Chapter 20 #2
I place my hand to my chest. “I’m sorry. Are you sure you didn’t come here with an ulterior motive tonight? First the blanket, now the compliments?” I ask, laughing.
He smiles and says, “Sorry if I’m coming on too strong, but I like you. Whether or not you choose me, I’m happy that you’re our High Queen. Any of us would be lucky to sit beside you.”
When he says that, I realize that I feel…
happy. I no longer feel like a ball of nerves, nor do I feel overwhelmed with the unknown responsibilities of being the High Queen.
I feel comforted knowing that I don’t have to do this alone.
No matter who I choose, there will be another person that will be beside me.
I lean over and close the distance between us. His lips are soft against mine. I feel his mouth open, and mine instantly reacts, imitating the movement. Our tongues find each other. He’s a good kisser, even better than August.
His movements are lazy, like he has all the time in the world, and he doesn’t want to miss a second of feeling my tongue on his.
I scoot towards him, eager to be closer.
He sits up, careful not to break the kiss with the movement.
My hand moves to his chiseled jaw as we kiss, butterflies taking flight in my stomach.
One of his hands winds its way through my hair, cupping the back of my head, deepening our kisses.
I wouldn’t mind kissing him for the rest of my life.
He breaks the kiss and says, “As much as I would like to keep kissing you, I do feel like we should spend our time talking and getting to know each other.”
I swallow and nod, internally sighing. He’s right. I’m reminded of how much I’m not used to this. To dating with the intention of marriage. I need to stop thinking about kissing everyone and focus on who’s going to make the best partner.
Who do I want beside me on the throne? Who do I want to talk about my struggles? Who am I going to trust when I feel broken and alone? That’s what I need to figure out. Not who the better kisser is.
He takes both pillows and rests them against the invisible barrier, then settles against them. “Come here,” he says, spreading his legs for me to lean against his solid chest. He wraps his arms around me and kisses my temple. I feel safe in this little nook, protected by his arms.
“Keep telling me about your family,” I say.
“You met Cassia. She’s a mess. I love her, but she’s interested in one thing and one thing only: herself.”
I chuckle. “I may have heard a rumor about that. Are you two close?”
“Yes and no. We used to be close, but we’ve drifted over the last few years.
She’s younger than me by a few years.” He sighs before continuing.
“Honestly, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found her lack of maturity to be frustrating.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve also been a mess.
I think I partied my way from sixteen to twenty-two, but I’m over that phase of my life. ”
“Yeah, I heard that you were a party animal. You and August.”
His laugh rumbles through his chest. “Oh, we were. We have some pretty bad reputations. We’re only just now starting to fix them, but I can see that they’re still intact.
August and I used to be the party princes.
We’d funnel across the country together to different taverns and drink through the night.
Sometimes, we’d drink and mix whatever drug of the month we had been experimenting with.
We’d also sometimes instigate fights with humans.
I’m not proud of that phase of my life.”
“Mother, Koa. That sounds bad.”
He sucks in a breath through his teeth. “It was. I was overcoming a rough, often traumatic childhood, and I didn’t like to talk about it.
Getting fucked up helped me forget.” He takes a deep breath and says, “I should also probably tell you that I’ve slept with many females, too, during that phase of my life.
I’ve slowed down in the last few years, though, if that’s any consolation. ”
“I had already heard the rumor, but I didn’t realize it was a part of your past. The way that I heard it, it sounded like it was still your present.
” He tenses behind me, and I hurriedly add, “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, Koa.
I’ve certainly slept with my fair share of males, too.
If I’m being honest, I haven’t had an actual, serious relationship…
ever. The fact that you’ve slept around doesn’t bother me. ”
His arms around me tighten and he says, “I was nervous that it would. Thank you for saying that.”
“I appreciate you sharing all of that with me.” I turn my head to gaze up at him.
He bends down and presses a soft kiss to my lips. “Anything for my High Queen,” he says.
We talk through the night, sipping champagne and eating chocolates.
He plays the recording of the play, but we don’t watch it.
Instead, we opt to talk and exchange stories about our lives.
He tells me all about growing up in the City of Peaks, detailing the mountains and the snow.
It sounds beautiful, especially when he tells me about learning how to shift in the middle of the mountains and being able to run through them in his cougar form.
I end up falling asleep in his arms, thinking about him running through the mountains, wondering if I’d be caging him with a High Crown.