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And the King was more powerful and more alpha than Dex could ever be. It was because he was king, I was sure, but he knew who he was and what he was capable of. He was upright and tall, and his confidence oozed out of him. It was intimidating.
It wasn’t only his attitude that was a challenge to come up against. Physically, the King was like a god. Muscular, powerful, both with magic and physical strength. But his size wasn’t a disadvantage. I thought I had speed on my side because I wasn’t as tall and strong as he was. The King, however, was agile as hell, and I couldn’t get around him.
We fought with him training me as we worked. His voice was sharp, his words clipped as he barked out commands. I did my best, fighting as hard as I could, giving it my all, but he demanded more.
“You’re going to face warriors who won’t let up because you’re getting tired,” he said. “When we train, we don’t train until we’re tired, we train until we’re down. And out there, we don’t fight until we feel it’s enough. We fight until we win. Or die.”
His words were hard to hear. He was right, obviously. War wasn’t an easy thing to prepare for, but King Rainier seemed to have no mercy, and he pushed me harder and further, still.
Finally, when I couldn’t breathe anymore and my muscles trembled when I so much as thought about moving, the King nodded and stepped back.
I needed the break. My lungs burned with every inhale.
I turned to pick up my water bottle, and just then, the King attacked another time. I wasn’t ready, and a blow against the head had me sprawling on the ground.
“Watch your back at all times. The enemy won’t wait for you to face them before they attack.”
I lay on the ground, gasping for air. I felt like my body was going to implode. I couldn’t breathe.
“Ellie?” King Rainier asked. “Oh, Goddess.”
He hurried to me where I lay on the floor, mouth opening and closing like a fish. He turned me onto my back and pulled up my arms, so they were above my head. My chest opened, my diaphragm did what it was supposed to, and air filled my lungs again.
I gasped, sucking in mouthfuls of air, relearning how to breathe.
“Are you okay?” he asked with concern in his voice. His thick brows knitted together, his eyes widened.
I pushed up, nodding, and suddenly, our faces were only inches from each other. Our eyes locked, and his eyes were drowning deep, filled with worry and an expression I struggled to decipher. His warm breath caressed my skin, and I clenched my fists to stop myself from reaching out to run my finger along his jawline…and his lips.
His eyes slid to my mouth for just a moment. We were caught in a bubble, and time stood still as he stared at me. I wondered what it would feel like if he pressed his lips against mine. Emotions flowed between us without a barrier, and it was inviting and comfortable. My core tightened, anticipating what would come next.
He moved so close, our lips nearly brushed together. If I moved only a fraction, we would touch, but I was frozen in his arms, staring into the depths of his eyes, feeling like I could drown in them.
He cleared his throat and pulled back, and it broke the spell. He stood and offered me a hand, pulling me to my feet. Whatever had flowed between us a moment ago was gone. He’d shut that door again, and we were only two warriors, standing together.
“Well done, Ellie,” Rainier said curtly. “You’ve trained hard today, and I’m pleased with your progress.” He glanced at the time. “I have meetings to attend. You’re dismissed.”
The formality in his tone was jarring after he’d been so warm and open toward me. I nodded and waited for him to walk away before I turned and headed toward the warrior quarters.
My head spun.
He’d almost kissed me. He hadn’t done it, but he’d thought about it. That didn’t make sense.
I’d started to understand how Fae relationships worked. I’d been reading the books Nylah gave me every time I saw her—some on the history of the land, and some on the Fae so that I could better understand the life I was to live here among them. The Fae created bonds, and when two Fae bonded, they didn’t have eyes for anyone else.
The way Rainier had looked at me had been wrong. He was bonded to Lucia, wasn’t he? Or were the legends wrong?
* * *
“My lady,”Bessie greeted when I walked into the room.
I just wanted to be alone. I needed time to think about what had happened.
“I’ll take care of myself for now, Bessie,” I said.
She frowned. “Are you all right?”
“Is it wrong to want to be alone?”
