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My false bravado is failing fast, but I refuse to back down. He made this choice too and he’s going to see it through.
“I said, I’ll walk right out of this room and find another man to kiss?—”
I don’t get to finish my sentence before he brackets my neck and pulls me against his hard body. His lips claim mine in a domineering way, stealing an unexpected moan from my lips. Malix uses this as an opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue clashing with mine. He drinks me like a fine wine, savoring every last drop.
This close I can feel his hard muscles against me. His hips press into my belly, eliciting another groan. I feel his hardening cock and I smirk against his lips. He’s not as immune to me as he pretends to be.
Granted, I’m not immune to him either.
Something snaps into place with this kiss. It feels a lot like inevitability, but I’m not quite sure how to describe it. I don’t want the kiss to end and I’m tempted to climb into his arms and demand more. However, we have an audience.
As if sensing it at the same time I do, Malix pulls away, looking as flushed as I feel. He’s panting and staring at me like he wants to eat me up. I’m both terrified and turned on, which is a strange combination.
A beat of silence passes between us, and then it’s broken by Solaris. “It is done, My King. You’re married in the eyes of the gods and rulers before us.”
“Then leave us,” Malix says, his voice still gruff.
Solaris looks surprised by the command, but makes haste as he packs up his things. When he’s ready to go, he turns to Malix to say one last thing, but the look on my husband’s face has the poor man nearly tripping over himself as he leaves the room.
My body doesn’t know whether to flee or offer myself up to him, so I do nothing, waiting for him to make the first move. He brings his hand to my cheek, his thumb running over my bottom lip in the process. I fight the urge to suck it into my mouth because I don’t make a habit of sucking men’s fingers. Even if it suddenly feels like the exact right thing to do at the moment.
“Wife,” he all but purrs. His hand stays on my neck and I gasp. His fingers nearly wrap all the way around me, but he doesn’t add any pressure to his hold. He makes no attempt to let me go either.
“If you threaten to kiss another male in my kingdom, you will watch as I rip him limb from limb. I’ll make you watch his undoing so it never happens again. Do you understand, little dragon?”
My mouth suddenly goes dry. Any snappy retort dies on my tongue and all I can do is nod. “Good girl,” he says and drops his hand from around my neck. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have business matters to attend to.” He pushes past me without another word.
I whirl around to face his retreating back. “Wait, you’re leaving?”
Malix stops when he reaches the door and manages a glance back. “Yes. What did you expect we’d do, wife?”
“I…” I don’t have an answer for that. I didn’t expect him to sweep me off my feet and romance me for the remainder of the day, but I also didn't expect him to immediately leave me postnuptial. It’s like he doesn’t even want to try to get to know me.
“What am I supposed to do?” I finally say, blinking back the tears that threaten to fall. I fucking hate crying and I don’t know why I’m on the verge of tears right now. I won’t let Malix see the power he has over my emotions.
“I expect you’ll find something to keep yourself entertained.” He gestures around the room vaguely. “There is a whole kingdom for you to explore.”
I scoff. “Right. Like you’d let me leave.”
“I already told you that you aren’t my prisoner. You are free to come and go as you please.”
“And if I get lost?”
A smirk dances across his lips. “Trying to escape already, wife?” I want to say that I’m not the one running out of the room the moment we get married, but he continues on before I can. “Then I will find you. I will always find you, Rose. Remember that.”
And for the second time that day, a man leaves me completely alone and defenseless in a strange, new world.
The moment the door closes behind him, I can no longer keep the tears at bay. I sink to the hard floor and cry until I have no more tears left.
Chapter 6
Malix
The instant the door closes behind me, I regret it. I’m a proud man, to my own detriment, because a better man wouldn’t leave his new bride alone in their bedroom. Rose’s entire life and purpose changed in less than twenty-four hours, and yet I keep this door between us as a barrier.
That’s when I hear the cries begin. She probably thinks I’m already far away from her, unable to hear her pain. Through our bond I feel the grief and fear from here and it feels like talons ripping me in two. I shouldn’t feel this strongly for a woman I hardly know, but every part of me is screaming to get to her.
Mate. Yours. Protect.
