I lifted to my almost five feet of height, acted as if his soaring frame didn’t frighten me, and stepped to stand next to my father once more. I placed my hands behind my back and held them there, and stated pleasantly, “This is my first time to High Pointe, Your Royal Highness. I must admit to being a bit awed in the face of the Fae’s creation. It’s more beautiful than I could have imagined.”
King Athon placed his hands on his bare hips and glanced around where we stood, surveying the area. “I will admit that it has been too long since I have viewed it as such. But like that small crack there in the marble, the Fae do make mistakes.”
I squinted at the miniscule fissure hidden in all the beauty surrounding us. “Hmm. Indeed, they do.”
And they needed to fix the mistake we were actually talking about in a Fae damned blink because my gut was warming low in my belly with every breath I took. The growing wetness in my underwear was not acceptable in the slightest.
King Athon’s nostrils flared, and he rubbed at his mouth in quick irritation, but his tone was even and calm. “King Traevon, will your daughter be sitting in on our meeting?”
Oh, that was even better.
The shifter king could scent my arousal.
This day needed to end.Now.
Behind my back, I twisted the caster-spelled ring around my finger. Thank the Fae it was there. I glanced at King Athon’s long, strong fingers. His ring was resting on his left pinky, twinkling in a yellow light that beamed down from the stained glass.
At least, no one else knew our inner turmoil.
And possible death sentence if this didn’t go away…
“She will.” Father nodded his head once. “Trixie reached her majority two days ago. I’ve decided it is time.”
King Athon lifted his black brows, a sardonic look adorning his masculine features. “I’m sure this has nothing to do with the reason why we are all here today.”
“If it does, so be it.” King Traevon shrugged his left shoulder. “Either way, she is of legal age to be here now.”
The shifter king merely stared and then turned that gaze toward me once more. “Happy belated birthday, Princess Trixie.”
I dipped my head dutifully. “Thank you, Your Royal Highness.”
Sweat dotted my temples.
The heat was here now. When would this stop?
Another gush of warm arousal swept through my body.
I held perfectly still and did not allow it to show.
King Athon cleared his throat. “King Traevon, Princess Trixie, I will take my leave. Bishop is taking care of a few business matters in my room that I should check on.”
Father chuckled quietly. “Does that man ever not bring paperwork with him?”
“If he has, I have never noticed. I will see you both in a half hour.” King Traevon dipped his head to both of us and then stepped around us to walk down the long hallway behind us to the royal bedchambers.
The marble below our feet started to tremble.
I placed a bracing right hand on the wall and tossed a sharp look to my father. “Do you feel that?”
King Traevon pressed his left hand against the opposite wall and widened his feet to a bracing stance. His lips turned down into a worried frown. “Yes.”
“I’m not fond of it,” I mumbled absently.
Suddenly, Father’s eyes pinched in pain.
“What in the Fairy is this shit,” King Athon griped in dark aggravation, having only made it a few feet away from us. He crossed his arms and glared down at the vibrating marble, his own eyes scrunched in discomfort. “I’m ready to tear my own damned organs out.”
Father stared right at me, ignoring the other king. His emerald green eyes worriedly skimmed my features. He asked quietly, “Do you feel it?”
