Page 95 of Frost Bound

Too bad he’d missed dinner.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Neve

He’d finally madeit back to his room, expecting to find a sleepingvalles, but she was nowhere to be found. Neve had even removed all the pillows to make sure she wasn’t hidden beneath them. The one thing he did find was her black diamond choker carelessly tossed onto the bed. He heard the message loud and clear. Lia wasn’t pleased.

Asking the guards where the queen had disappeared to was humiliating in and of itself.

The entire walk down to the kitchen, he’d rehearsed what he’d say to her.

All of it fled his mind as he pushed open the door to find her sitting with the servants sharing cake with them like they were her friends. It was downright domestic. When was the last time he’d experienced such thing? It had been years. A thread of longing struck him. He was so tempted to sit down and join them.

Neve banished the thought.

The cook spotted him first, then all the servants bolted from the makeshift table, bowing and scraping. He nodded to them and stared at the back of his wife’s head. She didn’t even turn to look at him, and instead took another scoop of cake, licking at the frosting delicately like he wasn’t even there.

Something about her little pink tongue flicking the white frosting caused him to snap.

He crowded into her space, catching her right wrist. He leaned over her shoulder and lifted her hand up until the piece of cake she’d been fondling neared his lips. She tipped her head back, her heavy weight settling against his chest, hazel eyes burning into him.

“My lord,” she murmured, completely calm.

He wanted to ruffle her.

Neve flashed his fangs at her and stole her bite. Spice and creamy sweetness burst across his tongue. He nearly moaned. No wonder thevalleshad been eating the cake like she had. It was delicious. A wicked thought entered his mind. He flicked his black tongue out to lick her thumb.

She gasped, and he watched as the pupils of her eyes expanded.

Just what did that mean? He wanted to find out.

“Delicious,” he said, holding her gaze. Pink dusted her cheeks, and she glanced away.

He’d won this round.

Releasing her hand, he stepped back and held his hand out for Lia. “My lady, it is quite late.” A politely worded command.

Her jaw tightened, but she set the fork onto the butcher block, giving the kitchen staff a brilliant but somewhat strained smile.

“Thank you for dinner and the treat. It was truly incredible.”

Her healer slipped off the end of the bench, and Neve kept his polite smile firmly on his face when his wife turned her backto him and scooted down the bench in the opposite direction. He stayed where he was as she hopped off the bench and whispered something to Loshika, who firmly shook her head.

Dahlia’s shoulders drooped but she recovered quickly, rounding the bench and then taking his hand. She waved to the kitchen staff while Neve tucked her petite hand into the crook of his arm. He guided her into the hallway. It was empty save a few guards stationed at the stairwells.

The silence stretched between them, and he found himself grinding his molars. Neve couldfeelhow displeased she was with his presence. Even now, her fingers hardly even touched his sleeve, like she couldn’t bear to touch him. It rankled.

Even so, he found himself slowing their pace and taking the long way back to the royal wing. His human was so expressive. A part of him wanted to know what she thought of his home. He cut through the Hall of Mirrors.

Her anger melted away, replaced by awe.

Neve stood a little taller, and slowed just a touch so she could absorb the beauty of the massive room. Floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows covered two walls, showing off the castle waterfall. The floor was made of large chunks of broken, antique mirror that reflected the grandeur around it. This room he reserved for gatherings for foreign delegations. While it was beautiful, it was incredibly distracting, and somewhat overwhelming for someone not used to all the reflective surfaces. It made it easy to overstimulate those who were hoping to manipulate him.

He gazed down at Lia’s familiar head of rose-gold hair, and then to the ceiling, staring at their reflection. He really did look like a monster next to his littlevalles.

Beauty and the beast.

He blanched at the thought, and dropped his chin, picking up the pace. Dahlia wasn’t beautiful. She was a pale-faced, fragile little human. Nothing more.

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