Page 94 of Secrets of Ruin

He bent to kiss her forehead before speaking. “Something wonderful came out of that place.”

Kaylia rested her hand over his heart. “Two wonderful things came out of that place… our love and this child.”

“I want to marry you. I planned to ask you after the wedding, so it’s not because of the baby. I⁠—”

She placed her finger against his lips as her heart soared; it was what she wanted too, but… “Not until after the baby is born. Since this child is already a piece of us and here in its own way, I want the baby to be at the wedding.”

He caressed her cheek with his thumb. “That’s a perfect plan.”

Kaylia wrapped her arms around his neck, and they kissed again. She couldn’t recall when she’d ever been happier as the dragons bellowed and Brokk’s hand cradled her stomach.

She’d never dreamed feeling this full of joy and love was possible, but Brokk made it so. His love had broken through the effects of Fabian’s potion.

It freed her from a trap she’d never known ensnared her. It had given her life, happiness, and a future she’d stopped dreaming about when she’d believed Fabian died.

Now, she would build a life and family with the man who’d shown her what real, true love was. She looked forward to every day they would spend with each other and with the babe growing inside her.

She’d found the paradise she’d once dreamed about with Brokk in the dungeon, and it was better than anything she ever could have imagined.

CHAPTER NINETY-TWO

Sahira flung her arms out as she twirled at the edge of one of the garden’s pools. The cooling air caressed her bare skin and sent tingles of power across her body.

Located deep within the garden and tucked beneath the boughs of weeping trees, the secluded spot was one she and Orin liked to visit when they needed time away from the palace and she craved nature. It had become one of her favorite places, and they’d never encountered anyone else here.

Standing in the shadows of one of the large trees, she felt Orin’s black eyes on her and the lust he radiated, but he didn’t come to her. Dancing together all night had left him on edge and voracious; she’d been sure he would pounce on her as soon as they arrived, but he remained unmoving.

Above, the dragons released more fire before breaking away to sweep over the land and back toward the mountains. They’d finally decided to call it a night.

The moon was sinking lower in the sky. Before she and Orin came here, many of the guests had already retreated to their rooms or realms, depending on whether they’d chosen to stay in Dragonia.

Closing her eyes, Sahira stopped twirling and kept her arms high while she basked in the energy flowing from the earth beneath her bare feet. It was all perfect, and she got to share it with the man she loved.

Lowering her arms, she looked toward Orin and tilted her head. His black hair and eyes blended in with the night, but she saw the ravenous gleam in his eyes while he watched her.

He was magnificent, powerful, lethal, and hers. And while he hadn’t pounced yet, the power crackling around her and the hunger of his gaze had awakened an answering desire in her.

She relished the cool air moving across her skin as she sauntered toward him with a deliberate sway of her hips. He wasn’t the only hungry one, and as she drew closer, he emerged from the shadows.

She expected him to lift her off the ground and take her beneath the trees as he’d done before. Her heart thundered, and her mouth went dry in anticipation as her nipples hardened.

Instead of sweeping her into his arms, he stopped a few feet away from her. For the first time, she saw something on Orin’s face that she’d never considered possible… nervousness.

Before she could question what was wrong, he went to one knee. Sahira stopped dead, and her mouth parted when he held out an open ring box to her.

“I told you that I’d ask,” he said.

Her wide eyes went from the red stone set on a delicate band, to him, and back again. A burst of white in the center of the stone reminded her of a star. It was beautiful and meant for her.

Then, she gathered her wits enough to realize he hadn’t asked her anything… which was just like him. She grinned, planted a hand on her hip, and stuck it out. “Ask me what?”

She loved him more than she’d ever believed possible, but she enjoyed torturing him. He deserved it sometimes.

He laughed, and his eyes sparkled. “Will you marry me, Enchantress?”

Sahira half laughed and half cried as she flung herself into his arms. Her agreement was barely coherent as she kissed his face repeatedly.

Somehow, he understood she was happy to marry him as he slid the ring on her finger. She clasped his cheeks and kissed him as he brought her to the ground beneath the trees… like she’d wanted.