Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 138(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 138(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
I catch a glimpse of her exposed neck as she looks around the room and my wolf growls low. That’s the spot destined for my mark. Cassius will mark her other side. I wonder if his wolf is going as crazy as mine.
“It’s a beautiful castle,” she says with a shy smile.
“Beautiful, no,” Cassius says with a carefree laugh. “But functional, and most importantly, safe. Whatever beauty it has, it pales in comparison to you.”
She places her napkin on her lap and smiles shyly.
“We’re very sorry about this… arrangement,” Cassius says. “We had no desire to rip you from your home, but the Varkharian constitution is quite clear on the matter. It was not up to us. The Gods require royal blood to ratify a treaty.”
“I understand,” she says softly. “I was a bit unsure at first, but now… I’m pleased by the arrangement.”
She smiles at him and then at me. A heated warmth fills my chest at the gorgeous sight of my mate smiling.
The castle staff bring out silver platters of roasted meat, fresh bread, and root vegetables. Cassius takes the bottle of Anduvian wine and fills our glasses.
My mouth waters at the smell of all this food, but my stomach is in knots and I can’t quite find my appetite.
“I must say,” she says as we dive in. “I’ve been curious about your arrangement. You’re the only kingdom to have two kings. How does that work?”
Cassius breaks a loaf of bread in half to demonstrate. “Two kings, but we function as one.” He holds up the piece in his left hand. “I take on the strategic responsibility of the kingdom, the planning, systems, and finances.” He holds up the piece in his right hand. “And Tovik handles the warriors, the defense of the kingdom from the Hollowborn, and makes sure that every wolf shifter in our kingdom can sleep without having to keep one eye open.”
He places the two pieces together, reforming the loaf. “And together, we run the kingdom. Together, we’re stronger.”
“And, sorry to be blunt,” she says, blushing a little. I love it when her cheeks do that. “But together, you share a queen?”
“Yes,” he says. “We’ll share a mate, when it’s time. We share everything. After the pack selected us to be their leaders and the coronation crowned us as kings, we became like one. Our souls were connected by the Gods themselves, much like they will be connected to our mate.”
“Lucky her,” she whispers under her breath.
It wasn’t meant for us to hear, but our shifter hearing picked it up.
Cassius and I share a look.
“Wolves in other kingdoms abide by the ridiculous practice of Lunaris Vinculum,” Cassius says, rolling his eyes. “It’s an ancient custom. The sacred night of the binding. It states that mates must wait until there’s a full moon in the sky before they can mark each other.”
“I’ve heard of it,” Vaela says. “They do that in the Moonborne Kingdom.”
Cassius is running his fingertip around the rim of his wine glass as his dark eyes lock on her. “Up here, where the Hollowborn run along our border, time is more valuable. We don’t torture ourselves with unnecessary waiting. We get right to it. When we meet our mates, our carnal desires take over and we are able to do anything we please.”
“Oh,” she says, looking at me with her cheeks blushing hotter than ever.
My cock aches under the table. It longs to plunge deep into this beautiful princess. It’s all I can think about.
“And…” she says, swallowing hard. “Have you two… found your mate?”
Cassius is giving her a ravenous look. I can barely hide the wanton lust in my gaze. I’m sure she can see it, feel it, but there’s nothing I can do to temper this intense need burning within.
She looks from me to Cassius and then straightens her back.
“We have,” I say as my eyes roam down her neck to her round breasts hidden behind that rich silk material. One tear from my hand and that dress would be on the floor, her breasts exposed, our mouths worshiping every soft inch of her.
“Won’t she be jealous seeing you talking to me?” she asks in a flirtatious tone. “I don’t want to make an enemy of the queen when I just arrived. Will she be joining us?”
The air in the room changes.
Even the servants seem to notice it. They lower their eyes as they finish setting the platters on the table and quickly retreat, closing the heavy doors behind them.
Now, it’s only the three of us.
Just how it should be.
Vaela looks down at her plate. “Is she in the castle?”
Cassius leans back in his chair and takes a slow sip of wine. He enjoys making people work for answers. I prefer ripping the truth open and laying it bare.
“She is,” I say.