The Hunter #2
I shook my head. “Then, I’m afraid I cannot accept. My place is with you, Eira.”
She dropped her hands on her thighs with a loud slap.
“Damn it, Theron, I don’t know what to do with you.
Do you want to continue teaching villagers how to wield weapons for the rest of your life?
Our kingdom is on the brink of a civil war if we can’t find a way to reach the seelie nobles who are unhappy with me as their queen. ”
“Why do you think I’m the one who can do that for you?”
“You are the only person left in this court who knew Calista’s ways.
You know how she ruled, how she treated her nobles.
You know what they expect of a ruler. And no matter how often I try to speak to them, they do not hear me when my mouth opens.
They only hear a belligerent human princess who fancies herself a queen.
” Her eyes glistened with tears, and the sight was like a dagger to my heart.
“This isn’t just about traveling on your behalf, is it?” I asked softly.
She shook her head, lips pressed together tightly.
“You need someone who isn’t you—who isn’t human—to reach out to these people.”
“Yes.” Her breath was shaky. In this moment, she was opening herself up to me. She was vulnerable.
She needed me.
And I needed to overcome this crippling fear of being a leader.
For three years, I had been serving this court to the best of my ability.
I’d walked the streets alongside ordinary men and women, stepping into their shoes and helping them with their burdens.
I’d made suggestions during Eira’s meetings with her human court, advising the best way to govern a predominantly seelie court.
I enjoyed it. Despite the nerves, despite my anxieties, I enjoyed doing work that mattered.
Eira was asking for more of me. And for the first time, I finally felt ready.
With a deep breath, I said, “You need a husband who is a full-blooded seelie fae.”
Eira’s mouth dropped open. “I—what?”
“You need a king by your side who will travel with you to these places of unrest and show you are both a united front. Fae and human, ruling together.”
Eira took a step back, looking over me like she’d never seen me before. “Theron, what the hell are you talking about? Are you suggesting I go out and find myself a seelie fae husband?”
I uttered a frustrated growl, my rage igniting at the thought of Eira marrying anyone who wasn’t me. I seized her and dragged her body back to mine before planting a rough kiss on her lips. She touched my cheek, her hand shaking, as I drew back and whispered, “Marry me, Eira.”
Her breath hitched. “Marry you… as a consort?”
“I—I would like to marry you as… your king. As your equal. If that is acceptable to you.” My face heated again, and I felt absurd and foolish for even presuming that she would still want this from me when I had done nothing to deserve it.
A wide smile spread across her face, and her eyes filled with tears. She pressed a hand to her mouth and uttered a soft gasp. Then, she laughed loudly. “Are you serious?”
I nodded, and she squealed with delight before throwing her arms around me.
“You stupid, grouchy man, why did it take you so long?” She pressed a trail of kisses from my lips to my chin and up and down my jaw.
I clutched her tightly, relishing the way her body seemed to mold against mine.
Never would I tire of the way we seemed to fit perfectly together.
“Is that a yes?” I muttered between kisses.
“Yes!” she cried, threading her hands through my hair.
“Yes, Theron. A thousand times yes. Be my husband. My king. My everything.” She turned her head, her lips meeting mine, but slower this time.
My mouth captured hers again and again, tasting her as if it were our first kiss.
As if we had all the time in the world to memorize each other’s lips and tongue, to claim one another in every way.
“Yours,” I murmured against her lips. “Always yours, my queen.”
I tasted her tears as they streamed down her face. We laughed together, arms tangled, unable to keep our hands off each other.
I knew we had an uphill battle to face. It certainly wouldn’t be easy.
But in the three years since she’d become queen, I had learned that nothing could be done perfectly.
To me, Eira was flawless. She was everything this kingdom needed.
And yet, people still found fault with her. People still expected more of her.
Not everyone saw her the way I did.
It had opened my eyes to how the world saw me. How Eira saw me.
I would never be able to earn every person’s forgiveness for my past sins.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t make a difference in this court.
That didn’t mean I shouldn’t try. For three years, I had strived to atone for what I’d done.
While many people were amenable to accepting me, there were many who were not—and they never would be.
I could never win them over. And I had to accept that.
So, here and now, I was making my choice.
I would rule with Eira. Even if I didn’t deserve it. Even if there was still blood on my hands that I could never scrub away.
Because Eira needed me. She believed in me. And I believed in her more than I believed in myself. Her light pulled me from the darkness, showing me that not all of my shadows were poisonous. I was a killer, but that was not all that I was. There was more to me than my skill with a blade.
And I was finally ready to illuminate those hidden parts of myself.
With Eira by my side.
Being resurrected comes with a deadly side effect… Read Stella’s story in Crown of Ashes, a Cinderella retelling!