Page 116 of Frost Bound

The thought was like a bucket of icy water.

He flinched, and pulled back with all the self-control he possessed.

Dahlia opened her eyes, her pupils wide. He inhaled deeply, and groaned at the sweetness of hisjaivelle. Her crown wasaskew, her lips puffy, her cheeks flushed. He’d done that and it made him feel like aqovvingking.

Her chest rose in deep breaths as they shared the silence. He stared into her foreign eyes, noticing flecks of gold in those green depths. He’d never thoughtsaloes’ eyes were anything but bizarre. But’s Lia’s? They were beautiful.

Slowly, lucidity returned to her gaze, and with it the scent of regret.

“Let me down, my lord.”

His jaw flexed as she locked herself away, the placid mask sliding back into place. “Don’t do that,” he whispered gutturally. “Don’t you dare retreat.”

She released his braids, her gaze sliding to the side. “Please put me down.”

Lia was shutting him out. He studied her for a second before staring down at her legs wrapped around his hips. He wasn’t sure how all mouth matings worked, but she’d been an enthusiastic participant. Maybe she needed a moment to process what they’d done. He could give her that.

Neve wrapped his fingers around her nipped-in waist and stepped away from the wall. Her legs unwrapped from his hips, and he set her on the ground. His hand lingered until she found her footing and stepped away from him.

She adjusted her crown, straightened her dress, and then dabbed at her lips with the back of her hand.

Erasing all evidence of your touch.

A cleared throat had him glancing over his shoulder. Olwen and Flyka had stepped back into the corridor. His best friend arched his brows, and Neve huffed. He’d forgotten all about their audience.

Turning back to hisniliave, he scowled and then cursed. She’d taken off and was already turning the corner ahead. Every part of him wanted to hunt her down and take her mouth again,but he curbed the impulse. Neither one of them had expected to have attraction to the other, much less some degree of affection. All he needed to do now was be patient.

A grim smile curled his lips. Patience was one thing he excelled at.

His little wifedid everything in her power to avoid him the next three days.

The first night he came to bed, he’d found her sleeping on the couch. It had felt like she’d slashed open his chest. A clear rejection.

He hadn’t let it slide.

Neve had gathered her up and tucked her into her side of the bed, making sure to build the pillow wall.

The next morning, he’d woken up and she’d vanished.

No one knew where the queen had gone.

When she’d finally shown up back in their chambers late that night, he’d been furious. She’d given him an explanation about charity work and time with Serenity, herastrylle, and then locked him out of the shower room. The icing on the cake had been that she’d worn his shirt to bed, walked right past the mattress and to the couch. He’d fumed in the stifling silence. It had taken her hours to fall asleep, but as soon as she begun to snore, he’d moved her back into the bed.

The second morning had gone much the same.

He had woken up alone.

Neve hated it, but he didn’t have time to search for her when a message had come in about raiders to the southeast. He’d hadto leave without a word from his elusive queen. When they’d arrived at the village, they were met with more than a raid. It was almost a whole bloody battalion of mercenaries.

It had been bloody, harrowing, and disheartening.

By the time he’d returned home two days later, he’d buried too many bodies and sported a few more scars. Beram was the first to welcome him home, his lips set in thin line beneath his gray beard. They’d discovered who’d sanctioned the act.

It seemed as if the attack had been sanctioned by the Asterans, but they’d used Loriian mercenaries.

“Where’s thereilleve?”

“On her way to the midwinter festival, I believe, as is all of your court.”

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