“You won’t be taking it. I’m giving –”
“No. Nicholas would make a terrible king.”
“Evangeline –”
“Agrees with me.”
“If we didn’t live in the castle, you could bring home all your monsters. Hyatt’s –”
“You’re my monster,” she whispers as she squeezes my hand again.
I shudder as my heart flips. “I know you’re strong,” I say, “and I now trust that you know what you can handle, but being Raza’s queen –”
“I’m already her queen,” she says. “I’m just not in the castle.” Her fingers tighten on mine. “Let me come home. I want to take care of all our people beside you.”
“I made a deal with the Court,” I say harshly. “I cannot go back on that. We can move up north –”
Leaning forwards, she kisses me. Her tongue pushes into my mouth. Her free hand cups me between my trousers. I hiss at the spark of contact, wanting her so damn badly. I want to win back her trust in me. I want to prove to her that I deserve it.
She pushes me onto my ass, then crawls on top of me. Her legs circle my waist. As she grinds herself against my cock, I harden quickly.
“Arienna…”
“Call off your wedding.” She rubs her lips softly against mine before kissing me hard, drugging me with her touch.
She rocks her hips against me. My hands tighten into fists as I fight the urge to grab her and set a motion that’ll get her off. “Marry me,” she whispers. “Make me your queen again.”
“You are my queen.”
“Make me queen of Raza.”
“I can’t.”
She lifts her head as her body stills. “You stole my crown because you didn’t think I could handle it. Now you want to give up yours because you still don’t think I can handle it.” She shakes her head, her eyes hard on mine. “But I won’t come back as anything other than your equal.”
“You are more than my equal.”
“No. Anequalmeans I share an equal amount of your burden.” She kisses me quickly, but it’s felt everywhere. “It means I have an equal say in this relationship. It means you don’t just make decisions for us. We talk about them. Wetrusteach other.”
My throat thickens. “I can’t lose you,” I rasp.
“Then keep me.” She makes it sound so easy. As if the only thing standing in our way is my inability to lean on someone after decades of ruling on my own.
But I made a deal with the Court to marry Evangeline.
To go back on that will see me executed.
And to go back on that while marrying Arienna will see her as my executioner.
“I’m sorry. I can’t marry you while I’m king.”
Forty-Nine
A good little slut doesn’t give up on something she wants.
And I want my king.
- Arienna
