Page 63 of The King is Dead
He growled and shook his head. “The crown—your crown, and apparently mine—is a complete mind-fuck.”
“But… you won’t deny it?”
He inhaled deeply and shadows flickered in his eyes. But then he shook his head. “Ican’tdeny it,” he growled.
I gasped and threw my arms around his neck, leaping into his chest and trying to kiss him—but even though he didn’t let go of me, he jerked his head back with a warning look.
I went still, arms wrapped around his neck and one foot already curled around his leg. “What?” I whispered.
“Even together… we might not be strong enough for this, Yilan.”
I inhaled sharply, but I couldn’t deny it. I nodded. “I know. But…”
“But?”
“But I also know that I would rather try and fail with you, than give up alone. I love you, Melek.”
“I love you too, Yilan. God help me, I love you.”
He kissed me again, softer and slower this time. Then dropped his head to lay over me, his breath rushing against my neck.
And I didn’t think I’d ever felt more relief than laying there with him alone, stroking his hair, his back, his body and whispering all the ways that I was grateful for him. And all the promises he needed to hear.
And when his arms tightened around me, my heart was as full and satisfied as my body.
Everything would be well.
I didn’t know how. I didn’t have a fuckingcluehow we would get through this. But I knew, with him at my side, we could do it.
22. Taking the Mantle
~ MELEK ~
Minutes later, as my heartbeat and breathing returned to normal, I reluctantly rolled off of her. The bond was pulsing. I felt a flare of fear in her when I eased away, but it faded when I gathered her in, holding her against my side, trailing fingers up and down her back while she snuggled into the crook of my arm.
It was such a relief to hold her when we could take the time to justbe.Our joining had always been so rushed, desperate with the possibility of interruption… I tilted my head against hers and wallowed in the warmth and softness of her skin.
However, a part of me still wanted to squirm. I was walking into a future I could not see and had not wanted. But the idea of leaving this cell, this palace, thisnationwithout her was… unthinkable.
My mate was worth the burden of a crown. Worth turning my world upside down and becoming something I’d always sworn I would never be.
Holy shit.
Yilan lay her trim arm across my chest and sighed. Instinctively I gripped her to me harder, and I felt her warmth ring in the bond.
She liked it when I touched her.
Good. I liked it too.
Now if only I could stop feeling like my guts were coiling tighter and ready to tear open, we might get somewhere.
“I can’t wait for them to get to know you,” she murmured.
“Them?”
“My people. All of them. I want to show you off. Display you to them. Will you be my peacock, Melek?” she whispered, stroking my jaw and grinning.
I knew she jested—mostly—but I also knew that this had the potential for disaster. We needed to put every last ounce of our combined intelligence and cunning into surviving it.
