16. Chapter 16
Prince Damini
Waking up in our new palace was alot to take in.
I woke up to an empty bed, but our scent still hung thick in the air.
When I sat up and rubbed my face, I realized my mind completely jumbled up.
Last night was a fucking blur. I hadn't lost control like that in years—hell, maybe ever.
I didn't ever release like that, pouring every ounce of myself on a woman until I was completely drained.
I had stripped her down to nothing and broke through every defense she had, but seeing her unravel had fucked me up just as much as it fucked her up.
I heard the shower running behind the bathroom door. I got up, and walked over to turn the brass handle. Unfortunately, it was locked.
I knocked quietly with the side of my fist. "Danni?"
There was no response, but the sound of water running against tile.
She didn't open that door, so I waited until she came out.
When she finally stepped out, she was already dressed, with her hair pinned tight.
However, the edge she usually carried wasn't there.
It wasn't that she was soft, she was just off.
Distant. She barely let her eyes touch mine, keeping her gaze fixed on the space right past my shoulder.
The quiet was weirder than her coming at my neck with a blade.
“Goodmorning, Princess.”
"The servants laid your outfit out in the dressing room," she said, her voice was completely devoid of the shattered whimpers I had wrung out of her hours ago. "Your barber will be here in an hour. Don't be late for the brunch with the elders."
She moved to brush right past me like I was a ghost standing in her bedroom, but I wasn't having that shit. I reached out and snagged her wrist, pulling her back into my space.
Danni froze instantly. She didn't fight the grip, but her jaw clenched tight enough to pop a vein. She looked down at my hand on her skin, then lifted her eyes just enough to burn into mine.
"Did I tell you to touch me?" she spat out.
I didn't loosen my hold, but stepped closer.
Then, I brought my free hand up, and locked my thumb and fingers around her chin, forcing her head up.
I saw the depth behind that stone-cold front; her eyes were a chaotic, scrambled mess.
She was spiraling from losing control, desperately trying to build her walls back up before I could see how deeply last night had undone her.
I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers.
Her breath hitched in her throat, and she actually kissed me back.
Her mouth softened under mine, but then she snapped herself out of it, pulling her head back hard and snatching her wrist out of my grip.
She walked out without another word, leaving me standing in the middle of the room.
My heart was hammering and my head completely fucked up.
By mid-morning, the tension between us settled into a thick haze that sat right between our shoulders.
Duty on Okoye Island didn't wait for anybody, no matter how undone we were inside. We were seated at a massive table out in the private glass courtyard for the official Elders’ brunch.
The sun was rising high over the estate, beaming bright off the polished marble flooring.
The Chairman sat right at the head of the table, flanked by five female Elders—the ruthless, battle-tested matriarchs of the oldest syndicate bloodlines on the island.
The rest of the clan Kings had opted out of the brunch, choosing to sit it out in their quarters.
That left my father, King Eze, as the only reigning King present at the table.
He sat directly across from Adanna and me, tracking every small move we made.
The atmosphere was suffocating with tradition.
One by one, each of the female Elders cleared their throats, dropping insightful words of ancient wisdom and deep gratitude to us for uniting the lines.
I kept one arm rested over the back of Adanna’s chair.
My knuckles occasionally brushed the fabric of her shoulder.
She sat stiff as a board beside me, posture perfect, face a flawless mask of royal perfection.
I knew under all that silk and authority, her body was still aching from everything I did to her.
"Power without discipline is just chaos," Elder Mavis murmured, her voice like gravel as she gestured toward us with a jeweled hand. "We give thanks that the two strongest bloodlines on this island have chosen unity over annihilation."
"A fire that burns together warms the kingdom," another matron added, her eyes sharp as she looked at Adanna. "A fire that fights itself burns the house down. Protect each other."
When the wisdom was spoken, the Chairman motioned for the head scribe.
A thick, weathered parchment document was brought out and laid carefully between Adanna and me.
It was our official wedding contract. We had both opted out of the circus of a public community wedding, settling instead for a community reception later in the month to satisfy the populace.
The head Elder slid a silver blade across the table toward me.
The iron edge gleamed under the bright sunlight.
I didn't hesitate for a second. I pulled the steel across the pad of my thumb, pressing down until a dark, heavy drop of blood pooled at the surface.
I handed the blade to Adanna. Her face was stone, still unreadable as she took the silver and sliced her own thumb without so much as an eye twitch.
Side-by-side, we pressed our bloody thumbs down onto the bottom of the parchment. The blood soaked deep into the heavy paper, leaving twin crimson seals stamped right over our printed names, binding the syndicate lines for good.
I reached into my suit pocket, and pulled out the custom gold band before I grabbed her hand.
I slid the thick ring onto her finger, feeling the subtle heat still radiating off her skin.
She picked up my ring from the velvet box, and her fingers brushed over my knuckles.
She fitted the matching gold band onto my hand, locking us in for the rest of our lives.
I lifted my head, letting the silence settle over the table as the red drops settled into the fiber of the paper.
"May the blood spilled upon this covenant anchor our reign in unity," the Chairman declared, his eyes sweeping over the matriarchs before locking onto my father across the table. "What we have bound together today, no war shall ever sunder, and no enemy shall outlive."
Then he smiled, bowing his head in deep, solemn respect. “Congratulations to the new King and Queen of Okoye Island.”
As the paper was rolled tight and sealed with hot red wax, Adanna’s eyes lifted up to meet mine. Her cold mask flickered for a single microsecond, and her lips twitched into that faint, wicked little smirk.
I smirked right back before my hand dropped beneath the silk tablecloth to claim what was mine.
The tense, political chatter changed into an explosion of celebration across the courtyard.
The Elders cheered, raising their arms as the double doors swung open.
A procession of servants marched into the glass room, bearing towering gold platters of dark, spiced ceremonial cake and crystal goblets filled with deep red palm wine.
"To the union!" one of the senior matriarchs bellowed, raising her cup high. "Let the crown taste its sweetness!"
The entire table erupted into clinking glass, loud toasts, and boisterous laughter. My father lifted his goblet across from us in a silent, heavy toast, his eyes glinting with rare satisfaction.
According to the ancient custom of Okoye, the feeding of the cake and wine had to be performed in full view of the court to seal the feast. I broke off a rich, heavy piece of the cake, turning in my seat to face Adanna.
She sat poised, her chin held high, playing her part as she parted her swollen lips to take the bite directly from my fingers.
Her warm tongue lightly grazed my fingertips as she swallowed. A subtle spike of heat flashed deep in her eyes that nobody else at the table could spot.
Then she picked up the heavy crystal goblet of wine, her slender fingers wrapping around the stem to return the tradition.
She lifted the glass to my mouth. As I leaned in to drink the dark wine, I brought my left hand up, wrapping my broad fingers around her thick wrist. Right after I swallowed the cold, spiced liquid, I slid my lips down to the sensitive skin of her inner wrist, pressing my mouth directly over her pulse point and took a playful bite with my teeth.
Adanna’s breath hitched instantly.
She let out a breathless chuckle under her breath, rolling her eyes at me. A genuine spark of amused disbelief broke through her cold front.
"Behave," she murmured beneath the roar of the room.
I just smirked back as my thumb stroked the exact spot where my teeth had left a faint mark on her skin.
Around us, the Elders continued to celebrate without a care, pouring goblets of wine, passing heavy platters down the table, and letting the formal tension of the morning dissolve into victorious noise. Adanna and I knew the real game was just getting started.
Across the table, King Eze was watching us. His eyes locked onto my hand hidden under the table, then sliding up to the way Adanna was sitting pressed close to my side.
His face looked... odd.
I narrowed my eyes slightly, staring back at my old man.
The old man should’ve been happy we weren't at each other's throats trying to murder one another.
He should've been celebrating that the alliance was locked in blood. But if I didn't know any better, I would’ve said he was staring at me with jealousy. Maybe he did want Adanna to himself, but that shit wasn’t happening.
I brushed the thought off immediately since it didn't make a lick of sense. Why the hell would he be jealous of me?
"You have received the blessing of all seven tribes," the Chairman announced, his voice booming as all the Elders stood, bowing their heads in deep respect to the newly bound King-Consort and Queen. "May your reign be bloody to your enemies and peaceful to your people."
Adanna and I stood up together, accepting the final blessings before the Elders began filing out of the courtyard with their security details. Dad lingered for a second, giving me one last look before turning on his heel and exiting the hall without another word.
Once the room cleared out, leaving just the two of us leaning against the stone balcony overlook, the silence returned. I leaned my hip against the railing, crossing my arms as I watched her look out over the palace grounds.
"So," I asked, dropping the royal persona completely. "What's this mission you got coming up?"
Adanna turned her head slowly, her dark, unblinking eyes met mine. "Just a routine cleanup. Some loose ends from the Brazil border that need to be removed quietly."
I shifted closer to her. "Can I come?"
I wanted to see how she moved in the field. I wanted to be at her back, to see the lethal side of my wife with my own two eyes.
Adanna looked at me for a long, quiet beat. She looked at my face, my chest, then right back into my eyes. "No," she said. "Maybe next time."
"Maybe next time, huh?" I reached out and ran my thumb over her cheekbone, feeling the soft skin beneath my palm. "You holding out on me, Queen?"
"I'm keeping you alive, King," she murmured, her hand rising to lightly cover mine against her cheek. "There's a difference."
"Mhmm. But wherever you go, I'm right behind you. Know that."
She eyed me quietly. I didn’t fill the space, and neither did she.
Adanna didn't pull away. She leaned into my touch, and I wrapped my arms around her before she changed her mind.
The connection between us was growing stronger by the second, locking us together tighter than any blood contract ever could.
She knew how much she meant to me, and I hoped I meant the same to her.