Page 15 of The Warlord's Wildflower
She forces a smile. “Eat, Annie.”
I try, picking at a piece of bread. It tastes like dust.
The great hall’s heavy oak doors groan open, and Fenric strides in, still in his fighting leathers. His golden eyes sweep the hall, and then they land right where I’m sitting.
A wink, just for me.
Oh.
My breath vanishes. My fingers clutch at my skirts, twisting the fabric tight as my pulse roars in my ears. The heat that floods my cheeks has nothing to do with the hearth’s warmth.
He saunters forward, his stride effortless, and the crowd parts for him without thought. He snags an apple from a passing servant’s tray, takes a loud, careless bite, and drops into a seat at the warriors’ table, sprawling like a king among his subjects.
The visiting commander rises from Dakar’s other side and raises his goblet, “I have an announcement.”
Maeve goes rigid next to me.
Fenric’s eyes never leave mine as he chews, swallows, and…grins.
Then, he is suddenly on his feet, his chair screeching behind him. “Actually,” he drawls, “Ihave an announcement.”
The room holds its breath.
His eyes lock onto mine. “I’ve taken a mate!”
What.
Maeve gasps, and Beatrice chokes on her wine. Dakar growls something that sounds suspiciously like”What in the bloody hells is he doing…”
Fenric’s smile is pure sunlight. “Her name is Annie. She’s beautiful, kind, and, as of today, she’smine.”
The hall explodes into cheers and stomping. Everyone’s looking at me. I’m a statue. Aliarby association because I never said yes. I never even gave him my ribbon…
Maeve’s hand finds mine under the table.
“Breathe,” she whispers. “Just breathe, Annie.”
I can’t. I don’t understand what’s happening. Why would he say that? Why would he—
I want to cry.
I want to disappear.
Because this is ajoke, right? A trick or a cruel game.
My vision tunnels. The great hall tilts violently, faces blurring into smears of color. Someone is clapping too close to my ear.
His mate. He said I'm his mate.
My hands shake so badly that my wine cup clatters to the table. Red spills across the wood like blood.
Maeve's mouth moves beside me, but all I hear is white noise. Her fingers wrap around my wrist, and her eyebrows pull together. I try to breathe, but my lungs won't expand. There's an iron band around my ribs.
Need to get out, need to get out, need to—
The bench shrieks as I lurch upright. Black spots dance at the edges of my vision. Every eye in the hall turns toward me. Their smiles stretch out at me like bared teeth.
I run.
