Page 17 of King of Pride and Talons

“I have found my mate. Breya, my guest from yesterday, is going to be the future Queen of Bawold!"

The faces in the room were all distorted in bewilderment. Samson opened his mouth, but Beau cut him off. His eyebrows were raised with poised engrossment.

“My, my. How do you know this?"

He told them about the witch’s divination and how accurately they pinpointed her from the human village. They nodded along languidly, cautiously moving through their questions as if one false move would cause an explosion.

Thorne noticed their hesitation, and he didn't like it.

“Are we sure that these witches can be trusted?” June asked, her tone too placating for the king.

“They can. They are on the Royal Council after all. And I have met the young woman and I know without a doubt that she is my mate."

The room fell silent. Leon stood against the wall, void of thought.

“But she is also a witch, correct?” Samson posed.

“Indeed,” the king said.

“That means she's not a lion,” Beau jumped in. “We are going to allow a witch to become a queen? One who isn't a lion?"

That ruffled Thorne’s feathers a bit. He didn't want to start an argument with some of his closest confidants, but it was vital that he as king and leader made sure no one spoke out of turn in his presence.

He fluttered his fingers against his desk, gritting his teeth as he spoke. All of the council members leaned back in their chairs, taken aback by his rousing proclamation.

“Breya doesn't need to be a lion. She is a witch, and she will be my queen. There have been many witches who were queens throughout Bawold’s history. You all better educate yourselves on the matter. And get used to a witch being your queen, because I will not hear another second of griping. Understood?"

The words came out as a lecture, but the king didn't care. There would be no slanderous talk about his woman. Not ever again.

“The ball, then,” Samson said, rising from his chair and buttoning up his jacket. “Tonight?"

Thorne nodded and sat in his leatherback chair. Their silence was obedience, and that pleased him greatly.

“See that it’s marvelous and extraordinary. I don't want there to be any corners cut. This is for your queen. Remember that."

All scattered out of the room like cockroaches but Vale who lumbered and Leon waited for his next instructions.

NINE

BREYA

Breya bit her lip as the king left the kitchen, recalling with great detail the way her fingernails had dragged down his back the night before. She’d never been so sexually satisfied in her entire life – outside of pleasing herself, of course. Even then, it wasn’t as spellbinding as the skin-to-skin connection that came with giving control to someone beyond capable.

And damn, the king was more than beyond capable.

The witch felt flushed, her fingertips tracing along the valley between her breasts. She finished off her coffee and left the kitchen, her heart racing with a new brand of exhilaration.

The castle was gigantic. It was a castle, after all. Thorne had been pretty clear about allowing her the freedom to explore. But the truth was, it felt overwhelming. She knew about the palaces in the Wildwoods, and she imagined them in the way a child would envision fairy-tale folklore.

It was lavish and fantastical, more than sufficient to fill her time while the king saw to his duties. She became engulfed by the scope of the castle, and decided to return to her own quarters.

She had to ask a guard for help finding them, having been disoriented by her roaming. She was surprised to realize that her own quarters were near the king’s, recognizing the corridor the guard directed her down from earlier that morning.

Light streamed in through the windows, trickling over the floor like tiny converging crystals. Breya could see the desert-desolate landscape, heat shimmering like clothes on a laundry line. Eventually, she stopped wandering and moved toward her room, the hallways beginning to feel like a complex maze.

She wished she could talk to her sister about what had transpired. Anya was always so savvy about navigating difficult situations.

But she wanted to see it all through without escaping into her sister's protective arms. Though it was convoluted, with the lust and infatuation likely clouding her judgment, she needed to figure it out on her own.

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