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“Fight?” Opal’s eyes glimmered, wide pools of hatred that speared me in the chest. “They’d have lost. You know it and they know it and that’s why they are here and that’s why their talent hangs upon walls they’d rather see burn.”
She was wrong about that. For although there was resistance when newcomers first arrived in Vordane—of course there would be—we snuffed it by indulging and spoiling them until they’d all but forgotten about where they’d come from.
Though just like the female standing before me, some of these artworks said they’d never forget.
We also had close eyes on them, though they were not aware of it, and little problems had arisen. I wasn’t foolish enough to explain all of the above, and instead, offered, “They live good lives here. Fair lives, and perhaps one day, they may even return home.”
“Return?” she asked, staring at me as though I were the biggest fool alive. “Return to what exactly?” Her head shook, as did her hands as she dragged her fingers through her hair. “You honestly don’t get it, do you?”
I frowned, unsure what to do or what I should say. Opal’s eyes shuttered. “Stars, Dade. What did they do to you to make you believe that any of this is okay?”
I tilted my head, trying and failing to understand. “I don’t know what you mean. I am a king. I was raised as such.”
“That is the damned problem.” Opal licked her lips, and I longed to just pull her close and sniff her hair, run my fingers through it, slow her heartbeat under my touch. “You have been raised to be the problem, and so thoroughly that you do not even see what you are.”
“I know exactly what I am,” I said, keeping my tone smooth. “A king of wolves, a righter of wrongs, and now…” I took a daring step closer. “I am also your mate.”
My swan gave me that look again, her lashes beating hard over searching, stubborn eyes.
Panic gripped my voice, making it hoarse. “Tell me what I can do.” I clasped her cheeks, imploring, “Please. Tell me what I can do, and I’ll do it.”
“There is nothing you can do. He’s gone.”
“I know,” I said, nodding once. “I know, but I want to try. You have to at least let me try.” And I would. Stars, if I could rid the hurt brimming her eyes, that stunted her heartbeat, by bringing her small-minded, dickhead of a father back from the dead, then I’d fucking do it.
Her eyes studied, her hands rising to remove mine from her face, but then she sniffed, and I felt her grow tense. “You would truly do anything?”
Fuck, didn’t she already know that? “Any fucking thing,” I said, vehemence deepening the vow.
“End this war,” she said instantly and without hesitation. “Put an end to the bloodshed, to the revenge, to the u
I staggered back, my hands falling loose, my every reason, every plan, scattering like cards on the breeze as those golden eyes met mine with disgust. I wouldn’t. She’d known that yet she’d still asked. “I can’t do that.”
“You can.”
I caught her wrist when she brushed past me to leave. “Opal, I can’t. It’s not over yet.”
“It’s over when you find the fucking heart to say it’s over,” she hissed. Uncaring that the owner could hear, her eyes raked over me, and she laughed coldly. “But that’s just it, isn’t it, my king?” She backed up, leaving me with, “You don’t have one.”
She hurried down the statue lined hall, not one look given to the artwork upon the walls, her golden blond hair floating behind her.
Watching her leave, her scent clouding my mind and causing my hands to fist at my sides, an idea struck me so hard that I nearly shifted. I stalked after her down the hall and around the corner to another. “Marry me.”
Opal didn’t stop, didn’t so much as falter. She continued on as though I’d said nothing at all.
“Marry me and it will end.”
She stopped then, slippers catching on the oriental carpet as she whirled around, her hair flying over her cheek and settling over her shoulder. “Do you mean that?”
I took my time though I wanted to run to her, to throw myself at her feet and gaze up at her with nothing but honesty. I took my time and slipped my hand through my hair, forcing out a rough breath. “Of course, it will take time to arrange, and I ca
“Then we marry tomorrow. We do not need a giant celebration.”
I chuckled, unable to help it, and when she scowled, I did what I’d been longing to and brought her to me, even as she pushed weakly at my arms. She gave in, staring up at me with hope-filled eyes as I curled her hair behind her ear and whispered, “I will need to write your mother, of course, but once we have her permission…”
Since the moment I’d taken her from that human tower of filth, I’d hoped and tried to make plans for just this, to make her nothing but mine in every way, all the while knowing it might be impossible. I could force her hand, as I was now. Only now, I knew there was a large part of her that both hated and wanted me in equal measure, so it felt less like taking and more like coaxing.
I’d coax her for all eternity. She would be mine in this life and any that came after.
Opal melted into my touch, my hand cupping her cheek, and said on a resigned breath, “Then yes. If you make haste, I will marry you.”
“You could at least try to sound excited,” I said as irritation spiked without warning. “You would be queen, and together, we would unite the two kingdoms in a history-making—”
“Contract,” she said, pulling away and strutting over to a nearby portrait of a young girl with a braided crown and a one-eyed kitten on her lap. “What we’ll have is a contract, nothing more, but yes,” she said, moving on to the next image of a hillside village by the Night Sea, “we will do what you seem so fond of doing.”
“And that is?”
Her fingers lifted, the sway of them and her body hypnotizing as they hovered over a frothy wave. “Righting wrongs.”
I smirked, even as my heart both soared and sank, then moved in behind her to wrap my arms around that glorious waist. “Whatever you say, my swan.” I felt her hum in approval, and I kissed her bare shoulder. “Whatever you say.”