Page 54 of Courting the Tiger King

Wren sighed. “That’s exactly what I was afraid of.” They laughed and when Neah made to stand and approach the door, she halted in place when Wren’s soft voice reached her. “Stay. Please.”

She swallowed hard but let her hand fall from the handle. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Although, I hope you share the covers better in this form than you did as a tiger.”

“I’ll try,” she teased and when she followed him back into the bedroom, she was surprised to feel something she hadn’t felt in a long time: fully and completely, safe.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

NEAH

Soft morning light spilled across the sheets, bathing them in a glow that soothed her as Neah blinked open her eyes. Wren was still asleep next to her, breaths slow and even as the sunlight played with the brown strands of his hair.

They’d been too exhausted to do anything more than talk last night, meaningless chatter until their eyes were heavy and their words slurred. One of Wren’s arms was flung over her waist, like even in his sleep he’d reached for her, and she couldn’t resist the opportunity to drink him in while he slept on.

The smooth, pale skin of his back was a long line of muscle, as elegant as it was impressive, with small freckles scattered across his canvas that made him feel remarkably human. His lashes were blond at the tips and short, but curled perfectly against the crest of his cheekbone, fluttering lightly in his sleep, and she wondered for a moment about what it was that he dreamed about.

Everything between them had happened so quickly and, truthfully, it would have been easy for her to dismiss their connection as nothing more than the draw of the mate bond. Except, in the quiet moments like this, when there was nothing between them but dreams and warmth, Neah knew this wasn’tjust about the physical. The sex had been everything she’d imagined it would be, but she took just as much pleasure in seeing Wren like this: unguarded, relaxed, breathing easy at her side. It was a vulnerability, a trust, that she hadn’t expected but that meant more than she’d anticipated.

Wren’s hand flexed against her hip, fingers brushing a stretch of bare skin where her nightdress had risen up, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of him against her.

She knew she had important decisions to make—and soon, if they wanted to thwart Wren’s curse. Part of her wished she could just jump in with both feet and trust that the Goddess had brought them together for a reason, but the other, more cynical, part of Neah couldn’t help questioning if it was wise to tie herself permanently to a man she’d only truly known for a handful of weeks.

Of course, she’d knownofthe king for a long time but truly knowing him, measuring the kind of man he was, had barely been any time at all.

Her mother would have said that when you know, you know. But Neah had always preferred logic to the whims of the heart, it was why it felt so foreign for her to even be considering the bonding ceremony. Once done, it couldn’t be undone. It would link them on this plane and the next, and to kill one would fundamentally break something in the other—or so the stories said, anyway.

Neah sighed and the sound disturbed Wren, his brow furrowing and his grip tightening on her hip before he relaxed his fingers and blearily blinked open his eyes, squinting against the sunlight.

“Morning,” he mumbled and then buried his face in the pillow, only one eye peeking up at her amidst the cloud of white.

In spite of the logic she wanted to follow, at the sight of that golden iris Neah melted. “Morning.”

Who needed logic anyway?

The door swung open and Neah smiled. “Mother.”

Darwinia had the grace and gentle aura of a patient, timid woman. Of course, in reality, she could turn into a sleek black jaguar at the drop of a hat and had her husband eating out of the palm of her hand on a regular basis.

“Neah.” Her eyes darted to the side and she inclined her head. “Your Majesty. Please forgive me, but for the duration of this meal you will be treated as a prospective suitor to my daughter rather than my king. I hope this is acceptable?”

Wren’s lips twitched but he stood straighter and bowed with a flourish that made Neah roll her eyes. “Of course, Lady. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Mama,” another voice chimed in and Winny’s eyes widened with joy.

“Zennon! I didn’t know you were coming.” Darwinia pushed past Wren to wrap Zen in a tight hug and Neah grinned. “Jamison, set another place at the table.”

Her father peeked around the doorframe and smiled at Zennon before it dimmed.

“He knows, Dad,” she reminded him.

Jamison seemed none too pleased that the king was aware of his secret child, but Neah knew he wouldn’t cause a scene about it here, even if he was unhappy about it.

Her mother ushered them inside and fussed over them as she led them to the table that had been laid out with plates and silverware. It was one of the very few times that Neah had eaten in her father’s suite with her mother there too, and she couldn’t remember a time when Zennon had also been able to join them.

“I wanted to do this properly, as a family,” she murmured to Jamison as he brushed past her. “That includes Zennon.”

“We’ll discuss this later,” he muttered and Neah cocked her head to one side.

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