Chapter Thirty-Three
THE MUSIC STARTED UP AGAIN, and the celebration began. Rune and I took our seats on the thrones where people could come to congratulate us if they wanted, and everyone else mingled in the ballroom. I immediately noticed the room seemed to split into two sides—one half was Water Fae, and the other was the Land Fae who’d attended. No one seemed keen to dance as they just kept glancing nervously at the other side of the room. I could feel tension slowly starting to build, but a simple gesture seemed to fix that.
Ardley, who’d been standing with the Land Fae group, broke away from them and strode over to Khalani on the Water Fae side. The Orca Fae’s eyes widened as the Fox Fae offered his hand, which she hesitantly accepted. He pulled her out into the open room and slowly began to dance. Jesiah and Akira were next to move onto the dance floor, followed by Imani and Avana. Disha and Chanwoo even joined them, and as the crowd watched the different Land and Water Fae pairs move through the slow dances, the air seemed to grow lighter.
More pairs went out to dance, some Land Fae like Bassel and Carlos, others Water Fae like Mingxia and Marcus. Then there were some curious pairs of both Land and Water Fae like Jayanna and an unfamiliar Land Fae whose features seemed to resemble a wolf. Whole families danced, like Alvaro and the twins. Some individuals remained at the edges, watching or chatting to those nearby. The room erupted with chatter, laughter, and dance, and I found myself easing into my chair as the atmosphere brightened with these new friendships between our kinds.
Rune leaned over the arms of our chairs to brush my ear with his lips, and he whispered, “I’ve been dying to tell you since the moment those doors opened that you look fucking divine. Absolutely gorgeous.”
I bit my lip and turned to rake my eyes over his seated form. “As do you, my King .”
He let out a low, warning growl, and his voice came out strained as he said, “It’s taking everything inside me to not steal you away where I can fuck you until you’re limp. Don’t provoke me, or I won’t even care about the privacy. I’ll take you right here for everyone to see.”
My insides warmed with the threat, and I realized I wouldn’t stop him if he tried to whisk me away right now. For both of our sakes, I looked out over the room again and changed the subject. “Do you know if King Elias came?”
I scanned the crowd for the Land Fae King but didn’t see a strong presence that I’d expect from such a figure.
“He didn’t,” Rune answered, looking over the room, too.
“King Elias?” Angus asked as he suddenly appeared by my throne. “I believe Jesiah was correct in saying that he wouldn’t come. We received this letter from him this morning. It’s addressed to you, my Queen. We already checked the contents as a safety precaution.”
He produced a thick envelope from his inner tunic pocket and held it out to me. Inside was an elegantly scrawled note that read:
Princess Bria,
Apologies for missing your coronation. Unfortunately, I was held up with rising issues that demanded my attention. I do, however, hope to formally meet you. Three days. Come to the Valley of Wisps. There is much to discuss.
Congratulations to you and Rune.
King Elias
The note wasn’t the only content in the letter, either. Inside was a single flower petal. It was shaped like a heart, and it was the deepest shade of black, one that seemed to swallow every bit of light.
“What’s this?” I asked, holding the velvety petal.
Rune’s brow furrowed as he stared at it. “I’m not sure. Is it just one petal?”
I glanced into the envelope before nodding. “Just one.”
“There was only one when we checked the contents as well,” Angus informed. “We thought perhaps it got put in by mistake, but we left it in case it would mean something. We wondered if it was an item special to Land Fae that Rune could identify.”
Rune shook his head. “It’s not. I’m not familiar with a symbol or flower with petals like that.”
I stared at the petal, and for some reason, it brought a sense of unease. I supposed it could’ve fallen into the letter on accident, but I wasn’t convinced.
Even more nerve-wracking, though, was Elias’s request to meet. It sparked goosebumps on my arms, because I finally had a date to meet the infamous Land Fae King, and even though his letter sounded civil enough, I doubted our meeting would proceed the same way. A cloud was forming, and it held the promise of a storm.
“Your Majesties,” a joyous voice called.
Rune and I looked toward the bottom of the dais where a Land Fae family that appeared to be birds of some kind knelt, their colorful wings tucked to their backs. I quickly handed the letter back to Angus, who, along with Dallas and Rance, stayed by my side and Rune’s while family after family approached to say congratulations and offer us well wishes. Eventually, Rune and I were able to join the Fae for more slow dances, plus a line dance, before returning to our thrones for even more greetings and introductions.
Throughout the evening, Rune scanned the crowd like he was searching for someone. The wandering gaze was subtle and brief, but I noticed it all the same. I also didn’t miss the flash of disappointment that followed.
As another couple left the dais, Rune’s eyes quickly searched the jubilant crowd before turning down ever so slightly at the edges.
I leaned across the arms of our chairs and whispered, “What’s wrong? What do you keep looking for?”
He opened his mouth to respond then closed it. Swallowing hard, he turned away from me to look at his lap. “It’s stupid.”
Hearing the hurt in his voice, I glanced at the room full of people—full of family and friends. Newt and Greshim dancing with their dad, Ardley twirling Khalani who fought a smile, Akira and Jesiah lost in each other’s eyes as they swayed. There truly seemed to be so much love, light, and celebration in the air. Yet one person who should’ve been here to see this moment was absent.
“Is it your mom?” I asked softly.
His eyes squeezed shut with a look akin to guilt. “I shouldn’t care. I know the kind of person she is.”
My heart twisted painfully, knowing that Rune still craved for her love and acceptance. The woman was far from deserving of it. Rune had held this belief that he could remind his mother of how to care again, but that belief had been squashed during our final day at her home all those months ago.
Or so I’d thought.
Maybe that hope had been restored when he’d learned the truth of his father’s death. Perhaps he thought if Myra knew the truth, too, it would change things for them. I couldn’t blame him for wanting that or for wanting her here. But it still didn’t make me despise her any less.
“Do you think your mom is watching at least?” Rune asked, nodding to all the basins full of water that surrounded the room.
I looked at the closest one—a trench made into the edges of the dais—and if I stared hard enough, I caught a flicker of movement like darting light beneath the surface.
Grinning at the water, I answered, “I do.”
“Good,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice even before I turned to see it. “I’m glad.”
And I knew he meant it. Even though his mother wasn’t here, he was happy for me and what I now knew about my own. I just wished I was able to give him back his mom like I’d been given mine.
By the time the last guest left, I was spent. My cheeks ached from smiling so much, and my butt was numb from sitting on the extremely uncomfortable throne for the majority of the night. The only people left in the ballroom were all of my friends, those who lived in the palace, and the guards, none of whom looked nearly as tired as I felt. The remaining guests were still dancing in a group to long-stopped music, and more than one of them seemed to be feeling the effects of their celebratory drinks.
“I guess tonight was a success,” I offered with a tired, yet satisfied sigh.
Rune chuckled. “I’d say so.” He stood and offered me his hand. “Ready to get out of here?”
I took his hand and stood, which felt so damn good after sitting. “Please. I’ve been ready for hours.”
We made our way down the dais and were greeted by two very enthusiastic twins, who were somehow still up past their bedtime. They chattered away with their brother while Alvaro tipped his head at me in greeting. “Belinda.”
I didn’t even fight my grimace. “It’s Bria.”
“Congratulations on your coronation,” he said, not even batting an eye at my correction.
“Thank you.”
“You’re going to be a great Queen,” Greshim exclaimed brightly. His dark hair was mussed from a night of dance, and his suit jacket was missing.
“Do you th-think M-M-Mother will join our side when she realizes th-that Broth-ther is King now?” Newt asked, fixing his glasses, which were just as askew as his clothes.
Rune, Alvaro, and I shared a look. We all knew the answer to that, but how did you tell two ten-year-old boys that their mother had chosen the side against them?
“Maybe,” Rune answered, forcing a tight-lipped smile.
Alvaro cleared his throat and placed his hands on the boys’ heads. “I think it’s your bedtime now, mis amores .”
Rune and I told the twins and their father good night before bypassing our boisterous friends for the door.
“Bria, wait!”
I turned as Khalani stumbled after Rune and me, giggling and clearly living her best drunk life. Ardley was right behind her, grabbing her by the waist when she nearly face-planted on the marble floor.
“Are you turning in for the night?” Khalani asked. She grabbed Ardley’s hands with her own black-tinted fingers as she fought to regain balance.
“Yeah. I’m pretty tired.”
“I’ll follow you. I need to get you out of that dress and ready for bed.”
Rune held up a hand and snaked his arm around me. “No need, Khalani. I’ve got that covered.”
A fire immediately washed over me, seeping into my bones and down to my core. Forget being tired. I’d been dying to get my hands on Rune all night, and envisioning him stripping me out of my clothes served as my very own energy drink.
“See, Babe,” Ardley said, still holding Khalani. “You’re good. Stay and keep dancing with me.”
The red of the Orca’s cheeks deepened as she suddenly glared at Ardley. She jabbed her finger into his chest and hissed, “Don’t call me ‘Babe’ you … you … stupid, hot, jerkface.” She spun on her heel and stumbled back to the dancing party, mumbling ‘sexy’ and ‘jerkface’ as she went.
Ardley looked back at Rune and me with a genuinely curious tilt to his brow and asked, “Does it make me a masochist if I love the way she hates me?”
He didn’t wait for an answer but simply turned and jogged after Khalani with his fox tail swaying as he went.
Rune and I could only shake our heads as we left, and we made bets on how long we thought it would take for the Orca and the Fox to admit they liked each other.
I was still laughing over Khalani’s denial when Rune and I made it to our floor. As soon as the door to our level shut, Rune grabbed me by the hips and shoved my back against the wall as his mouth closed over mine. I gasped as his tongue slipped between my lips and his fingers dug into where he held me. His body pushed against mine, and it lit me up inside with the heat of a volcano.
“God, I’ve wanted to do that all night,” Rune growled, nipping my lips playfully with his sharp canines.
My chest heaved as I fought to catch my breath. “Don’t stop now then.”
I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck and brought his mouth back to mine. He tasted sweet like the champagne from the party, and I relished in his intoxicating kiss, wanting to get drunk on the taste. He suddenly pulled away, but before I could protest, he scooped me into his arms Princess style and headed for our bedroom. I tilted my head back as he leaned his head into my neck, licking and sucking at the skin there with a teasing, delicious tug.
The lights in our room were off, and only a sliver of moonlight filtered into the bedroom through the curtains. Rune placed me on my feet in the center of the room, and I turned to him as fire ignited in both of his hands, creating a glow that highlighted the handsome lines and shadows of his face. The flames suddenly shot from his hands in different directions, and they lit the candles lining the room and the fireplace.
With the room lit, Rune’s amber eyes locked onto me with a smoldering predatory precision. His gaze followed the line of my throat and down the low-cut neckline, which left little to the imagination. Something dark and hungry flashed across his features as his eyes traced what skin he could see.
“You truly look beautiful in that dress, Bria. So gorgeous. It’s almost sad that you have to take it off now.”
My toes curled in my heels, and I tilted my chin up to expose more of my breasts. I ran my fingers along the neckline, starting at the point of the V and working my way up and over the swells of my breasts. “I’m actually pretty excited to get out of it.”
Rune bared his canines while he reached up to pull off his tunic, mindful of his crown, and slowly unbuttoned the long-sleeved shirt beneath it. “Why’s that?”
“Because I know what comes after.”
A flash of need crossed his eyes and made him clench his jaw. I swallowed hard, watching the muscles in his abdomen ripple as he peeled out of his shirt and dropped it on the floor. He now stood in his dark slacks and boots, which he quickly toed out of. “Do you like that dress?”
Quirking a brow at him, I answered, “Yes.”
He slowly stalked toward me, and the beast growing in his eyes had me rooted to the spot. He stopped right in front of me and ran the pad of his fingers softly across the curves of my breasts and along my cleavage. My breath quickened, and my core pulsed with need. “Then you’d better take it off yourself. There won’t be anything left if I do it.”
The air hitched in my lungs with his warning, and I knew he was completely serious—I’d never be able to wear this dress again if I left him to take it off. I pulled the fabric on my shoulders down my arms. The silk gown slid down my curves, and I shimmied out of it the rest of the way. I kicked off my heels and stepped out of the puddled fabric so that I stood before Rune in nothing but my crown.
“Do you remember what I told you I wanted back at my mother’s house?” Rune asked, his voice low and rough. He leaned down, and his breath tickled my ear as he whispered, “I want to see you in your crown, just your crown, and I want to fuck you while you wear it.”
My entire body trembled as I recalled him saying that. It had been the night we’d first had sex. Now here we were, both wearing our own crowns. I glanced up at his large silver one. Up close, I saw the diamonds lining the bottom rim and the large sapphires that took up the center of each point. Intricate swirls and patterns that almost looked like waves decorated the surface, weaving around the jewels. The sign of his status fit perfectly on his head, and I rather enjoyed the sight of his black-and-white fox ears peeking up from the center of the open crown.
Meeting his amber eyes, I pictured him in just the crown. It made my pussy slick with desire and my nipples tighten with want. I tilted my head back to look at him. My eyes held his while my hands roamed his warm skin, trailing down his chest, over the planes of his stomach, and down to the waistband of his pants.
I stood on my tiptoes to place a soft, nearly nonexistent kiss on his lips and whispered, “Only if I get to fuck you in nothing but yours.”
He growled before claiming my mouth with unrestrained fervor. The hard length still tucked in his trousers pressed into me as he walked me backward to the closest solid surface. My lower back hit the back of the couch that sat in front of the fireplace, and I leaned against it as Rune cupped my breasts. His tongue swept across mine at the same moment that he squeezed the beads of my nipples between his fingers. I gasped against his lips and squirmed in his hold, desperate to feel more .
“Rune,” I groaned.
He smirked against my lips then dropped to his knees in front of me. He hooked my right leg over his shoulder, opening my legs to expose my dripping center. His hooded gaze drank in the sight of my spread legs before roaming up and over my heaving chest, finally settling on my eyes.
“Damn. I really like the view from down here,” Rune said, leaning in to flick his tongue teasingly along the crease of my folds.
I bit my lip to fight back my moan, and I gripped the back of the couch in an effort to keep my legs from buckling. Rune’s tongue stroked my clit again, and this time, he didn’t stop. Pleasure swam up my body, strangling me in its delicious hold. My head fell back as Rune licked then sucked on my arousal. His hand palmed my ass as his other roamed over my thigh before finding my entrance. He plunged two fingers into my opening and curled them as his mouth continued to worship my clit.
My hips bucked as I ached for that building release, and when it came, it exploded . A guttural groan tore through my gaping lips, and my legs shook from the sheer ecstasy of the orgasm.
With the intense wave of pleasure came the loss of my strength. My knees gave out, and I leaned too far back. I gasped when I started to tumble over the couch, and Rune quickly leapt up to catch me, but it was too late. I pulled him right over the cushion with me, and we flopped to the ground in front of the fireplace in a mess of tangled, naked limbs and laughter.
Rune’s head tilted back in a hearty laugh beneath me, and I rested my cheek on his chest as I fought to rein in my own mirth.
“That’s one way to get me underneath you,” he chuckled, straightening his crown that he’d held onto during the fall.
I playfully slapped his arm as I sat up enough to look down at him and readjusted my own crown. “As if I’d need to do a backflip over the couch to get on top of you.”
“No, you definitely don’t.” He gazed up at me with lustful eyes. The glitter of amusement morphed into a tender twinkle, and he reached up to run his thumb softly across my bottom lip. “My Queen,” he murmured softly, the sound nearly lost in the crackling fire. “My wife.”
A flutter broke free in my chest like birds taking flight in the summer sun. The new title felt foreign in my ears, yet because it came from him, there was also a sense of rightness.
Smiling, I dragged the tip of my finger over his chest, above his heart. “It doesn’t feel real. Us being married now. Maybe because a Water Fae marriage is far different than a human one, and that’s all I’ve known.”
“Would you like to have a human ceremony? We can.”
I shook my head and placed a kiss where my finger had been drawing. “I don’t need the ceremony. I just need you. My husband.”
Something akin to hunger flashed across his eyes as the word ‘husband’ left my lips. He suddenly flipped me onto my back and hovered above me. His palm coasted up my breast and onto my throat as he whispered, “Say it again.”
I ran my fingers through the silky white strands that sat around his shoulders before flicking the ribbon that still held half of it behind his head. After deciding I’d let the silent teasing go on long enough, I finally whispered, “My husband.”
His hard cock suddenly sank into my wet folds with a hard thrust of his hips. I gasped, my back arching, and my fingers dug into his arms as lightning shot down my spine, ending in a burst of pleasure right where his shaft filled me.
“Rune,” I said in a breathless rush.
He pulled back until just the tip remained, but instead of pushing back in, he held himself there. Growling against the sudden stop of his hips, I dug my heels into the back of his legs in an effort to make him move.
He stared down at me with a sensual grin. “Say it. I want you to call it out while I make this pretty pussy weep.”
Eager to continue what he’d started, I said, “My husband.”
No sooner had the words left my mouth than his hips slammed into me, filling me to the brim with his length. My nails dug into his arms as his thrusts intensified, and when I felt him threatening to stop, I’d call out his new title again. He’d pump into me with unrestrained vigor, and I’d cry out in pure ecstasy with each move of his hips.
His palms gripped and squeezed my breasts, and the sensation caused the heat in my abdomen to intensify. I met each thrust of his with frenzied want, and I trailed my own hands down his arms to cover his hands where they tweaked and flicked my nipples in time to the pushing in and out of his cock.
“I love you,” I gasped, gazing up at him through shuttered eyes. “I love you, Rune. My husband. Forever. Forever with you.”
He leaned down to plant his lips over mine, swirling our tongues together. “I love you,” he said breathlessly in between kisses. “Forever with you. My wife.”
The title did something to me. It sent that final jolt of pleasure right to my core. That, paired with Rune’s fingers on my breasts and his cock filling me up, sent me hurtling over the edge with no point of return. I spilled around his dick, and with my quaking limbs wrapped around him and squeezing him tight, he soon joined me. He moaned against my mouth, our tongues entangled and our chests heaving.
The fire roaring beside us warmed our already hot and sweaty skin, but we were both so spent that we couldn’t be bothered to move. Rune rolled us onto our sides, his dick still buried inside of me. We clung to each other, breathing each other in as we came back down from our orgasms. I stayed there, my back to the fireplace, my arms wrapped around Rune’s neck, dozing off to the sound of his breathing and the crackling flames.