Page 96 of The Beast King's Bride

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ASH

“Try this,” he says, tearing a piece of a kind of soft, flat bread, dipping it in a sauce.

“What is it?” I eye the brown liquid dripping from the bread with suspicion.

“And here I thought you trusted me.” That crooked grin makes an appearance and aw, my heart. He looks so cute like this. So young. I stand no chance, and yet…

“I trust you where it matters. That doesn’t mean I’ll stuff just about anything in my mouth.”

“Oh no, you must have standards for what you stuff into your mouth.” The grin widens. “Only something long, and thick, and hard—”

“Shut up.” Heat seeps into my cheeks. I grab the piece of bread and stuff it into my mouth as he chuckles, and it’s low and dark and delicious.

Even better than the sauce, which as it turns out isn’t that bad after all.

“What about patrol?” I tear another piece of bread, dip it in the sauce. It gets better with every bite, spicy and sweet. “I thought you were leaving soon.”

He frowns and takes his knife to stab a piece of fruit. We’re sitting on the rug by the fire in his room, a spread of food in front of us that was brought inside by a very quiet Jassin. “I’m not going.”

“I thought you had to. That the land needs your magic and protection.”

He cuts the piece of fruit into slices on his plate, then into tiny pieces until it’s pulp. His gaze is dark.

“What’s wrong?” I reach for the knife and he lets me take it from his hand.

“Nothing. I…” He wipes his mouth on the back of his hand, gazes at the flames in the fireplace. “I’ve given all I am to the land, infusing it with my life force. But the curse is eating at it. I cannot cure it. I want… I want some time for myself for once. With you. I told you, I’m selfish.”

I reach for his hand. “I don’t think it’s selfish at all.”

“You don’t?” He glances at me, surprise in those dark blue eyes. I smile at him and the frown eases. His mouth relaxes.

“I also want to spend time with you. But when you go out on patrol… I want to go with you.”

That brings the frown right back, deepening it into a scowl. “No.”

“Why not? Show me. I want to see your land with you, to see what you do.”

“It’s not safe. The monsters awake during the daytime now, too.”

“You’ll keep me safe. I’ll ride with you, keep close. I promise not to ride away on my own.”

“Ash…” He takes my hand, squeezes it. “Are you sure?”

“I want to see the land, the people.”

“The people.” He scoffs. “The lords and ladies of the land are gathering an army to take me down. Seeing me in beast form, seeing the Empress force my hand has angered them. They want to put one of their own on the throne.”

“Are they insane? And can they do that? Isn’t your magic linked to the land?”

“Whoever is accepted by the throne receives the gem and becomes king, their magic becoming linked to the land. The royal families have the strongest magic but the throne may accept anyone it deems worthy.”

“But a weaker ruler can’t keep the land alive.”

“It will be difficult.”

“And what about the curse? What happens if another takes the throne?”

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