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“The baby is fine,” the healer reassured me, looking to the midwife, who nodded from the corner.
“There’s no cause for concern, Miss Maren. The babe is clearly a fighter, like their parents.”
My eyes met Nyx’s, and we shared a relieved smile.
“Would you like to know if you’re having a prince or princess?” the midwife asked. Nyx and I looked at one another, and I shook my head slightly.
“Miss Maren would like no more surprises,” Nyx declared with a small laugh. My hands wrapped around the curve of my belly, and I closed my eyes. “Thank you for coming,” Nyx told them both, ushering them out the door. “But it’s been quite a day.”
“We understand, Alpha. Please call on us if you have any concerns at all.”
“We will,” he promised, securing the door behind them. I propped myself up on the pillow as he moved back toward me, reaching for my hands. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he pressed. “Nothing hurts? You don’t need any potions or?—”
“She didn’t hurt me—not physically, anyway,” I said quickly.
His hand caressed my cheek softly, the remorse in his eyes making my heart ache. “You should have never been put in the middle of this.”
“Why not?” I asked.
His brow furrowed in confusion. “Because it’s not fair to you. You didn’t sign on for any of this.”
I offered him a small smile, my hand cupping over his on my cheek. “But isn’t that what a queen does?” I asked quietly. “Stands by her king’s side?”
His amber-green eyes lit up as he realized what I was saying, and he sucked in a deep breath. “Are you agreeing to be my queen?” he asked, his eyes widening in surprise.
Sheepishly, I lowered his palm from my face and placed it in my lap. My eyes trailed to his fingers as I traced my own over his. “If the position’s still available,” I joked.
He slid down beside me, pulling me against the pillows to press his mouth on mine, and I could feel the rush of his pulse against his throat.
“Yes,” he said when we finally parted. “I still want you to be my queen.” He hesitated. “What made you change your mind?”
I blushed, embarrassed to admit the tipping point, but there were no secrets between us. And I knew now that there never really had been. Nyx had always done what was in my best interest.
“You would have burned down this whole castle looking for me,” I mumbled, feeling silly saying it aloud.
He appeared baffled by my statement. “Of course I would have, Maren. You’re my mate. I love you. I would burn down all of Mystara looking for you.”
I nodded. “I guess I never really realized just how much until tonight. My whole life, I’ve lived in the shadows, never quite being good enough for anyone. Everyone has always overlooked me.”
Sadness colored his beautiful eyes. “That’s their loss, but I can’t say I’m unhappy about it. If they hadn’t, I would have never been able to find you and claim you,” he replied, brushing a kiss over my nose. “You deserve the moon and all the stars, Maren, and I’ll spend the rest of my life getting them for you.”
His face softened, and he nuzzled his nose against me, his lips capturing mine again. Softly, I returned his embrace, my arms reaching up to pull him closer.
“I’ll flip over all the heavens for you,” he rasped, his lips inches from mine. “Because even if you didn’t marry me, you’d still be my queen.”
I flushed and kissed him again, grateful for the option when I didn’t have the words.
“I can see that now,” I whispered back. “And that’s why I have agreed to be your queen, Nyx.”
Our breaths fell into an identical rhythm, matching in perfect unison as they always did when our passions ran high. Already I felt as though my pulse was ready to explode, my eagerness to be with him overtaking me. But since our matehood had connected, every touch was a tingle, an electric current that set me on fire. My movements to his were choreographed by the gods.
When my tongue met his, he yanked me closer, pressing his perfect form to mine, allowing me to experience every line of his physique. The yearning for him inside me only mounted, growing to a peak as his hand circled my hair, pulling me back to expose my throat for his lips to taste.
His kisses grew hotter, more urgent, like we were running out of time, but I was caught floating above the room as he continued his exploration of my body. We had forever now, together. There was no more running. I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
The realization made me fevered, frenzied, the desire to solidify our commitment to each other in this way suddenly driving me as the velvet robe slipped fully away from my body. Instantly, Nyx’s face went to my swollen, naked breasts as I held him to me, wanting him as close as I could possibly get him. At the same time, I worked his shirt off, determined to feel his naked skin on mine.
Once again, I felt the familiar throb of our bond in my chest, and he groaned softly, indicating that he felt the same as he slipped lower against my naked belly. I raised my legs, allowinghim access to my core, his hot breaths arousing me more even before he began to lick and tease. One hand remained on my breast as the other spread me wider, making room for his full, perfect mouth.
