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Tell him, my wolf urges me. If you don’t get it out now, it will grow like fungus, which is stupid because while your concerns are valid, they’re also silly.
How can you be both nice and dismissive at the same time? I wonder, unable to keep myself from admiring her ability.
It’s a special skill, my wolf says, sounding both smug and proud.
I climb out of Garren’s lap and sit next to him, preparing myself to have a serious conversation. Fallon was right when she told me to lean on him. I just hope that he’ll come through and have nice, supportive things to say, otherwise, opening myself up to him next time might not come as easy.
“I’m worried,” I say at last, and to my relief, he doesn’t say anything but just gently takes my hands into his as he carefully pays attention to what I have to say. “I’m worried that I will be an embarrassment. I’m worried that everyone will make fun of me. I’m worried that I won’t be accepted, therefore, I’ll be responsible for all your hardships as a ruler. I just know that somehow, I’ll singlehandedly make it impossible for you to reign. I’m worried about what will happen to the Dark Hunters if I can’t do both jobs. Should I make Blaine an Alpha?”
“I’m worried, too,” Garren admits, making my brows raise in surprise at his confession. He should be giving me an encouraging speech instead of confirming my worst fears and telling me just how much I’d probably suck. “I’m worried that I’ve been an intoxicated manwhore for too long and now my own people won’t find it in them to follow my lead. I’m worried that I’ve disrespected too many kings and insulted their daughters by offering to impale them with my Claw.”
“Your Claw?” I ask, tilting my head to the side as this one word piques my interest.
Garren leans back onto the sofa, his head resting against the top of it as he avoids my eye contact and looks at the ceiling instead. When he doesn’t reply, I slightly nudge him in the ribs, and he lets out an exasperated groan.
“It’s my cock’s name, okay?” he admits, the words coming out in a quick burst. “I was young, stupid, and so damn full of myself that I didn’t even realize just how pathetic and cringy it was. Please don’t hold it against me.”
“Only if you agree to claw me later,” I tease, unable to suppress the amused giggle that escapes me.
Garren groans again, the sound one of utter embarrassment. “You’re the worst, you know that?”
“It’s better you find that out now because once we’re married, it will be too late,” I tell him, and though my mood is getting lighter, there are still some things that concern me. I follow his lead and bury the right side of my face into the sofa, before making a quiet admission of my own. “I don’t even know how to wear heels, for fuck’s sake. What if I trip while walking down the altar and fall on my ass in front of everyone? And by everyone, I mean all the guests and the royal television crews. I’ll become a fucking meme for generations of wolves to make fun of. It would surely be the worst thing that happened in the Grey family’s history.”
“Actually, the worst thing was when my too-many-times-to-count great-grandfather killed his own brother in a fight over a dispute about who has gotten a bigger piece of chocolate,” Garren says, sounding serious. “In his defense, chocolate was quite a rare commodity back then.”
“That’s exactly the point I’m trying to make,” I say. When he gives me a confused look, I explain, “The chocolate scandal happened centuries ago, and yet, you still remember it enough to bring it up. The thing that worked in your ancestor’s favor is that no one took a picture of him, no one made a video of that moment, and no one made a meme that would be shared and sent through thousands upon thousands of phones if not even millions.”
“Well, when you put it that way...” Garren allows and trails off, a ghost of a smile on his face.
“I’m serious,” I tell him, my voice quiet since I’ve dragged out all my insecurities for him to see.
“I know you are,” he replies, all hints of amusement gone from his tone and his eyes. “That’s exactly why you’ll make a great queen. You care enough to worry about these little things. You worry because you want to be good. You worry because you want to make a difference. You worry because you care, and you care because your big heart is kind. You’ll be a great queen, Alyssa. If I didn’t believe that we’d be good for our people, I would abdicate without a second thought. I promise you that.”
You should take him at his word, my wolf tells me, believing everything he’d said. If you need any more assurances, just remember that the rest of his family has accepted and welcomed you with open arms.
Except for Grayden, I counter. Maybe he sees something that the rest don’t.
That piece of shit has a stick so high up his ass that he couldn’t bow even if he wanted to, my wolf growls, not fond of Garren’s brother either. We should keep an eye on him just in case he tries something.
“We’ll do well, won’t we?” I ask, needing to hear him say it one more time.
“We will,” he assures me with a smile that turns mischievous. “Come here.”
He gestures for me to climb onto his lap, which I happily oblige, straddling him. I lean forward, pressing my forehead against his. We stay like this for the longest moment, reveling in each other’s strength and love.
“I have an idea,” Garren says, breaking the silence with his low voice.
His waking member between my thighs is a clue enough for me to know what he’s talking about, but I still want him to say it.
“Oh?” I ask, the corners of my mouth tugging up.
“I think it’s about time I make an official introduction between you and the Claw,” he whispers, his voice guttural and full of the desire churning deep inside him.
“What’s the appropriate salute?” I ask, playing along. “Should I shake or kiss the Claw?”
Garren groans and stands up with me in his lap. His strong hands hold me up, pulling me close to him as my legs wrap around his waist. Our hot breaths tingle, our foreheads still pressing against one another.
“I’ll give you five seconds to get naked or I’m going to tear your clothes off you with no way of saving them,” Garren growls, his voice heavy with lust.
