Page 12 of Clash of Storms
She panicked.
"Your. Betrothed. Is. Not. Well." The words came out through gritted teeth. "Your future mate. I would hope the level of concern you show the princess is greater than it seems. I could only despise a man who flirts with one woman while sworn to another."
A hand snagged her arm as she moved to scurry past.
"Malin." His voice softened, and for the first time it seemed Sirius was the one who had trouble meeting her eyes. "This is a political alliance the princess and I have been forced into. Nothing more. Árdís told me she has no desire to be mated to me, and I— I feel likewise." His thumb stroked her forearm. "This isn't my choice either."
Did he think her a fool? "Who could make you do anything? You're the Blackfrost. You're the most dangerous male at court."
"You'd be surprised."
Soft, dangerous words, for she almost believed them. His lashes shuttered his gaze, as if he sought to hide something from her. Regret, perhaps.
He's the last male who'd ever know regret.
Malin hardened her heart.
"What I do know is that tomorrow you belong to my princess. And I shall thank you not to look at me the way you are doing. Now let me go. I have duties to attend to."
And a princess to rescue fromyou.
Sirius's thumb stroked her arm, and then he gave her a mocking smile and held his hands up in the air in surrender. Gone was any trace of regret. There was no hint of that anythingmoreshe thought she'd glimpsed in his eyes.
"As you wish," he said.
And Malin fled before she could overthink the strange encounter.
2
Sirius watched Malin vanish as if the hounds of hell were upon her heels.
Clenching his fingers into a tight fist, he forced himself to look away from her. Ever since the queen had made her announcement—the mating ceremony would happen tomorrow night—he'd had this horrible, breathless sensation in his chest. Árdís had fled the throne room, but all he'd been able to do was look for Malin. It felt as though fate was trapping him in a noose. He'd never dared make his move so directly, until the moment he realized there might never be another chance.
It was one thing to watch Malin from a distance, never daring to step closer, to touch her. That was a sacrifice he could make, as long as she was safe. It was quite another thing to be bound to another.
The betrothal wasn't a complete surprise to him.
It was a trap both he and Árdís shared, the one thing they did not speak of, as if by not mentioning it, they could avoid it.
But neither of them had expected a date for the mating ceremony to be announced so openly in court, forcing their hands.
Heshouldhave expected it.
Instead, he'd been distracted by a pretty pair of brown eyes, wondering how he could get out of this mess. Wondering if Malin had liked his latest present.
The color filling her cheeks had looked like a dawning sunrise. How had he ever thought her pale skin and those freckled dots across her cheeks merelyhuman, as if they were something to be ashamed of?
But she was right.
He was promised to another.
It didn't matter how much he enjoyed their games. Nor how much he wanted to explore this fragile flirtation between them.
He couldn't have her, and tomorrow he would stand by the side of another female and pledge himself to her.
Forever.
And suddenly he couldn't breathe again.
