Page 13 of Queen of the Crimson Throne

He was still searching for the spellbook? Even after Hecate’s warning? Even though we were set to be married?

“I will keep searching for it day after day until I can find you a way out of marrying me, Lennox. I would love nothing more than to call you my wife, but I know that’s not what you want so I’m finding you a way out.”

A tear slipped down my cheek, the first one to slip loose since the day I made him leave. I quickly wiped it away with the back of my hand. His voice was determined, but there was a hollowness to it—a sadness. I waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. If I wasn’t already sitting, I feared my legs would give out from under me. I had known Luka felt strongly for me, but this—I had been so cruel to him by ordering him to leave. But I never expected—this. For him to fight so strongly for my freedom to choose who I married. He had the title of High King in the palm of his hands. A title anyone in Lethenia would be eager to take without a second thought.

But not Luka. Would he throw away this opportunity for me?

“Did you read my letters?”

I swallowed. I hadn’t felt guilty for throwing them in the fire until now. “No. I—I threw them in the fire without reading them.”

“I knew the chances of you reading them was a long shot. But I still had to try, Lennox. You might have stopped thinking about me, but I never stopped thinking about you.”

If he only knew—I couldn’t think about him. If I had let myself think about him?—

“Goodnight Lennox.” His voice was thick with emotion. I listened as he stood and took a couple of steps, but he stopped. “Until the stars turn to dust, Lennox Adair.”

Only once I could no longer hear his footsteps did I let the rest of the tears fall.

7

LENNOX

I gave myself exactly one minute to wallow before I wiped my tears away and headed toward the bathing chamber.

I splashed my face with cold water, attempting to clear the redness from my face.

Why was it when it came to Luka I had such a hard time controlling my emotions?

I needed—I’m not sure even the Goddess knew what I needed.

I tried my best not to think about Luka over the past weeks. But it was a lot easier said than done. I thought about our last day together over and over again.

The more I let myself stew about it the angrier I became. Not at Luka directly, but at the situation we had been put in.

Even from the beginning, he knew me well enough to decide he shouldn’t share his grandfather’s proposal with me. We could never reverse time, but I had a hard time believing I would be able to trust anything he did knowing the information from the start.

I grew angry at myself because part of me agreed with Luka’s decision. I never would have let myself open myself up to him if he told me his grandfather wanted me to marry him.

Every day I tried to convince myself if I knew that information I wouldn’t have let myself fall for him.

I had yet to convince myself of that.

Everything Luka had admitted through the door?—

I snapped my head up at the sound of a knock on the door. I took a steadying breath before pushing off the sink and walking to the door.

I hoped it was Krissa with my dinner. I didn’t think Luka would try again so soon. I couldn’t handle it if it was him on the other side.

When I opened the door I was met with someone who was most certainly not Krissa or Luka.

Instead, I was met by steely blue eyes and hair the color of the moon.

“Nico.”

The wolf stood half leaning against the doorway in clothing far more casual than I had ever seen him in, carrying a tray of food in one hand and several bottles of wine in the other. “What are you doing here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” He grinned. “I’ve brought you dinner.”

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