perfectly behind him as he nearly glowed in the moonlight, his hair almost blue as snowflakes landed in the strands, his eyes burning a golden orange as he gazed at me with such tenderness. “I told Dr. Altair no.” My heart skipped.
“W-what?” His response was completely unexpected, tugging at my soul as I stood there.
“I told him no. You are free to do whatever you please, as you’ve always been. But Hesper, please , don’t leave. Stay here…with me.” I felt such an electric pull towards him, such need to embrace him and hold him close and never let go.
“You—you said no?” It was almost unbelievable. The king of darkness, the man so many feared, said no to a proposal that would give him everything.
“I did.”
“But why? A marriage between our kingdoms would give you everything you wanted.” I felt lightheaded and dizzy, struggling to focus, as the sight of him before me was almost too much to handle.
“Not everything. Hesper—” He stepped closer, and our breaths danced in the air, our bodies nearly touching. “I—” He raised his hands, motioning as he tried to speak, obviously struggling to do so. “For the first time in my life, I don’t feel worthless. I have spent so many years consumed with hatred and spite, seeking nothing but revenge on Agaric for the past. But then you came along and turned my whole world upside down.” He rubbed his temples, lightly groaning as he looked at me, gently gripping my face. “The day I laid eyes on you, my heart did something it had never done before. It began to beat. I felt dead inside, but you—” He lightly shook me. “You made me feel alive. You are my very own wolfsbane, Hesper, entrapping me with your beauty and deadliness. I know you will never marry, not unless your heart tells you to do so, but I have fallen under your spell, Hesper. And I, not a king, but Morel,” he fell to his knees, his hands wrapping around my legs as he stared up at me, “am asking you—no, I am begging you—to marry me. Not for my title or my kingdom, but because my heart longs for you. Please, will you be my wife? My wolfsbane?”
My body became numb, my heart nearly giving out as I stood there, fully in shock. The king of darkness was on his knees, begging me to be his wife—not for political power, but for love. Love ; the very thing I said would be the only reason I would ever consider marriage. And here he was, offering me just that. Love.
As I stared down at the beautiful man before me, my heart fluttered and bloomed. I had been fighting the feelings I had felt towards him for some time, making excuses for them, but I knew what they truly were, and the truth had scared me…until now. I slowly fell to my own knees, still looking up at Morel as a single tear fell down my cheek.
“If I am your wolfsbane,” I removed my glove and gently placed my hand against his cheek, “then you are the very light in which breathes life into my existence, casting me as your shadow.” Morel wiped my tears as he too began to tear up. I could feel our walls crumbling, our pain and past morphing into this powerful force between us as our souls surrendered to one another. “I think I too have loved you since the day I first met you, and I promise to love you until the heavens fall upon the Earth.”
“A symphony of stars,” he whispered. Hearing him recite my kingdom’s words back to me broke me as I leaned up and kissed him, passion overflowing as he held me close, my arms wrapping around his neck as he pulled my body into his lap. “Wolfsbane,” he breathed, surrendering himself to me.
“Let me be your shadow, king of darkness.” My tears fell to our mouths as he kissed me back with such power, the moon beaming down on us.
“Whatever you desire, my queen.” He stood with such ease, holding me close as I continued to kiss him.
“I desire,” I whispered, reluctantly removing my lips from his, “to be your wife.”
Morel stopped, gazing up at me. My cheeks were burning from our immense moment, despite the night and freezing snow falling around us. His lips curled upwards as he smiled, beaming with pride.
“As you wish.”