“You do.” Lukas’s words vibrated through me as he wrapped his arms around my middle, pulling me back against his chest. “I’ve already made it clear to my fiancée that she won’t be leaving this kingdom until she’s become my wife,” he teased before pushing back my hair and kissing the sensitive spot behind my ear.
I slid him a look, but his only response was to growl with laughter and kiss me again.
“How delightful!” Cora sang, flapping her hands. “Raena, my darling, you must help me to plan! We’ll need decorations and new gowns and…” Her voice faded away as I melted into the warm arms engulfing me.
His lips teased my ear, trailing down to my neck. Soft growls became pleasant tingles on my skin while his fingers brushed my waist.
“Naria?”
My eyes snapped open to see Raena and Cora blinking at me expectantly. “Sorry.” I cleared my throat. “Were you talking to me?”
“We asked if you’d be alright with us planning your entire wedding?” Raena chuckled. “Since it seems you’re muchtoo distracted to help.”
“Sorry,” I said again, my cheeks flushing pink.
“Don’t be.” Lukas nestled into my burning neck. “Like she said, you’ll be too busy today anyway,” he whispered. “We have… packing to do.”
“Packing?” I chuckled softly.
“Plan as much as you wish,” I said to Raena who squealed in reply. “The wedding itself doesn’t really matter to me as long as I’m surrounded by the people I love and married by the end of it.”
“Agreed.” Lukas’s fingers caught my chin, tipping my lips up to meet his. “As long as I’m yours.” He smirked. “Myforest princess.”
I giggled against his lips. And as my fingers tangled in the smooth waves of his hair, I hardly noticed the others leaving us to wander back to the palace as the golden sun dipped behind the palm trees.
THE END
No. He cannot take her. Please. He can’t. He cannot win. I won’t let him. I won’t let her go. She doesn’t know what she wants.He’s broken her. Ruined her.But I won’t let him. I won’t let him win. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her go.
She’s mine. She’s mine. She’s mine.
I’ll make her mine.
PART TWO
CHAPTER 35
LYSSANDRA
Princess Lyssandra had always hated dark rooms. Dark rooms meant night – and night meant the ten other merfolk princesses she used to share a room with would be sleeping. Leaving her alone with only the inky shadows and the odd groaning noises from their mother’s bedchamber for company.
Dark rooms also meant cramped, windowless cupboards. Like the ones from her childhood where cruel merfolk nobles would shove her in. They’d tease her for the strange shape of her ears, laughing as the heavy door would click shut and seal her in the darkness. Hours would passbefore anyone would find her. Usually Adriana.
Still, the longer she spent with an iron cuff clamped around her wrist, stuck behind another particularly heavy locked door, the more she began to wonder how she could ever find the vast open ocean so suffocating. There were no endless coral forests here in Faelenna. No sprawling reefs or dolphin fields. Only damp cave walls and far too many glowing orb lights that, while similar to the bubble lights of the merfolk palace, didn’t feel anywhere near as warm.
But none of that mattered now. She was here – hidden away in the underground faery palace and locked inside a small, cramped bedchamber. And she’d have to get used to the glowing orb lights.
Or at least she would, when they finally let her out of her dark prison.
“Oliver?” she called, edging closer to the thick door. Oliver was the name of the faery guard outside – or at least that was what she called him.
He didn’t speak much.
“I cannot let you out, Your Highness,” he stammered from outside. “Please don’t ask me again.”
“I just want five minutes.” She smushed her face against the door, pressing her hands against the wood. “The Queen will understand. She told me herself, she wants me to feel at home here. Please, Oliver.”
The guard stayed silent for a while, probably thinking. Or maybe soiling himself.
