Page 32 of Their Crowned Mate
I walked to stand in front of Aurelius, looking up at him. His eyes widened when I reached up, cupping his cheek in my palm. "You know, if there's one thing all this has taught me, it's to make room for second chances," I said thoughtfully. Before he could respond, I leaned up on my toes and pressed my lips to his.
He froze in shock at first, before he eagerly returned the kiss
I slipped my fingers into his hair, savoring the warmth of his lips. When we finally pulled apart, he looked at me with a mixture of shock and confusion.
I smiled softly and reached out to take his hand in mine. "I still love you," I said quietly. "I don't think I ever stopped."
He continued to stare at me in shock, as if he couldn't believe what was happening. And I knew the others were watching, too, but while I was sure they had their feelings about it, they weren't protesting.
"Saw that coming," Marcus muttered, breaking some of the tension in the room.
"We really are gonna have to move into Dracula's castle," Cole grumbled under his breath. "No way all five of us are going to fit in my apartment."
"Are you...? Are you sure?" Aurelius asked, searching my face.
I snorted. "As long as you don't mind sharing."
Aurelius glanced between me and the others. Even Alexander was watching him expectantly. "I saw it coming, too," he said dryly.
"Sharing was always a given," Aurelius said with a chuckle. "Just didn't think a vampire, a hunter and a coyote would be in the mix, but... I guess I could learn to live with that. As long as it means I get to have you."
He leaned down, kissing me again, and I felt a bit dizzy in a good way this time as I leaned against him. I was completely lost in his kiss until Cole cleared his throat.
"As lovely as this is, can we continue the makeout session back at the cabin?" he asked. "All this dust and fairy magic is going to give me an asthma attack."
I couldn't help but laugh, and Aurelius's face actually turned a bit red. "Yeah," I agreed with a sigh. "Let's get out of here. I think we've all earned a rest."
CHAPTER17
LAVINIA
We made our way back to the cabin, a little beat up but thankful that we'd made it out in one piece. We had rescued Joram, Aurelius and I had worked through our issues and we were all alive. It was nothing short of a miracle.
When we got back to the cabin, a doctor came to take a look at Joram and treat his wounds. To my relief, the doctor said he was going to recover, and it became clear the fae medicine was a hell of a lot more advanced, considering it utilized magic. The doctor stayed with Joram for most of the day as he slowly regained consciousness and started to heal from his wounds. He definitely wasn't going to be in fighting shape anytime soon, but all that mattered was that he was going to be okay. He had come into my life too recently for me to be willing to let him go.
I had been sitting by his bedside while he slept, and I kept nodding off here and there. When I felt a hand on my shoulder and jolted, I realized I wasn't quite as awake as I thought.
I looked up to find Aurelius watching me, smiling a little. "They sent me to come tell you it's time to get some rest."
"You do realize they're using you as a scapegoat to do their bidding so I won't get mad at them, right?" I asked, yawning as I shrugged off the blanket someone had draped over me in the night.
"I know," Aurelius said, shrugging his shoulders. "But hey, I figure I have to pay my dues since I'm the new guy."
I chuckled, glancing back at Joram, who was still sleeping peacefully. The doctor's attendant was still there, and there were plenty of guards stationed all around the cabin as well as the palace just in case the emperor's remaining forces tried to launch any counterattacks, so I felt safe enough leaving him for the time being.
"Yeah, I guess I could use some rest. The chair isn't great for my back," I said, rubbing my shoulder.
"I could give you a massage," Aurelius offered.
"Oh, really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're a masseuse now?"
"Never had any complaints," he said with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes, but followed him downstairs to the guest room the others and I were sharing. "Where are the others?"
"Taking turns on guard duty, and Alexander is instructing the troops," said Aurelius. "Jax and Damon are dealing with ours."
"How many casualties were there?" I asked, growing sullen.
