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“Come, sit.”
“I thought I should shower first,” she said, scanning his comfortable loungewear. “You know, make myself more comfortable.”
Her voice had descended into a throaty rasp without realizing it. Fletcher made her feel things that took her over, as if she was being controlled like a marionette.
His eyes widened at the sound of her suggestible remark, but he tried to keep the subject even. It was kind of thrilling for Madison to see a man of such power squirm at the mere implication of innuendo.
They’d had sex many times already, but her thirst for it had yet to wane. He was a considerate man not only in life but also in the bedroom. Plus, he was stupidly handsome. She would have been an idiot to reject any of his advances.
“If you want to, but don’t on my account,” he said, the lilt of his voice sharpening with a brief, underlying growl. “I rather enjoy your natural fragrance.”
Madison giggled a rather girlish laugh that she hadn’t thought she was capable of. She turned away, unable to wipe the flattered grin from her face. She was starting to feel possessed again, that pooling of warmth and wetness blooming in her stomach.
“Well, what my king wants …”
A servant walked into the room the moment Madison’s sentence trailed off. She was biting her lip, ready to mount her king’s face and ride him until she saw stars.
“Dinner is served in your outer room, My King,” the servant said.
Fletcher stood quickly and placed a hand on Madison’s lower back. She was still feeling dizzy from the flirtations that nearly sent her body into the ether.
“Come, darling. I’ll get the servant to bring your robe and something for your feet. Would you like a drink with your meal?”
Madison was glad they hadn’t given in to their impulses before discussing the issue of the engagement and the whole fated mate business. It would have been a rather delicious distraction, but a distraction, nonetheless. She needed her head to be mostly clear to consider the practicalities of their union and what being a mate truly entailed to someone who could barely tap into her wolf nature.
In the more casual room outside his bed chamber, they dined on the most succulent and luxurious of dishes, which they had most nights of the week. Madison was used to the royal treatment from growing up as a princess of Autumhart, but Fletcher’s chefs and servants had gone above and beyond tonight. He tailored all of her favorite meals to certain days of the week, depending upon her mood and whether or not the king would be present for them.
It was a romantic affair, sitting next to each other in their noble garments, the fire roaring behind them while their servers tended to every need. A chapel-styled window was carved into the wall opposite the dining quarters, and the light of the fire glittered off the stained glass.
Madison was glad that Fletcher seemed to be in good spirits. His annoyance from earlier that day seemed to have dissipated. He poured her the last of the red wine from the carafe, asking if she was still hungry. Her belly was swollen, having ingested more than she should have of the marinated duck and pureed squash, a dish native to the Kingdom of Willowfrost.
When she shook her head, Fletcher regarded the servants.
“That will be all, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for everything tonight. Everything was simply magnificent. I will see to the cleanup at a later hour.”
“Yes, thank you all,” Madison echoed.
Without a word, the servers, chefs, and dishwashers all left through the lounge. When the door was locked securely behind them, the only sound that was left was the snapping of the flames and Madison’s heartbeat.
Fletcher leaned forward on the table, his chin tucked beneath his fingers.
“I wanted us to talk privately about all this fated mate business. I want to first apologize for throwing it all upon your shoulders like that. It hadn’t been my intention.”
He was genuine; Madison could feel it. She felt the steel door of her heart beginning to unlock.
“Fletcher …” she muttered.
“Wait a second. While I am sorry about thehowI am not sorry about thewhat. I truly do care for you, Madison, in a way only shifters can understand. It was like the entire Earth moved under me the moment I saw you.”
Madison knew what he meant, but she also didn’t. She felt her hands under the table beginning to shake and considered the fact that one of her biggest fears had come to fruition.
“I will be honest with you if you will be honest with me,” the king continued. “I know the contract was signed, but … this engagement. We either do it or we don’t.”
Madison felt the flood of her trauma rising in her body like an earthquake. She managed to keep the tears at bay, but she had no way of keeping her voice from quivering.
“Fletcher … I’m … I’m just afraid. I can’t shift. Most of your kingdom hates me. You are an incredibly respected and honorable wolf king. I fear I’m not good enough for you.”
Her eyes were fixed on the table, and all she could hear in the silence was the licking and spitting of the flames as the fire burned merrily on. She didn’t have to wait long for a response because Fletcher had stood from his chair and held his hand out to her.
