I cleared my throat…and then sent my old ring flying over the balcony with a hard toss, the golden ring soaring through the air never to be seen again. Then and there, I looked down at my soul mate again, rumbling quietly, “Thank you. I promise it will never leave my hand.”
Princess Trixie peered down at her lap, mumbling bashfully, “You’re welcome.” Another blush rushed over her cheeks.
Yes, I would protect that to my dying breath.
And, I supposed, it was time I did this.
“I have something for you, too.” I pushed up from the couch and walked toward the hidden access to my bedchamber, assuring her over my shoulder, “Bishop will stay right where he is until I’m back. Don’t fret.”
My soul mate chuckled—evilly. “I don’t fret. Not where your pet gorilla is concerned.”
I groaned under my breath and hurried my steps.
“What in the Fairy is your true problem with me, Your Highness?” Bishop whipped around and flared his nostrils. “Is it that I’m better with blades than you? Oh, that’s right. Remember that time when you almost died? Or is it that the Fae had to stretch your ears to hear even a smidgen of what I’m capable of? Because I can sure as fuck hear your little rabbit heart beating in fear right now.”
I sighed and stepped into the hidden access, running up the stairs so that they weren’t left alone too long. Bishop was my best friend, and I loved him, but my trust only went so far—with anyone.
And I knew what he was capable of.
I went straight to my closet and grabbed a box down from a top shelf. Tossing the top aside, I rifled through the contents until I found what I was searching for. Once I had it in hand, I dropped the box and raced back down the stairs.
The tiger insidehuffeda relieved breath when there was no blood staining my personal office.
Bishop and Princess Trixie were glaring daggers at each other, but neither had moved from their locations. The elf was probably still seated because she looked as pale as parchment and Bishop’s position was obviously due to my order to stay put.
I relaxed back down on the couch and gently gripped the elf’s chin, and tilted her face away from him to me.Much better.That was how it should be—her attention on me.
I lifted the caster-spelled ring I had taken from the box, holding it up between us. My voice may have been quieter than I would have preferred, and with a bit of my tiger tingeing my tone, but there was nothing to do about that. It was emotion leaking from my person and couldn’t be changed, not with this. “This was my mother’s. I’d like for you to wear it.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bishop swiftly giving his back to us again, walking even further away.
While my soul mate went mute.
Completely silent, not even breathing as she stared at the caster-spelled ring in my hand, with her eyes as large as gems.
I licked over my bottom lip, stating roughly, “Elf?”
Princess Trixie jerked at the sound of my voice, and then her small hands lifted, shaking just slightly, as she took the caster-spelled ring from me. Her emerald elf eyes stared at the ring directly in front of her face, and she whispered, “This was your mother’s?”
“Yes,” I murmured briskly. “It’s yours now. If you’ll have it.”
Oddly enough, it felt like my heart was in my throat.
And it was official.
It was not a feeling I particularly enjoyed.
“Okay.” She removed her own caster-spelled ring and placed my mother’s ring on her finger, smiling softly as it formed to her smaller hand, not taking her eyes off it. “It’s different than mine. I’ll need to say I lost my other one.”
And it had a tiny red diamond in the center.
It would actually fit for the Elf Kingdom.
“That will work,” I stated distractedly, my pulse quieting now that she had accepted it. My hands may have clenched in relief, but I was ignoring that.
“And it’s warm.” My soul mate chuckled abruptly and lifted her gaze to mine, a bit of a doe in her eye once more. “I shouldn’t be surprised since you were holding it, though.”
A slow grin etched my features. I spoke roughly, quietly, teasing my soul mate, “Are you saying you don’t mind my heat?”
