Page 15 of Feral
“Bishop,” she breathed, looking around to realize they were the only ones there. “You did all this for me?”
“It’s a special occasion,” he remarked, leading her over to the table. When he pulled out her chair, her head spun. She felt like she was dreaming, or maybe that she’d already fallen asleep and woken up in a fairy tale.
The man sitting across from her was definitely too perfect to be real.
Before long, they were brought two glasses of champagne and food that smelled just as delicious as whatever she’d caught a whiff of in the kitchen. The staff were attendant, but they quickly dismissed themselves as soon as Ella and Bishop had everything they needed.
“You really get world class service, don’t you?” Ella asked him.
Bishop just grinned, raising his glass. “Nothing but the best for my future Empress. Here’s to the future.”
Ella’s blush grew hotter as she raised her glass to his. She hadn’t missed the way he saidhisEmpress, or the way it made her feel.
If the longevity of her feelings for Axel scared her, it was the haste with which her feelings for Bishop had formed that unnerved her. He was the only male she was sure about giving a ring to, but that meant the stakes were even higher.
She’d brought only the one, keeping it in her pocket in the hopes that she would get up the nerve at some point. The butterflies in her stomach didn’t seem ready to subside anytime soon, unfortunately.
“Is something wrong?” Bishop asked, looking over at her. “You’ve hardly touched your food. If you don’t like it, I can have them bring something else.”
“No,” she said quickly. “No, the food is wonderful. Everything is wonderful.” She looked around to take in the gorgeous scene he’d set for them. “I guess I’m just nervous.”
“Nervous?” he asked casually, as if he couldn’t think of a single reason even though he must have been single-handedly responsible for crushing the heart of every queen who’d come into contact with him and failed to catch his eye. “What about?”
Ella found herself worrying at the shape of the ring in the pocket of her dress. It was never a situation she’d imagined she would be in, considering the fact that human women--and shifters, for that matter--were usually on the other end of the deal.
“It’s just, this whole ring thing,” she confessed, cringing when she realized all the smooth transitions she’d practiced in her head on the drive over were for nothing.
Understanding immediately lit his features. “Is that what you’ve been playing with all night?”
Just when the color had finally left her cheeks.
Ella reluctantly pulled the ring out and set it on the table. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”
She thought back to that night in the forest, and how she’d accidentally confessed to being a virgin. He’d been so accepting, but this was another matter. Maybe he’d changed his mind since they last spoke of it.
Bishop reached across the table to place his hand on hers, and Ella jumped a little at the spark between them. “That makes two of us,” he said, his gaze as warm and comforting as his tone. He stroked the back of her hand and a shiver ran down her spine. His touch unwound her tense muscles and she realized he was just as dangerous as Axel ever had been, even if it was in a far more subtle way.
“For the record, I’d be honored to wear one of these rings whether I’m the only one or not,” he told her without a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
Ella found herself at a loss for breath. “Why?” She couldn’t help but blurt out the question.
He gave her a knowing smile. “In case I haven’t made it clear, I like you, Ella. Alot. I have ever since I saw you at the Unveiling.”
“You mean when you pulled my clumsy ass out of the water the first time?” she asked dryly.
“Before that,” he countered, remaining serious. She realized his hand was still over hers, warm and powerful. She could feel the steady rhythm of his pulse, a stark contrast to the frantic pattering of hers. “Confession time. I was watching you the moment you came in.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “In the lobby?”
He nodded. “I saw you and something just clicked. I knew I had to get closer. To find out who you were.”
“Why didn’t you say anything then?” she asked.
“I planned to, after the ceremony,” he answered. “And then…”
Ella winced. “Yeah. It’s all kind of a blur from the ambulance ride, but I guess there wasn’t much of a chance.”
“We have our chance now, and I intend to take it,” he told her, his gaze boring into hers. “Normally, I’d be askingyouto wear the ring, but there’s time for that later. For now, it would be my honor to wear that one.”
