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31

EDEN

The scent of bacon and freshly baked bread wafts past my nose as my eyes flutter open.

“Good morning, beautiful.” Lux stands at the foot of his bed. Or I suppose our bed now that I’ve practically moved into his bedchamber.

Two weeks have passed since I accepted his mating bond. Two weeks of nothing but kisses, waking up in his arms, and barely making it out of the bed before he’s throwing me against it again.

As my gaze falls over him, I smile. He’s dressed in a white puffy shirt and dark trousers while he carries a silver tray of breakfast for both of us. Bacon. Toast. Light fluffy eggs prepared just the way I like them.

“Good morning,” I murmur as he places the tray between us and settles back into bed. “Thank you for breakfast.”

“You’ll need it for what I have planned for us.” He nuzzles into my neck.

Giggling, I lean into him. “And what is that?” I ask.

“Eat quickly, and you won’t have to wait long to find out.” He nips my neck as the heat I’ve grown all too familiar with pools between my thighs again.

I know this is all wrong. I know if my sisters ever heard what he did to me, and worse, that I’ve all but fallen in love with him anyway, they’d drag me into Father’s dungeons themselves and throw away the key.

But when I’m lying here in Lux’s warm arms it’s so easy to forget all of that. To forgive all of it. Even if that makes me the realm’s biggest idiot. When Lux’s nip turns to a kiss, I sigh.

At least I’m a well-loved idiot.

“I bought you more fabric from Maple’s,” he breathes against me, the morning light dancing off his hair.

“You did?” I gasp.

“Velvet in every colour.” He grins. “And fluffy trim, so you can make as many cloaks as your little heart desires.”

“Thank you.” I beam at him. “I’ve been meaning to make a cloak that matches yours for Castor.”

His smile falls.

“Sorry!” I blurt. Lux has been acting strange around his brother ever since we bonded.

Last week, Castor tried to have dinner with us, and it ended with his plate being picked up by a wave and washed out of the dining room. A few days ago, Castor marched past us completely drenched – I’m guessing Lux’s doing. Yesterday, Castor knocked on our door to suggest we all go for a walk, and Lux looked as if his brother had just strangled Maxine.

When I asked Lux if anything had happened, he just said that it was the new bond and that if my sisters were here, I’d be the same with them.

But I haven’t felt any anger towards my sisters. Only guilt that I still haven’t written to them since my ankle healed.

That will change today. I finally know what I’m going to say to them. I’ll be honest and tell them that Lux and I have grown closer. I just won’t mention how he tricked me, or how both princes drugged me while my ankle healed, or that I’ve laid with Lux far too many times to count without being officially married.

I don’t want Blossom to kill him before he even gets a chance to make things right between us.

And I want him to. Desperately.

“You need not apologise.” Lux taps me on the nose. “This is my problem, not yours.”

“Still,” I mumble, “I’m sorry that you’re finding it hard to be around him. You were so close before, and I’d hate to think that I’ve done something to come between⁠—”

“You’ve not done anything wrong. This is all him.” His voice deepens. “Now eat your breakfast before I tie you up to this bed and feed you myself.”

My cheeks turn rosy. “Maybe I wouldn’t mind that.”

He grins at me. But before he can make good on his offer, the door swings open and his smile turns to a glare.