Chapter 42
SAPHIRA
My body was still humming as we crossed the broad terrace to the open doors of the ballroom. My pulse picked up, my gaze darting to Kaeleron where he strode beside me, his head held high and shoulders tipped back.
And a hint of colour on his cheeks.
If I had been a cat shifter, I might have purred at the sight of it and the memory of how he had pinned me to that tree and taken me hard, possessively, so thoroughly that I hadn’t been able to walk until barely a minute ago.
We had stayed locked together for long minutes afterwards, kissing slowly as he remained within me, savouring that connection that bloomed between us and seemed deeper than ever.
Kaeleron cleared his throat and muttered, “Maddening me.”
His silver gaze slid to me.
“If you want me to turn us back around and find that tree again, keep looking at me like that.”
I smiled slowly. “I wouldn’t say no.”
“Great Mother, you test me.” His handsome face darkened as he raked his gaze down me, hunger flaring in it as he growled low, a possessive kind of snarl that lit my blood on fire.
I growled right back at him, my wolf at the fore, issuing a demand as I would if he had been my fated one—commanding him to look at me, to surrender to me and do as I wanted.
He stopped just short of the entrance, his eyes narrowing on mine as he came to face me, and rumbled, “The little wolf shows her fangs.”
He slowly walked around me, his gaze rooted to my face as he circled me, a predator’s smile curling his lips as he studied me.
“But what does she want to do with those fangs?” He lowered his head as he passed behind me, his breath skating over my neck to intoxicate me, and then whispered in my ear, “Does she wish to bite me?”
“I wish to rip your clothes off with them,” I stated, matter of fact and unashamed of my desire to get him naked so I could take my time worshipping every inch of his honed body.
“Maddening me.” He flicked my lobe with his tongue and growled low into it.
A commanding growl that jacked up my hunger and had my wolf side rising to the fore and demanding I rub against him, marking him with my scent and making him pay attention to me. I had already done both those things.
He nibbled along my jaw, his voice a husky whisper as he said, “I want to take you home. I want to spread you out on my bed and feast on you. I want to make you so impatient for the feel of my cock stretching your sweet pussy that you growl at me like that… demanding I fill you up with it and my seed.”
I whimpered.
“Or you could make that noise.” He chuckled as he drew back to gaze down at me, his silver eyes hot and his smile wicked. Teasing. Tempting. “I find I am rather fond of it now I have heard it.”
I shoved him with both hands, pressing them against his chest and scowling at him as I pushed him backwards, away from me. “Shut up or I will never get through the next few hours.”
He had told me we couldn’t leave until dawn.
Every minute between now and our departure felt like an hour.
I couldn’t wait to get away from this place.
“Maybe we can just stay out here.” I stared at the ballroom, at the doors that fell like a barrier to me, one that was both insurmountable and dreadful.
I wasn’t sure what waited on the other side of those doors.
I wasn’t sure what would happen when we walked through them together.
I had wanted to stake a claim on Kaeleron and have everyone here know that he was mine, but now it was time to actually make that happen, I was afraid.
“No, my little wolf.” He caught my hand and looped my arm over his. “There is no running from this. I will not allow it.”
My gaze snapped up, colliding with his as he grinned at me.
“I find I want the entirety of the unseelie courts to know you are mine, and mine alone.”
He marched me forwards and I tilted my chin up, summoning my courage and that bold part of me that wanted it too. I wanted every unseelie to know he was mine and mine alone.
“If we survive this night, I would like to have dinner with you tomorrow. I want some time alone with you so I can tell you something.” Kaeleron’s deep voice swept around me, drawing my gaze to his profile.
“Sure.” I nodded, curious as to what those things were, but all thoughts of them fled my mind when we crossed the threshold.
Heads turned, a wave of motion that made me want to look at my feet, but I kept my head high and my shoulders tipped back. Because I was worthy. I was worthy of this king who placed his hand over mine on his arm, keeping me steady.
This king who loved me.
Whispers ran through the crowd as they watched us.
I kept my gaze fixed ahead of us, on Jenavyr as she noticed us and hurried towards us. Her step faltered as she neared us, and she shot Kaeleron a dark look.
“Brother,” she hissed.
He raised his hand from mine, silencing her. “I have this under control and I know what I am doing.”
She didn’t look convinced as her silver eyes darted between us, and opened her mouth to argue.
“The high king requests your presence,” a male said before she could voice her anger, and I looked at the messenger, hoping it wasn’t Kalyn and expecting him to be looking at Kaeleron.
Only he was looking at me.
Kaeleron’s arm tensed beneath my hand and shadows brushed my feet, swirling up my legs and anchoring me in place.
“I’m sorry.” I blinked at the plainly dressed male. “He wants to see me?”
The male nodded and flicked a wary look at Kaeleron as those shadows continued to pour from him while he glared at the male with murder on his mind. I patted his arm before he could take out his anger and fear on someone who had only been delivering a message, sure he would probably regret it.
Maybe he would regret it.
He probably wouldn’t.
But I would.
“Um, sure.” I shrugged, not sure what else to do.
Curtsy? He was just a messenger. I would have to curtsy for the high king though.
Wouldn’t I? I threw a panicked glance at Kaeleron, my hands trembling as a thousand questions bombarded my mind and fear of messing up in front of a male who was likely to kill me if I displeased him rattling me to my soul.
“As he wishes,” Kaeleron intoned, his voice empty of feeling, his eyes hollow and cold.
The mask firmly back in place.
I tried to don my own mask of fearlessness as he guided me through the ballroom and a hundred pairs of eyes tracked us, the whispered comments growing louder.
Who was I? Why did the high king wish to meet me? What right did I have to be on the arm of the high king’s favourite? Had he taken a lover? Or was I more than a mistress warming his bed?
I let them all roll off me, my focus on the dais and the figure that loomed there, on that golden throne, his gaze casually tracking me. His beautiful daughter standing beside him.
Kaeleron released me when we reached the steps to the dais, taking them ahead of me, blocking the high king’s view of me as if he wanted to hide me, as if he had the power to somehow stop this meeting from happening.
It was too late for that.
I drew down a subtle breath to steady my nerves. This was a test. Kaeleron believed that. Or a show of power. Gods, I hoped ‘show of power’ didn’t mean cutting my head off.
“You hurried away before we could finish our conversation, Shadow King.” The sharp edge to Elduin’s voice felt like a blade against my throat and I stared at the back of Kaeleron’s head.
Or a blade against his.
“My apologies. I had business that required my attention.” Kaeleron’s voice had never sounded so monotonous and cold. Not even when I had first met him.
“I had wanted to say how glad I was you could attend this momentous occasion of my daughter’s first ball.”
I flicked a glance at said daughter as her father said that and found her watching me, a curious kind of light in her silver-violet eyes.
She had to be as old as Kaeleron, or at least Jenavyr, yet this was her first ball?
Her father sounded even more controlling than my own had been.
How long had she been locked in this castle, shut away from the world?
Kaeleron dipped his head, his tone still empty. “I would never miss it.”
Because if he hadn’t come, this high king would have punished him.
Elduin waved him away. “There are rumours you have brought something interesting with you.”
Something? I wasn’t a thing.
“Elduin, high king of the unseelie courts, allow me to present Saphira Harper.” Kaeleron bowed gracefully.
Revealing me.
I held my nerve and stepped around him, coming to a halt at his side in the centre of the dais, and lowered my gaze as I took hold of my black dress and dipped in a curtsy.
“So it is true. You have brought a wolven to my ball. A bold move.” Elduin’s gaze was as cutting as his tone as he raked it over me as I followed Kaeleron’s lead and straightened.
The high king curled a lip at me, the black slashes of his eyebrows set low beneath the beautiful golden crown he wore, narrowing his cold and calculating silver eyes as he leaned back in his throne and regarded me.
“Saphira is a member of the Shadow Court, and others among my court were invited. It was only natural that she be able to attend as they were.” Kaeleron’s voice gained strength and grew razor sharp as he stared the high king right in the eye.
Elduin eyed me.
Or more specifically, my necklace.
“And while wearing such precious jewels,” he drawled, gesturing toward me as the golden embroidery and buttons on his fine tunic jacket caught the light.
The necklace had never felt heavier. The sapphire stones pressed down on my chest, feeling as if they had their own gravity. I struggled to breathe, to find my voice and have it come out strong as the pressure of them coupled with that of the high king’s power started to become too much.
“They were a gift.” I managed to say those four words without my voice wavering and betraying how much strain I was under.