“Forever and a day,” he promised. “Evermore.”
“We’re going to break the rest of the curse,” I croaked, desperate not to lose him. “I’m going to figure this out. I know you can’t tell me how, not even if you know. I’ll ask all the rightquestions. Dig into any clue. I’m going to end it, because I’m not losing you, Lore.” I rose up on his chest and locked my gaze with his. “Never. I’m fighting for us and there’s no battle I won’t win. Do you understand?”
With a smile, he blinked.
45
Lore
We dozed and bathed and returned to bed, only pausing to send for food that we consumed in each other’s arms. It was messy and fun, and it made me feel complete, as much as I could with the curse looming over us.
But I didn’t want to dwell on that; I wanted to focus solely on Reyla.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked, purring in her ear as she lay in my arms beneath the blankets.
She smiled, tracing lazy patterns on my chest with the tip of her finger. “Us. Our future.”
“What do you see?”
She closed her eyes. “I see you and me, together,ruling Evergorne with fairness and love. I see us fighting side by side, defending our kingdom from any who would dare to threaten it. I see us growing old together, our love stronger each day.”
“I want that too. A future filled with love, with hope, with peace. A future where nothing comes between us.”
Was that even possible? Already, I knew we had to leave my suite. We'd had this time together, but the days were rushing by too fast. Soon, I'd turn thirty and… I wasn't going to think about that until I had no choice. From what I'd discovered in my research, no one else had gotten this far. My father and each father before him had died divided, never knowing true love, never feeling whole again.
Surely that meant the fates were on our side?
She looked up at me with so much hope in her eyes. Was it enough to carry us both? Because mine was thinning. It wasn't easy to hold on, to keep pushing. Had others given up? They might've, and I could not blame them. This curse had haunted my family for too long.
The fates pray it would stop here with us.
“We'll make it happen,” she said. “Together, we can overcome anything.”
“Together.”
“Which means we need to do something.”
I tightened my arms around her. “What position do you want to try this time?”
Her laugh snorted out, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I meant we need to do something about the curse.”
“I was afraid you'd say that.”
“I didn't have time to tell you that I was able to nullify a spell.” She slid from the bed, taking her warmth with her.
“What did you nullify? Because I’ll point out that you haven’t made good on your threat.”
She sent a pretend scowl in my direction, the glide of her gaze down my body sparking through me once more. My cock responded immediately. “Again?”
“Tired of my gorgeous cock already, wife?”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever be tired of cock.”
“Mycock. There’s a fine distinction, and I believe we shouldnameit.” I smirked. “Thoughts on what we could call it?”
“The royal scepter? It's fitting for a king, don't you think?”
I ached to kiss the sly smile off her face. Instead, I stroked my cock, knowing my lovely mate would soon take note and suggest she stroke it herself.
