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Chapter Two
I thought after the dungeon debacle that my kingdom and I had an understanding—that there were no more secrets kept from me.
The thing was, I should’ve made it clear that previous secrets had to be divulged as well. After losing myself in a tirade, I steeled myself until the room was clear of the secret-keepers and even my mates before I let out a blood-curdling scream of frustration.
This kingdom was one step forward and three back. Every time I thought we were getting somewhere, it was as though life grabbed me by the ankles with a cackle and dragged me into the depths again.
“Your Majesty.” Candace bowed as I showed the door to my bedroom open, not caring that it slammed against the wall, probably making a hole in the damned thing.
“Candace, I need the night alone. The rest of the night. Undisturbed. Alone.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. As you wish.”
She scurried from my bedroom after putting a dress back into the wardrobe and shut the door behind her.
I tore the proper queen outfit from my body, careful enough not to rip it but giving it a run for its money at the same time. I changed into a pair of pajamas and had to restrain myself from calling for a giant bowl of ice cream—chocolate—anything to help with this frustration.
Truth was, the frustration was a good excuse to hide what was really going on beneath my rib cage.
Fear. Pure and raw terror iced my veins and caused my heart to flutter since the moment I heard my uncle’s name, along with the word escape.
Leaning against the wall, I peered out the window, my arms crossed over my chest as though they would protect me if I saw Bors running around the kingdom or knocking at my door. There would be no shutting me away this time if he caught me or got through my guards. This time my uncle would make sure I never breathed again.
A knock came at the door as I pulled my hair from the chignon it was in and let it flow down my back. My head had begun to throb between my temples in a drumline that nearly drove me to madness.
“I asked not to be disturbed, and that was a command!” I called out, not liking my tone with my servants, but at the same time meaning what I’d said before. I wanted to be alone—period. I stared down the door, daring whoever was on the other side to disobey.
“Not even for your mate?” Liam’s voice tore through the fear, and my body warmed at the sight of him. He had stuck his head through the opening.
“Only for you,” I answered and turned back to face my window as a shudder passed through me. I thought that if I took my eyes off of the lands for even a fraction of a second, Bors would sneak through and infiltrate my castle.
Liam’s arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me against his strong body. His chin rested on my shoulder. My breath hitched as his lips found the side of my neck, that tender and erogenous zone right below my earlobe.
I turned in the cage of his arms and met his stare. “I’m scared.” The emotion was hard to admit, but if I could tell anyone in the world my deepest feelings, it had to be my mate.
“No one will touch you, even if it means your three mates have to set up camp right here in your bedroom.” His eyes danced with a bit of glee at the notion.
“Just for my protection. Sure. Sure.”
He chuckled. “You did the right thing. You sent out security and doubled the patrols around the perimeter. The people of this kingdom know that you are trying your damnedest to make this place a just and righteous kingdom. They know you. They know your intentions. We will protect you, no matter the cost.
“I don’t want anyone to sacrifice their life for me.”
He lifted his hand and stroked the side of my face. “I thought that was one of the perks of being your mate. Die in the blaze of glory and all of that. If I do, you can make a ten-foot-tall statue of me. Just make my junk a little bigger, you know?”
A laugh broke free of me despite the dark, hovering cloud above my head. “That’s your real motive, isn’t it? You want a statue of yourself.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “It’s not a bad idea if you think about it. It would boost morale, but then again, not much work would get done with that masterpiece distracting everyone.”
The cheek of this man. I slapped at his chest. “Is this why you came up here? There’s no need to see me. You just need a big mirror.”
He cupped my face with his hands. “I’m just joking…for the most part. I came to see how my mate was. My wolf could feel your reeling emotions. They swirled inside me like a thunderstorm. We would never ever allow anything to take our mate from us, maybe not even old age.”
I leaned my head forward to rest on his chest. “I’m all riled up.”
Liam’s hands roamed to the edge of my pajama top and pushed it up. I lifted my head to look at him. “I might have an idea of how I can distract you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Not the statue again.”
He chuckled. “No, you have the real thing. There are ways a mate can make the world go away for his female. Shall I show you?”
“Show me, Liam.”
